Electrical Panel Questions - Simple ones I hope.

[Don Bullock]

I just made an offer on a house. The electrical panel has a 200 amp service. Will this be adequate for me to pull off a sub-panel for a shop/garage? Should my sub-panel be 100 amps? BTW -- shop/garage hasn't been built yet so I get do set it up exactly the way I want it (yes, there may be a big gloat coming -- we should know if the offer is accepted by the middle of the week.).

[Chris Padilla]

100-A should be plenty to keep you happy for a long, long time.

[Rob Russell]

200 amps should be plenty of power.

If you're building a standalone workshop, the difference between a 100 amp and smaller (say 60 amp) subpanel basically comes down to the added cost for larger conductors and larger conduit. I'd put in the 100 amp subpanel for the shop because it means you can have A/C out there and still have lots of power available for larger 240v machinery.

If you're mostly a hand tool guy, a smaller subpanel would be fine.

[Scott Long]

I ran a 100 amp sub panel off of my existing 200 amp panel with no problems. If memory serces me correctly I used a 2" conduit and a 4-2-2-2 alum. wire.

[Rob Russell]

I ran a 100 amp sub panel off of my existing 200 amp panel with no problems. If memory serces me correctly I used a 2" conduit and a 4-2-2-2 alum. wire.

FYI, 2-2-2-4 aluminum is rated for a max of 90 amps and that's a standard circuit breaker size.

[Don Bullock]

Thanks for the input. That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure before I signed the deal if the offer is accepted.