Wiring a garage/shed

VG

I just wired up my shed and pretty much did it the same way as you are going. #6 is the largest UF (underground feed) cable you can get around here. The distance to my shop was about 80'. According to the tables I was looking at 55 amps capacity. Since they do not make a 55 amp breaker, I would have been required to use a 50. However, by upgrading to #4 in conduit I got a full 70 amps of capacity. The upshot, is that #4 in conduit was about the same price as #6 UF.

Unless you need a lot of power a new service does not make a lot of sense. Our monthly service fee here is about $12. The cost of the line to my shop, including trenching, was less than $200. Pay back is less than 2 years and I don't have to look at all of those extra overhead wires.

Good Luck,

Steve

I had an irrigation pump on one side of my driveway and the electric supply on the other. The inspector made me put a main circuit breaker at the pole where the supply was but didn't require a disconnect across the driveway at the pump because it was within line of sight.

General rule is that you need a disconnect at any load center beyond this specified distance (I can't remember what it is but I think it is about 50 feet) or not within line of sight.

BTW, a 'disconnect' can be a circuit breaker or a fused or unfused switch.

Hope this helps a little.

Using a 60 amp box, rather than a 100 amp, might prevent a problem at inspection time.

Note that a fussy inspector will check the rating on the box itself, so even if you put in a 60 amp breaker, the inspector could fail you because the box is rated at 100 amps.

Regardless of what you do, make certain that you've used heavy enough wire. The voltage drop over a long run can burn up your power tools over time. 6 ga. is as small as you should go, and I'd probably go with 4 ga.

Check with your utility company on the cost for them to put in a new service. I did several years ago for a pole barn about 200' from my house. I found out that the utility company would add another service and put in up to 200' feet of underground line from the transformer pole. The only downside is that I have to pay a $5.00 monthly service fee.

If I had run it from my house, it would have been very expensive to purchase the wire and have it buried. Then I would only have about 40 amps at the shed. This way, I have 200 amp service which should be enough for me and will only increase the resale value.

Check it out, it can't hurt to ask and it doesn't cost much either.

You said fuse. Is it actually a fuse, or is it a breaker? In any event, your plan would work, but the 100 amp in the sub panel would just be a switch, as the 60 in the main panel would blow first.

I don't see a problem with your plan, but you should check with a local electrician and the code enforcer to be safe. Your insurance guy might have a word or two on the subject too.