Can I use aluminum wire to feed a sub panel?

Safety concerns caused aluminum wire to be banned from use in branch circuits years ago, but it is a common option for feeding main service panels and subpanels.

Does sub panel feeder need to be in conduit?





Unless you area requires conduit for wiring in dwelling units there is no NEC issue with running a cable as a feeder. It must be a 4 wire cable to the sub panel.

Can I feed a sub panel from the bottom?

Really depends on the panel. Many are designed for top feed or bottom feed, others do have a side that must be the top. Most of the time is dictated by installed breakers – including the main. If any handle operates up-down there is likely a proper up side.

Can a subpanel feed another sub panel?

Answer: Yes. The main electrical service panel is where branch circuits originate. A branch circuit consists of the circuit conductors between the final over-current device protecting the circuit and the lights, receptacles and equipment supplied by the branch circuit.

Can I use aluminum wire for a 100 amp subpanel?

If you decided to use aluminum wire for your 100 amp sub panel, you should therefore use #2 aluminum wires to avoid malfunctions such as short circuits that may cause electrical damage to your components.

What size aluminum wire do I need for 100 amp subpanel?





#2 aluminum

The cable must have a wire gauge sufficient to the amperage of the subpanel—a 100-amp subpanel requires #4 copper wires or, more commonly, #2 aluminum wires, for example. (Aluminum is often used for feeder cables because the cost is typically much lower than that of copper wires.)

How do you feed a subpanel from the main panel?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Goes into the panel. And on to the ground burn. Everything is connected ready to heat this up at the main panel we've completed the other panel. We've completed this panel.

What size conduit do I need for 100 amp sub panel?

What Size Conduit You Need for 100 Amp Service. A 100 amp service will need a minimum of 1.25 inches, schedule 40 or 80 PVC grey electric conduit.

Can you use stranded wire for subpanel?



A: Yes, this size is fine for a 100 amp subpanel.

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.

Can you run a 100 amp sub panel off a 100 amp subpanel?

Let me try and answer some of your questions. First the panels you are looking at that are rated 100A simply means you can use them for any application up to 100A.

Does a subpanel need to be grounded to the main panel?



Most panels come with a bar joining the two, which is easily removed. Code requires subpanels to have a ground connection that’s independent of the main panel’s.

Is it OK to use aluminum wire instead of copper?

Aluminum Wire Pros and Cons



Aluminum wire is generally easier to use than copper because it’s lighter and more malleable, making it an ideal wiring material to use over long distances.

How many amps will #6 aluminum wire carry?

50A

Example: A 6 AWG aluminum wire has a rated ampacity of 50A. 80% NEC rule states that you can only load the wire up to 80% of the rated ampacity. That means that a 6 AWG aluminum wire can handle 40 amps of electrical current or less.

How many amps can #2 aluminum carry?



Allowable Ampacities of Insulated Aluminum or CopperClad Aluminum Conductors

Conductor Size (AWG/KCMIL) 60°C (140°F) TW, UF 75°C (167°F) RHW, THHW, THW, THWN, XHHW, USE, ZW
2 75 90
1 85 100
1/0 100 120
2/0 115 135

What size aluminum wire is needed for a 200 amp service?

The Short Answer: For a 200 amp service, you’ll need a #4/0 aluminum wire.

What kind of wire do I need for a 60 amp subpanel?

In short, the wire size for a 60 amp sub-panel 150 feet away is 3 AWG gauge wire.

What size wire do I need for 30 amps at 200 feet?

In most cases, you will need an #8 AWG wire for a 30 amp 240V circuit. The key for 30 amp wire sizing is to account for 2 NEC codes, namely: NEC 220-2 Code. This requires that a conduit wire’s maximum load (30 amps) represents 80% of ampacity of that wire.

What happens if wire gauge is too big?



no. Any time you have a high impedance source constant power load. If the wire resistance goes down, the voltage at the load goes up (less voltage drop in the wires) and the load will automatically reduce its current draw to make up for the additional voltage, to maintain the same power.

How far can you run 10 gauge wire on a 30 amp circuit?

How far can you run 10 gauge wire for 30 amps? 10-gauge wire is usually used for short 30 amp runs. If you plan on going over 150 feet, 8-gauge wire or thicker will be needed.