Electricians question, not a joke, but Brookwoods joke made me think to ask here.
Ruger4me
Member, Moderator Posts: 3,448 ******
Building a new well house (still) and getting close to finishing it and want to add an outlet or two and a light.
The feed coming from the meter pole box is 8 AWG see pic below and is direct attached no breaker other than the main it goes in to conduit and runs underground to old well house location and attaches to well pimp control box see pics below. I'd like to install a sub panel and then run a couple outlets and a light from the box is this doable with just adding the panel and if so what kind of panel? The 8AWG is about a 125 ft run best I can tell, it was put in before I owned the property.
8 AWG type TC THHN
Well control box cover
8 AWG from main panel under the pole meter connectors circled in red.
Label on control box being feed with the 8 AWG from panel on meter pole.
I can provide more info if needed, been about 12 years since I did any serious electric work, but I did connect a main panel and completely wired my house from scratch successfully to above code at the time, but cannot find the book I used back then...
Any thoughts appreciated.
Comments
8 AWG for a 125 foot run should work for your application. Keep the total load under 50 amps. I recommend a 30 or 40 amp panel to ensure it doesn't get overloaded. This one would work:
https://www.amazon.com/TL137US-Temporary-Receptacle-Installed-Unmetered/dp/B08F7WW6Z4/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=50%2Bamp%2Bbreaker%2Bbox&qid=1678308930&sr=8-7&th=1
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Thank you Mr. P I'll take a look.
Easy project. Small disconnect and follow above directions.
A little puzzled by the circled in red wiring hook up.
@Butchdog3 that picture is from the box directly below the meter box on the pole, it was originally connected to a subpanel in a mobile home that was on property when I bought it. You may notice the 3 aluminum larger wires that are cut off but still in the conduit that went to the subpanel in mobile. The 8 awg connected in red circles left and center are connected to the two sides or legs from the main circuit breaker and the ground/neutral on the right. the red handle circuit 20 amp goes to a gfci outdoor outlet they had a hot tub plugged in and the 4o amp black circuit breaker went to a fused subpanel in a barn. When I built my house the power company put in a new pole and meter closer to the house and I just left the well house connected to the older pole/meter, but when the pump in the well got replaced a few months back I decided to rebuild the well house and add a shed to it... I'm guessing they never had the 8 awg coming from a circuit breaker because of the distance to the well...
Appears maybe you have the #8/3 going 125 feet UG for on a 200 amp main breaker to the well house?
Just some thoughts to consider.
The #8 needs proper OL protection before it goes UG, no matter the distance.
If the #8/3 TC thhn/thwn cable is copper (not aluminum) it's rated for 55 amp continuous load.
I would install a 40 amp 2 pole breaker before it goes UG. (or if the barn breaker is not needed or has a light load use the 40 amp barn breaker before it goes UG.
or if the 20 amp hot tub outlet is no longer used, remove that breaker and install a 40-50 amp 2 pole for the well pump UG feeder.
Then install a sub fed breaker box in the well house. If 6 poles or less no main breaker needed.
Use 2 poles for the well pump breaker sized per the pump manu recommendations, 1 pole for a 120v breaker for the light and GFC recepts and you have 3 spare poles, maybe install a 20 amp breaker for the well house heat.
You can use a 20 amp one pole 120v breaker to the GFCI recepts
Are you going to use any winter time well house heat also maybe?
Stay safe
As @Okie743 says........you NEED to install a breaker for that #8 wire before anything else. Right now you basically have it hooked to a 200 amp breaker. If that wire, or deep well pump, shorts out.....you are guaranteed to melt the #8 wire and MOST likely start a fire.
Once thats done, then you can install the sub panel in your pump house to connect more receptacles.
Thanks Guys, another thought is to add a breaker to the main feeder box on the newer pole/meter they put in when we built the house, it is only about 25 feet from the new well house/shed. I will have to dig the trench that distance (not fun for an older guy) but thinking it will be a safer route based upon @mike55 and @Okie743 comments and then run new 8 Awg the shorter distance and add a subpanel like @Mr. Perfect linked although not that exact one since I will not be using it for an RV. Anyways will the sub panel need a ground rod? There is no permit or inspection needed as I am in an unincorporated part of the county but I want to follow safe code practices.
If you decide to add a ground rod..........
Rent a "demolition hammer" from home depot or the like. Get the smaller diameter ground rod, it will fit into the hammer where the bit normally goes. For 30 to 40 bucks rental cost, it will drive an 8 foot ground rod in less than one minute! I will NEVER drive another ground rod by hand.
I had to use the larger rod per code, so I just taped(electrical tape.... ironically) a 3/8 extension (6 inch one) to the rod, square HOLE(female) end towards the rod, and inserted the square(male) end into the hammer. It broke the female end of my 3/8 extension BUT it still drove TWO 8 foot rods for me WITHOUT breaking a sweat!
I have south Ga red clay(paked HARD) and LOTS of rocks. The demo hammer did not care!
PS. Install the wire clamp onto the ground rod BEFORE driving into the ground. Just put it down about 6 inches and tape it into place(so the hammering doesnt make it drop to the ground).
Yes, good catch @Okie743 , I missed that. Need to have a breaker at your main box first. Downstream breakers need to be smaller amperage.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Yes, and the upstream breaker needs to be sized at no more than the 8 ga. wire will carry.