Table of Contents
A subpanel is a smaller service panel that distributes power to a specific area of the home or other buildings on the property. It is essentially a satellite circuit breaker panel that has its own breakers.
What is the difference between a sub panel and main panel?
The main panel is directly connected to the point-of-entrance to a building, and all sub-panels feed off that connection. However, the sub-panel provides a useful methodology for installing outlets that help you organize your electrical system into something more manageable.
Do I need a subpanel?
If your home’s electrical service panel (breaker box) is full and you need more room to add new circuits, installing a subpanel might be the way to go. Subpanels certainly can add convenience and plenty of room for installing new circuits, but your current system must have enough capacity to support a subpanel.
What defines a subpanel?
Definition of subpanel : a panel that is part of a larger panel: such as. a : a group of persons selected from the members of a panel to perform a specific task appointed two advisory subpanels a subpanel report.
Can you use a main panel as a subpanel?
There’s no problem with having a main breaker in a subpanel. It’s required if your panel is in a separate building and has more than six breakers, but there’s nothing prohibiting it in any other case.
Does a subpanel need a main breaker?
The subpanel may be equipped with a main breaker to allow for power interruption without having to go back to the main panel, but it is not required to have a main shutoff circuit breaker, since the feeder breaker back in the main panel serves this function.
How far can a subpanel be from the main panel?
Looks like 1.5″ EMT so that would mean that the distance between the raceways need to be a minimum of 9″. This allows for the conductors to be installed without damaging them. Also that appears to be a compression EMT connector that connects the box to the sub-panel (same as the one on the main panel).
How much does it cost to install a subpanel?
Subpanel Installation Cost The cost to install a subpanel is $400 to $1,750. This depends on the amperage and the number of circuits. Models have 4 to 20 or more circuits, and the amperage ranges from 100 to 150 amps. In most cases, you’ll install the subpanel near the main one.
Are sub panels safe?
Sub panels are often installed for safety reasons. If the main panel is so full that wires are a crowded maze, it’s a hazard. But sometimes, they’re installed for convenience. You might find one alongside the main panel, but they can also be installed in a different room or a separate building.
What is the benefit of a sub panel?
A sub panel is a necessary addition to any home that runs a lot of electronics or has extra rooms with a heavy load of electrical requirements. This can prevent overloading the electrical system and tripping circuit breakers or melting fuses. Sub panels are also used to separate the electrical needs of specific areas.
Does a subpanel require a ground rod?
Yes, any sub panel outside of the main building requires it’s own ground rod and a ground wire back to the main building. And yes, a sub panel in the same building as the main does not need a ground rod – only the ground wire.
Can you have 2 main panels?
If you are in the US, then the answer is yes. The main electrical drop has to be sized for both panels and each panel should have its own utility meter. All NEC codes must be conformed to. You need to consult your local government to see about local codes as well.
Can you feed a panel through a breaker?
If the wire size from the sub panel is the size that the main breaker in the panel being fed from you don’t have to have the breaker but this means if you have a 200 a main breaker in that panel the wire ampacity will need to be that large.
Does a subpanel need a separate ground?
Code requires subpanels to have a ground connection that’s independent of the main panel’s. Because the ground and neutral bars are separate, all the grounding conductors have to go the grounding bus and all the neutral conductors to the neutral bus.
Does a subpanel need a neutral?
3 Answers. The neutral and ground MUST NOT be bonded at a sub-panel. They should only be bonded at the main service panel. If you bond them anywhere other than the main service, the neutral return current now has multiple paths, including though your ground wire.
What is the 6 breaker rule?
The “six breaker throw rule” was a requirement in the National Electrical Code that a service must have have a main disconnect that shuts off all power and it cannot take more than six switch throws to do it, and the main disconnect(s) also must be clearly marked, as in the photo above.
