Adding a sub-panel

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drewdin

drewdin

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So i just had my 6 fuse panel upgraded to a 100 amp 20 breaker panel. Upon finishing my electrician tells me that he ran out of breakers and he wished he added a 30 as he short a few circuits. He also mentioned that he is retiring on the 16th and I am going to need someone to add a 60 amp sub panel for the remaining circuits. The way it turned out, the previous owner had 6 fuses with multiple upon multple wires going to each one.

He said it was easy to add the sub panel and based off what he has seen me do that I could do it, just remove two single breakers add a 60 amp breaker and then run that wire to a sub panel with 10 more slots.

My question is, is it that easy? I'm pretty confident with electricity and want to attempt this project but i want to get all the info I can before I do it. Any tips, suggestions, precautions? Thanks

Drew
 
He said it was easy because that's what he does. To others it may be deadly.
There are more details and considerations to be thought out before attempting this.
First on your list is to pull a permit or just hire another electrician.
 
You could start here
[ame]http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22grounding+a+sub+panel%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8[/ame]

There should be less than a 5% voltage drop from your main load center to the most distant outlet at your rated current draw.

Flesh out the whole design before you buy a single part.
 
Thanks Wuzzat, I plan on getting a square D 24-12 panel, 6-3 connecting wire, a 60 amp breaker from the main to the sub panel and removing the green connector ground screw from the sub panel.

I feel pretty confident now, thanks
 
The sub panel was added, any suggestions or comments are welcome!

2012-12-31 14.34.28.jpg
 
More staples on the cable within a foot of the box.

The sub panel feed on the left I would have come straight out the bottom and into the top of the panel. I might even have used a short conduit and just used THHN wires instead of cable.
 
I wanted to come straight down but bending the 6-3 romex was a pain in the ***. It was easier and cheaper to buy two 3/4 cable grips and make a loop then try to bend the cable. Also, the price difference between 1-1/4 cable glands and 3/4" was $1.50 vs $8 bucks.

Whats the difference between THHN and 6-3 romex, why would you have ussed THHN? thanks
 
Last edited:
6/3 romex is a cable. THHN is a wire that gets used in conduit.
 
THHN is an acronym for an insulation type on wire that is useful for specific applications.
 
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