Branch circuits to shed?

[dbill27]

I have a pole mounted meter/panel combo about 30 feet away from a small utility shed that exists just to house a well pump and pressure tank inside. I need power to to this shed only for the pump motor inside and also would like to bring a branch circuit over for a receptacle and small light for inside. Does this small building need it's own sub panel or can I simply bring 2 circuits over from my panel on the utility pole? Do these branch circuits need a disconnect on or at the building even thought the breaker is within view?

Was planning on bringing circuits underground in pvc to the inside of the shed and hitting a junction box. There is another building that will be built in the future that will need it's own sub panel that will also be fed from this meter/panel combo on utility pole, not sure if that's relevant in any way.

I mostly do industrial work so this is a little out of my area of expertise but I'm helping a friend out with their project. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Little Bill]

A remote building can only have one branch circuit, or feeder to it. You would need to run a 4-wire over and put in a subpanel.
Now they do allow a MWBC to count as a single circuit. So if your pump was say a 20A 120v pump, you could run a MWBC and put the pump on one leg and the other circuit on the other. You would need a disconnect, and that could be a simple 2-pole toggle switch.

 

[cashpoppper]

pull 4 wires at the least, even if you don't subpanel in there later.

you're already laying the pvc, work, time. in todays costs, what's a $40 subpanel and $30 in breakers?

i did the exact same idea. mbwc for a 120v light/plug and pump. well, i wasted my time when i went to a 240v pump. A no-no bandaid is to use the ground as a neutral, but i did that only long enough until i went through the work of pulling a 4th wire.

never think of the project in front of you, always think of the next one you don't want to do!

 

[cashpoppper]

oh, this was a 140 ft later idea. maybe your 30ft isn't so brutal.

 

[dbill27]

A remote building can only have one branch circuit, or feeder to it. You would need to run a 4-wire over and put in a subpanel.
Now they do allow a MWBC to count as a single circuit. So if your pump was say a 20A 120v pump, you could run a MWBC and put the pump on one leg and the other circuit on the other. You would need a disconnect, and that could be a simple 2-pole toggle switch.

Thanks.

 

[dbill27]

pull 4 wires at the least, even if you don't subpanel in there later.

you're already laying the pvc, work, time. in todays costs, what's a $40 subpanel and $30 in breakers?

i did the exact same idea. mbwc for a 120v light/plug and pump. well, i wasted my time when i went to a 240v pump. A no-no bandaid is to use the ground as a neutral, but i did that only long enough until i went through the work of pulling a 4th wire.

never think of the project in front of you, always think of the next one you don't want to do!

Good Advice thank you.

 

[dbill27]

I'm going to assume that if I put a small sub panel in this building, a main breaker on that panel meets the requirements of the disconnect? On a related thought before I look thru the code book, is there anything not allowing the back feeding of a breaker to serve as the main breaker and disconnect of a small sub panel?

 

[Little Bill]

I'm going to assume that if I put a small sub panel in this building, a main breaker on that panel meets the requirements of the disconnect? On a related thought before I look thru the code book, is there anything not allowing the back feeding of a breaker to serve as the main breaker and disconnect of a small sub panel?

Yes, a main breaker would count as the disconnect. It does have to be located nearest the point of entry of the conductors.

You can backfeed a breaker but you would have to use a breaker hold down kit.