Wiring to garage and heating garage

[Swedishchef]

Hey guys

Well I am almost done building my garage. It is not big, only 16X24. I do not plan on putting a car in it. If I did, I would have built it twice as wide

Initially I was going to install a wood stove but have changed my mind. My wood stove would have cost about $700, stove pipe $1000 and then I need to cut more wood, etc. In the end, I am getting a Stelpro Dragon ceiling mounted 4000 watt heater.

I will be installing a 100 amp (only 60 amps max in circuits) subpannel running from my 200 amp in the house. My electrician says that I will need a 4 gauge wire to get there. My electrician said a 6 gauge could do it but since i am running it 110 feet, it is better to go a bit bigger....

Any thoughts?

Andrew

 

[seige101]

Hey guys
I will be installing a 100 amp (only 60 amps max in circuits) subpannel running from my 200 amp in the house. My electrician says that I will need a 4 gauge wire to get there. My electrician said a 6 gauge could do it but since i am running it 110 feet, it is better to go a bit bigger....

Any thoughts?

Andrew

6 Gauge copper would be good for 50 amps, but at that distance i would bump it up because of potential voltage drop especially if you plan on running that 4kw heater. I would have him price it out using #2 aluminum (good for 100 amps) because the price would be roughly half as much as copper you could always de-rate it and use a 60 amp breaker.

 

[Swedishchef]

Thanks Seige, that is good advice.

Can you get Aluminum UF? I plan on simply burrying the cable underground to run it to my garage...

My electrician told me the same thing regarding the drop in voltage and heating of the wire. He said he would feel better with 4 gauge.

I can't even find a website that offers 4/3 UF cable...any ideas where I can look for a comparison price?

Andrew

 

[ROVERT]

I think you're looking for URD, not UF.

(broken link removed)

Do yourself a favour, though, and bury PVC conduit. The total cost may end up being a little more, but you can use THWN rather than direct burial which should be a little cheaper. You'll be much less likely to ever have a problem and if you do, replacing the wire does not involve a hoe.

 

[nate379]

That heater is 240v correct?

What kind of equipment are you going to be running in the garage? Could you get by with 50 amp feeder?

If you are just running some lights and normal power tools I'd say it would be ok. The heater will pull about 17 amps, so you'd have about 30 amps for everything else.


#6, 100 foot run, 50 amps is only a voltage drop of 1.85%, or ~4 volts.

This calculator should help you outbroken link removed to http://www.southwire.com/support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm)

3% or less drop is ideal. 100ft run is pretty short, so it's not really something to worry about normally... unless you have very sensitive equipment.

 

[Swedishchef]

Hey NAte

Thanks for the information and that website. it is a great link!

The heater is certainly 240. 4000 watts of heat!

Mostly power tools (compressors, saws, etc) will be in the garage. However, I want my setup to let me have a welder setup as well. I would rather spend $200 more and be able to have everything than wish I could do it all later on... Does that make sense???

A

 

[seige101]

Thanks Seige, that is good advice.

Can you get Aluminum UF? I plan on simply burying the cable underground to run it to my garage...

My electrician told me the same thing regarding the drop in voltage and heating of the wire. He said he would feel better with 4 gauge.

I can't even find a website that offers 4/3 UF cable...any ideas where I can look for a comparison price?

Andrew

Thought i replied last night but my phone must of ate it.

Skip the UF that will just add significantly more money than running pipe. Look into running a 1 or 1 1/4" pipe and seriously consider a 3/4 conduit for tv, phone, internet, or future boiler controls etc. PVC conduit is cheap.

You want 2-2-2-3 URD ( or trade name #2 quadplex) this will be 3 #2 and 1 #3 aluminum wires with one identified for your neutral and one for ground. Should run approx $2.25 or so a foot.

Definitely spend a couple bucks more now and have the capability to run whatever you want out there, than have to rip it out in a year or 2 and run all new again.

 

[seige101]

The reason i am saying #2 aluminum is for 4 100' cuts the price is $137 and for the same footage in #6 copper is $384. Was not able to find a price for URD quadplex aluminum online.

 

[Swedishchef]

Thanks Seige. I will certainly print this off and take it to my electrician. Half of what you said made sense and the other half didn't (I am the furthest thing from an electrician...I studied Chemistry and now work in law enforcement....). I am trying to learn all of this building type business. I ran my own wires and have wired the outlets and lights. That's enough for me..the electrician can do the rest. Homeowners can't do it all, there would be no tradespeople with jobs!

Andrew

 

[seige101]

Thanks Seige. I will certainly print this off and take it to my electrician. Half of what you said made sense and the other half didn't (I am the furthest thing from an electrician...I studied Chemistry and now work in law enforcement....). I am trying to learn all of this building type business. I ran my own wires and have wired the outlets and lights. That's enough for me..the electrician can do the rest. Homeowners can't do it all, there would be no tradespeople with jobs!

Andrew

Your welcome, feel free to message me if you have any other questions or questions you should ask your electrician

Tim

 

[Swedishchef]

Wanna come to Eastern Quebec for a week long vacation? You can stay with me for free..it's not that far from Mass. Plus, National Geographic Travel magazine voted it one of the top 50 places to see in your life..and top 20 trips to take in the world in 2011

 

[seige101]

Gotta get my passport and wonder if my license is reciprocal up there.