Professional Opinion on Running Panel to Detached Condo Garage?

[Nicholas J]

 

[Jadnashua]

If they'll allow you to add the box with the two breakers in it, I'd go that way. I'm not a licensed electrician, though.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WorthFlorida]

This is work for a licensed electrician. If they are 100 amp breaker, it is the main for your panel inside your unit. Look at your breaker panel inside the home and you may not see a main breaker. You don't mess around with meter boxes since you'll probably cannot tap off this breaker. A local electrician will know the local codes. These breakers are exposed for fireman to switch the power off in event of a fire. Also, you just do not change a 100 amp breaker to 200 amp. The electric company would not allow it plus the the meter and panel may not be rated for 200 service. The drop wire to the meter may also not be able to handle the load.

Both breakers are for each of the two lines to give you 220-240v circuits such as for electric ranges, water heaters, dryers and air conditioning. My home has an outside meter box that has the mains with an integrated panel to add circuits. The breaker for the home is inside the garage about 40 ft away. It's very common in Florida where the exterior panel is used to add circuits for such things as irrigation pumps, pools and spas. All circuits are buried using conduit.

Underground buried work must be at least 18" below grade. Any exposed conduit below 18" above grade must be schedule 80 conduit. This article mentions 6" but it must be ridge metal and completely waterproof. The local jurisdiction may not allow 6", it's why a local electrician is needed and for a permit, condo's are usually considered commercial property, therefore, only a licensed electrician can pull a permit especially since you dealing with common property.

The only way is get the board to approve and spend money, maybe with a special assessment, that each garage be wired individually with an licensed electrician and permits. If you really want to make a stink, report the probably illegal taps to the one circuit shared by the other tenets. Guaranteed permits were never issued.

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[Drick]

Before putting any more thought into this I would consult a local licensed electrician. My gut tells me that the only way forward here would be to install a separate meter bank at the garage so each condo owner could add power in the garage if they wanted it. Unfortunately things that can be had for short money in a single family property can become prohibitively expensive in multi dwelling building.

 

[Stuff]

It seems you are dealing with some HOA issue that you are trying to work around. Why do you need your own 100 amp panel in your garage if you are already being provided with free power?

Note that if a structure already has power you are not allowed to have a separate feed to it. To be clear, it is against code to do what you are proposing.