Moving electric service entrance to detached garage

WillK · 10-04-2011, 09:54 AM

Soo... I'm starting to think maybe it would be better to move my service entrance to my detatched garage.

Here's why:
Since a tree I had not otherwise been planning to remove has fallen, I now have space to put in an above ground pool.
The current overhead wire location would rule out any non-paved area of my back yard because of 22.5 clearances required in section 680.
Moving the service entrance to the garage would also make the service drop for the PoCo more straight forward.
I upgraded the service from 100 amps to 200 amps, the main reason for doing so was that I wanted 100 amps in the garage. I have a 1/0 underground feeder, and I think 100 amps for the house using the 200 amp panel as a sub should be adequate, so no rewiring for the house would be needed.

In the diagram attached it mostly shows the current arrangement and the proposed location of the pool, as can be seen it's unlikely to meet clearance requirements to the pool with overhead service to the house.

What I think I would need to do is use something like this at the service entrance attached on the outside of the garage:
http://www.homedepot.com/Square-D-by...atalogId=10053
From there I'd run 4/0 to a 200 amp main in the garage, 100 amp breaker off of that panel to the 1/0 feeder to the house.
Am I correct that I can use the 200 amp breaker in the combination service entrance device outside as my main disconnect, then connect my 4/0 to the lugs for my feeder to the panel which is on the other side of the garage?

Code05 · 10-04-2011, 10:42 AM

Everything looks good about the meter combo and such. What is the rating of the panel in the garage?

But the pool over the house feeder is gonna be a problem.

I cannot find an exception for above ground pools.

680.10 Underground Wiring Location. Underground wiring
shall not be permitted under the pool or within the area
extending 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside wall of the
pool unless this wiring is necessary to supply pool equipment
permitted by this article. Where space limitations prevent wiring
from being routed a distance 1.5 m (5 ft) or more
from the pool, such wiring shall be permitted where installed
in complete raceway systems of rigid metal conduit,
intermediate metal conduit, or a nonmetallic raceway
system. All metal conduit shall be corrosion
resistant and suitable for the location. The minimum
cover depth shall be as given in Table 680.10.

WillK · 10-04-2011, 10:56 AM

So that's the section I had read, I certainly wasn't being exact with my diagram at all, is the correct interpretation of that section that the feeder can not go under the pool, but it can go in the area within 5' of being under the pool if it is inside condut?

WillK · 10-04-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Code05

Everything looks good about the meter combo and such. What is the rating of the panel in the garage?

On that subject, I currently have a 100 amp panel in the garage, which I'd replace with a 200 amp panel. Or I considered another way I could go about this would be putting 2 100 amp breakers in the meter combo and just feeding the garage and house seperately from there.

Code05 · 10-04-2011, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillK

So that's the section I had read, I certainly wasn't being exact with my diagram at all, is the correct interpretation of that section that the feeder can not go under the pool, but it can go in the area within 5' of being under the pool if it is inside condut?

That is the way I read it.

Are the 4/0 from the lugs to the garage panel terminating in a breaker?

WillK · 10-04-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Code05

That is the way I read it.

Are the 4/0 from the lugs to the garage panel terminating in a breaker?

That would be the plan. They would go into the main breaker on the garage panel.

Code05 · 10-04-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillK

That would be the plan. They would go into the main breaker on the garage panel.

I am assuming this is 100 amp panel with a 100 amp breaker

If the distance from the meter combo to the garage panel is 25 feet or less you can use the tap rule and run smaller wire.

240.21(B)(2) Taps Not over 7.5 m (25 ft) Long. Where the length of
the tap conductors does not exceed 7.5 m (25 ft) and the tap
conductors comply with all the following:

(1) The ampacity of the tap conductors is not less than
one-third of the rating of the overcurrent device protecting
the feeder conductors.

(2) The tap conductors terminate in a single circuit breaker
or a single set of fuses that limit the load to the ampacity
of the tap conductors. This device shall be permitted
to supply any number of additional overcurrent devices
on its load side.

(3) The tap conductors are protected from physical damage
by being enclosed in an approved raceway or by other
approved means.

WillK · 10-05-2011, 11:13 PM

On further examination, the current location of the underground feeder between the house and the garage is located such that any pool I put in will go over that location.

I'm not ruling a pool out yet, I am getting the driveway torn out and repoured so I could move the feeder under the driveway... I think I recall having seen that there is a section covering this, but I haven't familiarized myself yet. But If I'm doing this I need to plan for it now so I know what needs to get done before the driveway is poured. Not sure yet if it (driveway) will happen next year or not.

Am I correct in understanding (table 300.5) that as far as going under the driveway, the only difference is that I need to bury the wire 24" deep regardless of what raceway I use?