Very Rusty Electrician Building Detached Garage Help?

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Talewinds

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I'm an electrician by trade but I haven't had on the tool belt in a decade, I've been selling electrical products and designing lighting layouts for a long time but have recently left the industry.
We just bought a new house and I am preparing to build a detached garage. I plan on placing a 2p breaker in the main 200a panel in the house and cabling out to the garage, about 65ft away. The garage will have many lighting loads and a 2.5 ton AC unit and a 60K BTU furnace, other than that just power tool loads.

My question, would you just stick the smallest 6 circuit panel out in the garage with a 30A 2p for the AC unit and 1p 20's for the lighting?
Also, and I know local codes will dictate, but what would you folks run underground out to the garage?
 
Welcome

Do you plan on having a compressor or a welder?
The min I'd go with is a 50 a
Sub panel in the detached garage needs a ground rod
 
Assuming you'd want a 2P50A on your panel, you'd better go a little bigger (AC, lighting + power tools that will likely be running of the shed at some point). Maybe a #2.
 
I recently added 400 sq ft to my existing 24 x 30 garage. upgraded from old 60 amp to 100 amp; welder, 70K btu furnace, window air, frig, freezer, 2 8' flourescents and 5 4' flourescents chop saw, miter saw, table saw, radial arm,
thickness planer, drill presses (2) and assorted poewred hand tools, etc. other than the appliances & lights, I can only run one thing at a time, so the load didn't call for the 100a, but just room to add in case i learn how.
 
A 100A rated, 8 full/16 tandem circuit panel is the cheapest as they can be had for as little as $35 at the Orange Big Box store. I would assume your going to be there a while, therefore go at least 70A using #6. Put it in PVC conduit. If you go to small and need more for a new toy, you'll be kicking yourself later because your wife will never let you upgrade later. If you never need it, the next guy probably will. Besides, once you get the beer refrigerator, compressor, big screen TV, and A/C cranked up you'll need it.
 
ooops.....read the wrong units for distance. Ignore feeder size.

Agree with others on getting yourself a comfortable size for the service. Better too big than too small!
 
kingpb said:
A 100A rated, 8 full/16 tandem circuit panel is the cheapest as they can be had for as little as $35 at the Orange Big Box store. I would assume your going to be there a while, therefore go at least 70A using #6. Put it in PVC conduit. If you go to small and need more for a new toy, you'll be kicking yourself later because your wife will never let you upgrade later. If you never need it, the next guy probably will. Besides, once you get the beer refrigerator, compressor, big screen TV, and A/C cranked up you'll need it.
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I dont agree with putting #6 on a 70A breaker.

~Matt
 
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
A few more posts and you'll be mulling 3 phase 480... :grin:
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True! Funny.

When it comes to man-toys, compressors and welders, although awesome, aren't really my speed. Of course I have many power tools but they're mostly of woodworking and construction nature. Most if not all require no more than a few amps running current so I'll probably stick to a #6/3 UF to run out to the garage.
I took a trip to the orange box store and got a 100a rated main lug SQD Homeline panel, cheap I know, but consider its use. It was only like $15! I'll probably backfeed it into a 50A breaker.
Also, whoever mentioned the need for an additional ground rod you are correct, and I had completely forgotten about that. I called my local inspector to talk over what he expected to see and he reminded me that he'd require that ground rod driven out at the garage.

So far, so good.
 
a label showing

a label showing

Rod, bonding and disconnect on outside of the shed with a label showing the source panel. :rolleyes: You can bring another three wires and interconnect your smokies.
 
!00 amp panel for sure. They are cheap and so is the wire to feed it if you use aluminum.I've never heard any one say "I wish I hadn't put such a big service in"!:smile:
 
iaov said:
!00 amp panel for sure. They are cheap and so is the wire to feed it if you use aluminum.I've never heard any one say "I wish I hadn't put such a big service in"!:smile:
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until they had nothing better to do with the money they would've saved if they don't use that capacity and they weren't going to sell, demolish or otherwise get rid of that building...
 
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