vhcambrian
New Member
I thought we had decided that I didn't need a sub? Just a GFI in the main panel.
200-amp Service to 100-amp Service
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You don't need a sub panel if you use a 20 amp breaker in the main panel. If you used a box in the coop with enough wire, you could replace that later with a sub panel if you chose to later. However a sub panel would not add a lot of cost.
As I said in the message (click Inbox above), with 10/3 (4 wires including ground) you could power a subpanel through a 30 amp 240 breaker. That would let you expand use some day. Also, a subpanel lets you turn off separate circuits in the chicken coop. You could use something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D...oad-Center-with-Cover-HOM612L100SCP/100190554
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Cacher_Chick
Test, Don't Guess!
Assuming the chicken coop is an outbuilding, you need 4-wire cable from the main panel to the subpanel. It is also required that there be ground rods installed and wired to the subpanel equipment ground bar.
Homeownerinburb
Member
I thought that you had listed a total load such that a single 20amp circuit would not suffice.
Again, list out the total of all the loads that you are remotely likely to have in the coop, work out how many amps that is, and design your service to match.
Homeownerinburb
Member
Yes, the whole service, including the wires between the two panels, are protected by an appropriate breaker in the main panel.
But generally speaking (in fact I'm certain always) when a sub panel is in a separate building, it needs a master switch (breaker) to allow the whole kit and caboodle to be shut off with a single motion of the hand. He's not going to find a panel with a 30 amp main breaker, nor likely one with a 50 amp main breaker, built in (which is the requirement). But a box with a 100 or 125amp main breakers fulfills the requirement. The breaker that protects the service at the rating of the wire built into it is, as you say, in the main panel.
Homeownerinburb
Member
Oh, and I don't actually know but I suspect you need to use gfi protected circuits. You want to look into that as you plan the service.
You can use a gfi in the main panel (probably) they are available in all the current ratings that you are liable to consider, or you could use gfis in the sub panel, in 20 or 15 amp breakers. I like the first if you are using direct burial cable. In the event that somebody digs all of two feet down and breakes the cable. (unlikely, I admit, but why NOT have it in the main panel?)
You can use a gfi in the main panel (probably) they are available in all the current ratings that you are liable to consider, or you could use gfis in the sub panel, in 20 or 15 amp breakers. I like the first if you are using direct burial cable. In the event that somebody digs all of two feet down and breakes the cable. (unlikely, I admit, but why NOT have it in the main panel?)
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Try this search: "6 throw rule" subpanel .
Homeownerinburb
Member
While we are chatting, this being a sub panel, you need to segregate, not join, the neutral and ground buss bars. The neutral wires to the neutral buss bar and the ground wires to the ground buss bar. There is a grounding conductor in the cable going from main panel to sub panel. It needs to be connected to the grounding buss bar in the sub panel. As do the ground rod(s). The neutral buss bar is insulated from the case of the sub panel, so is easy to spot. The grounding buss bar is screwed straight to the panel case.
