If you have 50 amp 2 pole breaker from the house panel, feeding a 120/240 volt, 8 space main lug sub panel in a detached garage. Do you need a main breaker in the garage if you only have 2 single pole breakers in the garage panel. It is an 8 space panel, but it does not exceed six throws of the hand.
2 breakers in a 8 space detached garage panel
- Thread starter Shawn4280
- Start date
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
No main needed unless you are on a very old edition of the NEC.
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
Where does it state it has to be an external disconnect? Not being a jerk. Just curious as I don’t know
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
the disconnect for a detached structure has for a long time been allowed to be inside nearest the point of entry. I am not up on the 2023, but that may have an exterior disconnect requirement for structures fed by feeders. Hopefully someone can chime in on that.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
225.31(B) Location. (2023 NEC)
The disconnecting means shall be installed either inside or outside of the building or structure served or where the conductors pass through the building or structure. The disconnecting means shall be at a readily accessible location nearest the point of entrance of the conductors. For the purposes of this section, the requirements in 230.6 shall apply.
The disconnecting means shall be installed either inside or outside of the building or structure served or where the conductors pass through the building or structure. The disconnecting means shall be at a readily accessible location nearest the point of entrance of the conductors. For the purposes of this section, the requirements in 230.6 shall apply.
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
I’m thinking that’s only for one and two family dwellings but could be wrong. Someone let us know hopefully. I need to get the 2023 and get caught up on it
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Right, for dwellings served by a feeder, there is an outside disconnect requirement in the 2023 I believe.
Dsg319
Senior Member
- Location
- West Virginia
- Occupation
- Wv Master “lectrician”
Yes and also requires it to be within sight.
This is what I got confused with the 2020 code requirements for emergency disconnect on service conductors that is only required to be readily accessible.
WV is on the 2020. And I just finished an unusual for me help a friend job where the service disconnect/emergency disconnect(meter main) is around 150’ away from the structure, and was afraid I would have to go back and add a switch on the side of the house for the emergency disconnect.
But than realized the meter main should satisfy the 2020 requirement for emergency disconnects on services and only has to be readily accessible (not within sight) even though it is but not to the NEC definition.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
For one and two family dwellings served by a feeder, 225.41 for emergency disconnects would apply.