"Detached Garage" What can/can't I do?

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ritelec

Senior Member
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Jersey
Hello.
Can someone please direct me to disconnecting means and 3 way switches for detached garage.
Decades ago with the circuit being from either the house or garage you were able to run a 3 way between the house and garage and control a light on the house or garage or both.
Then things changed and you couldn't. I never understood what was the requirement was so I just let it go, but now I would like to know.
I'm looking at detached building and it's talking about transformers.
Disconnecting means is bringing me to separate building on same premises 250.32D which brings me to 225.32... which I think it's there someplace but not seeing it??

My questions are, Detached Garage Residential:
Can a panel be main lug 6 circuit max? Or does it need to be main breaker.
Does a single 120 volt need a disconnect? If so does a single pole switch placed either indoor or outdoor suffice?
Does a 3 wire 120/240v multiwire circuit require a disconnect? If so does a two pole single throw switch placed either indoor or outdoor suffice?

3 way switching between the house and garage..... where can the circuit be fed from ( house or garage or either or neither ) and can the lighting outlet be installed on the house or garage or both?

Thank you
 
Sp or DP switches can be used when there is only one circuit or a multiwire branch circuit.

IMO, there needs to be a disconnect for the 3 way at one end or the other. It all depends which end it is fed from. IMO, you need to disconnect all circuits at the house or garage and they must be grouped.

A main breaker is probably the better approach but you can use the 6 disconnect rule at the garage. You can have a panel larger than 6 circuits as long as only 6 discos are used. IMO, it would be better to have a dp breaker with a hold down kit.
 
I'll have to check, or wait for corrections (
scared2.gif
) from other members, but I believe:

Can a panel be main lug 6 circuit max? Or does it need to be main breaker.
Either.

Does a single 120 volt need a disconnect? If so does a single pole switch placed either indoor or outdoor suffice?
Yes. Yes.

Does a 3 wire 120/240v multiwire circuit require a disconnect? If so does a two pole single throw switch placed either indoor or outdoor suffice?
Yes. Yes.

3 way switching between the house and garage..... where can the circuit be fed from ( house or garage or either or neither ) and can the lighting outlet be installed on the house or garage or both?
Either.
 
Thank you Larry
I'm seeing 225.30 which leads me to believe the 3 way circuit would need to be fed from the garage ??? If so what about lights on both buildings?

This is why I stopped looking into it when it came out :- )
 
Yes, I'm guessing in reference to 225.30 since it's part of that circuit it's permissible to have that conductor along with the 3 way.
Does 225.30 play into this at all?
 
With a MWBC no grounding electrodes required, once you install a panel, then you have a feeder and that requires grounding electrodes.
If you want remote control of lights, look at Z-Wave or a Amazon Smart Plug. Alexa turn on the lights.
 
Yes, I'm guessing in reference to 225.30 since it's part of that circuit it's permissible to have that conductor along with the 3 way.
Does 225.30 play into this at all?
If you feed the 3way from the garage back to the house and that's the only circuit feeding back then then you're meeting the requirements of 225.30. As LarryFine said you can easily wire it where there are lights on both buildings controlled by the 3way.

On a practical/safety note, it makes the most sense to feed the 3way circuit from the sub panel side anyway because you can disconnect the 3way from either panel for service or emergency. From the branch circuit breaker in the garage, or the feeder circuit breaker in the house.

Rob
 
If running a mwbc and a 3-way back to the house in conduit, would you need to derate ampacity?
 
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