So my electrician went on vacation and didn't come back. Help wiring a sub-breaker panel from the main one.
Question:What is there and what I need help with is this:
Main electrical wires are connected (in from meter)
Wires TO the sub-panel are in the main panel, White, Red, Black and a bare ground.
The White and bare wire are screwed to the ground block in the main panel. I need to install a 100amp (120 or 240v ?)breaker, so there's one question. Also, doo I do anything special with the red and black wires still not connected to anything? When I get to the sub-panel where do the 4 wires go? (my guess: bare and white to the ground block, red and black to the two hot terminals at the top of the panel) Right?
Answers:
OMG. Please wait for your electrician to get back in town. But just FYI.
- You need to install a 100 amp 240 volt double pole single throw breaker.
- The red and black wire leaving this breaker will go to your two hot terminals in the top of the sub-panel.
- The white wire (neutral) and the bare copper wire (ground) will end up at the ground terminal strip. This is bonding the neutral. There is a certain way to hook this up, but that's it in a nutshell.
the red is one leg, the black is the other,, then the bare and white are return or grounds however you would like to word it,
so what you need to do is wire the sub panel first, then move to the main breaker, hook one side of the double breaker to the red wire, and the other to the other side then look for the lip at the bottom of the breaker and insert that into panel and push straight back onto the HOT prongs,, Keep one hand in your pocket when working with AC, so as not to connect if shorted out through your heart,
Your partialy right. You need a 240 volt breaker. The size of the breaker depends on the size of the wire. If you have #3 copper wire then you need 100 amp breaker. This goes in the main panel.
#########
Hook up the sub panel before hooking up the breaker.
Sub Panel
White wire goes to the big lug that is attached to the neutral bar All your neturals go here
Bare wire There should be a bar (similar looking to the neutral bar) but further away from the neutral bar
The black and red go in the main lugs
All your ground wires will go here
Write me if you need more info
It helps to know what country you are in because there are differences btn AC/DC and voltage other things based upon that..
My First statement is it sounds like you are inexperienced (hence the question) and therefore before proceeding I would recommend that you consider having another electrician come in.. To explain things like this over the Internet without pictures and voice is difficult and somewhat like shooting in the dark.. Electricity is basic but unforgiving. YOU CAN SERIOUSLY INJURE OR KILL YOURSELF...
By your description it sound sounds like he was wiring it for full 240 that can then be stepped down by the breaks on the bar(the places where breakers slide into the box.
The breaker that you want is a 240.. It looks like two breakers glued together and will have 2 places to screw in wires (2x120=240). the red and black wire go into the breaker in the main box... CAP THESE WIRES OFF FOR NOW AND CONNECT THEMLAST SO YOU DONT KILL YOURSELF!!
WARNING DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE in the box or DEATH COULD RESULT.
Before you start go to a DIY or electrical supply store and get a simple voltage tester for $10 US.. It has two leads and when touched to the power supply has a light that illuminates for 120 or 240.
In the sub panel the red and black wires will connect to the main bus bar that usually runs down the center of the box while the outside of the box has the ground and the white wires..
Look at the way your power lines come in to the main panel from the street and work it the same way they usually have a 2 black wires or a black an black with red stripe along with the ground and neutral (which is usually not white from commercial power to the house).
The ground and white wires will go to the outside bar like in the other box..
The rest of the space you have to connect your breakers in the box..
Once that is all hooked up you can go back to the main box.
TURN OF THE MAIN BREAKER TO KIL ALL POWER IN THE BOX.
Connect up the 100amp breaker to the wires going to the sub panel.. Connect the white and ground to the outside bar with matching house wires and connect the other two to the 240v/100amp breaker. Make sure the breaker is in the off position and push it into place in the main box..
Turn on main breaker
turn on 100 amp breaker.. If it does not trip, then you are half way there..
If it trips then you have one or more wires reversed in the wrong place as both grounding a polarity are important in AC (alternating current) If DC then there is no polarity.
If this happens I more highly recommend that you get another electrician..
If not use the voltage tester to verify you have 240 and 120 in the sub panel. If that reads correctly then you are done. If not then we are back to another electrician..
got to be honest with ya bro, its been a while for me. The red and black sound "hot", be careful. do you have a circuit tester, that shows "hot" when it is near a wire.(a cricket?) in residential, i think most put neutral on ground. seems silly though, neutral is a "return" feed. the ground for safety sake, should be isolated. re-read question. if you are "wiring' up box for power, yes, red and black go to main buss barr. They will feed power to both legs. Just make sure you land them properly. your "electrician" should have never left a mess like that, totally uncool, to leave a job in that shape! I'm thinking that if it was 240v, there would be an "extra wire"? not sure. just be careful man, you have to get a better "yanswer" than this one!!, I think I"ll go back into the trade, and catch back up I'm rusty!! BE SAFE, ELECTRICITY KILLS, ESPECIALLY 12Ov.
might want to wate for him to return but yes black and red connects to the buss in the sub panel and the white and ground connects to the neutral bar in the sub panel make sure the neutral bonding screw is installed in the sub panel (green screw that threads into the neutral bar and into the panel itself
And yes a double pole 100 amp breaker depending on the size wire that you are using to run to the sub panel
I strongly suggest you wait for your electrician. If you're in a hurry, find another one.
This type of project is not for the average do-it-yourselfer. If you're not sure of what you're doing, leave it to someone who does.
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