MikeFam
New member
- Location
- Connecticut USA
I am installing a 100 amp electric service to my newly built detached garage and am struggling with the design. We have 2" conduit buried which enters the garage interior vertically through the floor near a wall and near the house exterior vertically near the foundation.
I plan to use a 100 amp Square D QO box with 20 spaces. I have spoken to the local inspector and he has agreed to 2/2/2/8 aluminum or 4/4/4/8 copper which I understand needs to be for wet areas which leads to the first question. I can not figure out which is the best insulation to use. I have read about xlp, xlpe, xhhw, thhn/thwn and individual wire versus triplex and I just don't feel that I have enough info to choose one over another. I believe that all of the above are qualified for wet locations so what do I do....flip a coin?
The next question which has been even more difficult to learn is how to transition between the awg2 that is in the 2" conduit and the wire that I will use inside the house to get from the entry point to my main load center. The space inside the basement where the conduit will enter the house is very tight and does not allow for a conduit with individual wires. I am considering using a #4 copper romex/nm on the inside but there is very little room for a juntion box to contain the splice between the #2 aluminum and the #4 copper wire. My preference would be to use a box with a terminal blocks in it for the transition from aluminum to copper but space is very limited.
Now to the question.......is it allowable to put a large junction box on the outside of the building containg either splices or terminal blocks to make the connections between the individual #2 aluminum and the #4 copper romex and then enter the buillding through the back of the box? Also if I decide to use splices, what sort of splice is used for #2 wire?
I would greatly appreciate any help, Mike.
I plan to use a 100 amp Square D QO box with 20 spaces. I have spoken to the local inspector and he has agreed to 2/2/2/8 aluminum or 4/4/4/8 copper which I understand needs to be for wet areas which leads to the first question. I can not figure out which is the best insulation to use. I have read about xlp, xlpe, xhhw, thhn/thwn and individual wire versus triplex and I just don't feel that I have enough info to choose one over another. I believe that all of the above are qualified for wet locations so what do I do....flip a coin?
The next question which has been even more difficult to learn is how to transition between the awg2 that is in the 2" conduit and the wire that I will use inside the house to get from the entry point to my main load center. The space inside the basement where the conduit will enter the house is very tight and does not allow for a conduit with individual wires. I am considering using a #4 copper romex/nm on the inside but there is very little room for a juntion box to contain the splice between the #2 aluminum and the #4 copper wire. My preference would be to use a box with a terminal blocks in it for the transition from aluminum to copper but space is very limited.
Now to the question.......is it allowable to put a large junction box on the outside of the building containg either splices or terminal blocks to make the connections between the individual #2 aluminum and the #4 copper romex and then enter the buillding through the back of the box? Also if I decide to use splices, what sort of splice is used for #2 wire?
I would greatly appreciate any help, Mike.
