SER in attic to sub-panel / fixing someone's old mess

[urbanjoejoe]

I am new to this forum and have grown up around construction/electrical and currently PM commercial projects as an owners rep. I have this issue with my sisters house that I am trying to fix. The house is form the 30's and previous owners put the water heater outside along with the washer/dryer. It was a scary mess! Bare 10/2 romex running outside and under the house to throw the crawl space to a sub panel for the dryer and the same situation to the main panel for the WH.

I have built a small enclosed shed on slab, framed, with 3-0 door, re-routed the water and drain lines and now looking at fixing the electrical. Here is the current setup for reference:

200A main panel (Zinsco - :jawdrop:ugh!!!)

• 60A 2P breaker to the kitchen sub-panel. They ran 6/3 NM-B in 1" EMT for about 5' from the panel to inside the attic, then it was just run unenclosed to the sub-panel. Not near a ladder or scuttle.
• 30A 2P breaker to the RTU run with a #10 UF-B cable that has no ground (yea, don't get me started) in liquid-tight to the attic then unenclosed to the RTU. I haven't had a chance to see how they are grounding the RTU
• 30A 2P breaker for the WH with 10/2 romex run into liquid tight down to the crawl space then it is just the bare romex laying on the ground and then comes out the back wall in liquid tight to a disconnect then to the WH in the shed (I currently have it temp'd in so they can do laundry)

60A Kitchen sub-panel

• 30A DP breaker run down the wall to the crawl space then run on the ground though the back wall to the dryer, again unenclosed (I have this temp'd in also)
• 30A DP breaker that goes to the attic with 10/2 that goes out the attic and down the back wall with liquid tight to a j-box where they spliced it to more 10/2 going to a UG conduit that is feeding another sub-panel in the Casita that has just (4) 15A breakers for lighting, plugs and a window a/c unit.

This is what I am planning on doing, but have a few questions:

• Remove 30A DP in main panel for the WH
• Remove 30A DP in kitchen sub-panel to the dryer
• Remove 30A DP in kitchen sub-panel to the Casita
• Add 80A DP breaker to the main panel and install a sub-panel in the new "washing shed" to feed the WH, dryer and Casita
• Debating on what to run for ease and being very cost conscience at this point
  • 2-2-2-4 AU SER (about $60 for 50')
  • (3) #4 THWN CU & #10 bare copper (about $190 for 50' plus conduit)
• Debating on how to run it
  • Remove the 1" EMT with the 6/3 NM-B and liquid tight with the #10 to the RTU and run both of those and the new feeder to the washing room shed in a 3" PVC schd 40 to the attic then to a j-box where I would keep the #4 and #10 wires in conduit out to the shed and let the 6/3 NM-B and #10's to the RTU run unenclosed from the j-box
  • If I use the AU SER then do the same about combining everything in one conduit but once in the attic run it unexposed then back in conduit for the 2' to the shed

By doing it this way all the unexposed 10/2 romex laying on the ground is removed and everything is consolidated to one panel.

Questions are:

1. I am leaning to the AU SER, but want to confirm that I can run everything in a new 3" conduit from the main panel to the attic? Also opinions about this being the best and easiest route to take?
2. Is running SER in the attic is allowed and confirm that it does not need to be protected and can be unenclosed since it is not within 6' of the scuttle opening?
3. Do I need to add grounding rods to the new sub-panel in the washing room shed even if I am running a ground back to the main panel?
4. Does the SER need to be in conduit after it is in the shed all the way to the sub panel or can it be unenclosed with just a clamp on the panel?

I appreciate the thoughts on this.

 

[GoldDigger]

I am closing this thread, in accordance with the Forum rules. This Forum is intended to assist professional electricians, inspectors, engineers, and other members of the electrical industry in the performance of their job-related tasks. However, if you are not an electrician or an electrical contractor, then we are not permitted to help you perform your own electrical installation work.


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