Dear Yorksprings-ga,
Our usual disclaimer about our providing ?general information? which
is not intended to substitute for informed professional advice must be
emphasized here. May I suggest that any work that you do be inspected
by a licensed electrician; indeed, perhaps your plan should be
reviewed in advance by an electrician.
Now, let?s see what we have here:
BIG PICTURE:
You have two 40 amp legs of 120 volts each from both bus bars in your
main panel, with a functional and normal 40A breaker. Each side of the
breaker of course is a separate 40 amp 120 volt circuit, and since
they are from separate busses, when combined they create 240 volts. I
assume that the two switches on the breaker are ?ganged? meaning that
they are hooked together, probably by a small aluminum or plastic bar
or connection such that if one trips, it will take the other one with
it.
Keep this 40A breaker in place and then run a wire from the main panel
to the new subpanel located in an appropriate place (with adequate
access and, importantly, adequate clearance from the front of the
panel to the wall in front ? allowing a person to pull away if
shocked).
Install the various boxes for receptacles and fixtures. Wire them up
to the subpanel.
You will probably want to install a 2X40A breaker as a ?submain? in
the subpanel so that the busses can be isolated.
Connect the wires to the 15A or 20A breakers in the subpanel.
GREAT HELP TOOL
Electricalonline.com has just the site that you are looking for: How
To Install A Subpanel.
http://www.electrical-online.com/howtoarticles/subpanel.htm
Thank you Electricalonline.com!!
WIRE SIZE
Of course for 15A circuits a 14-2 wire is used, while 20A circuits use
12-2 wire. Here?s Lowe?s pricing and descriptions:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&No=12&pad=true&Ne=8000&category=Electrical%20Wire&N=0%205000085
The line running from the main panel to the subpanel will probably
take a #8 wire. Now, whether this wire should be 8-2 w/ ground, or 8-3
w/ground is a technical question. The 8-2, with the two positive legs
being serviced by the black and white, the neutral by the ground is
what appears to be the most widely recommended. See Home Depot?s site
on 40 amp circuits. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/jsearch/product.jsp?pn=345755
LOAD CALCULATIONS
This is a pretty technical area. This site is more for planning load
factors for an entire home:
http://www.electricalknowledge.com/SFDLoadCalc.asp
But here is a more useful calculator for an individual circuit:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/16149.xml&catref=SC1960
A very basic (and simplistic) tool for circuit calculations in your attic is this:
P = I times E
P= Power in Watts
I= Amperage
E= Volts
P = 20 Amps times 110 Volts
P = 2200 Watts
A 20 Amp circuit for a 110 Volt Line will support 2200 Watts
OTHER FACTORS
I suppose the trick is going to be running the #8 wire from the main
panel to the location of the subpanel in attic. Of course, if it is
run outdoors, a special wire for that purpose must be used. Perhaps
conduit may be appropriate and, indeed, there may be a state or local
electrical code restriction governing this.
Here is a PDF that is designed for electrical inspectors. Its
usefulness here is as a checklist of issues that you will face.
http://www.iccsafe.org/certification/pdf/JTA_ResidentialElectricalInspector.pdf
As usual, Wikipedia has good stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring
Permits? Inspections? Here is some general info:
http://www.permitsprotect.info/electrical.html
AND NOW, I am going to share with you, Yorksprings, this Top Secret
information about the best electrical tool EVER made: Don?t leave the
basement without it: http://doityourself.com/store/6085039.htm . The
8 inch H/L Diagonal Cut Plier D2288 by Klein Tools. Or, as the pros
say: ?The D-228-8.? Accept no substitutes. And keep it to yourself!!
If you require anything more, please hit the CLARIFICATION button and
I?ll get right back to you.
Weisstho-ga
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Search Strategy:
Residential electrical installations
Electrical load calculations
Klein D228-8
Electrical subpanels |
Clarification of Answer by
weisstho-ga
on
06 Mar 2006 07:38 PST
I have been considering the issue of the wire feeding from the main to
the subpanel. Although the "8/2 w/ground" should be acceptable, the
BETTER alternative would be to use "8/3 w/ground" and configured as:
Black and Red for each of the 120v legs, the White from the
Neutral/Ground bar to the Neutral/Ground bar, and the Ground wire as a
separate ground which would be connected to the ground lug in the
subpanel and then to a separate grounding point near the main panel.
It seems that inspectors like grounds and the more of them, the
better. A separate grounding of the subpanel would make the inspector
happy, may be a requirement of the local code anyway, and slightly
enhances safety in any case.
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