@@drguitar78 Did you read my following statement? NEC 300.3 Conductors. You must install that type wire in a complete raceway or conduit system. Just allowing those individual wires to float free from the j-box into the wall and through that PVC angle-cut nipple into the panel is non-compliant. 310.12 Single-Phase Dwelling Services and Feeders. While #2 alu meets the requirements of for a service or feeder the dwelling unit. A subpanel supplying additional circuits in a dwelling unit requires a #1 alu conductor. #2 has max load of 90 amps for this subpanel. #2 could be permitted by special permission of the AHJ
I've sat thru many classes taught by professors that were a waste of time. They just couldn't teach. You have that rare teachers gene. You don't leave out the little things that hang people up and you don't try to impress with how much you know. 10 out of 10 my friend. Thanks.
8 years later: This is by far the best, most detailed, most coherent wiring video I've watched. I'm trying to add a 240v welder to my 200A household panel, which has no more room. You've walked me through the process of adding a sub-panel so I feel comfortable doing it myself. I may ask my electrician buddy to give it an eye-over, but it seems pretty straightforward. I particularly appreciate seeing the TN inspector's sticker in your breaker box. My mom was a Vol, and I appreciate hearing such a clear, helpful and informative lesson in the same voice. Thanks!
Except for the blatant code violation of running individual conductors in a wall cavity. A real electrician, or anyone that knows what they're doing, would never do it this way.
You can make room in your existing panel in most cases. Replace the full size breakers with half size breakers. That will open up spots on the buss. We call them twins. If your panel is twinned out then you can add sub panel. Use to be code you could only have 42 breakers in a panel. Code changed. I've seen panels with ,60 to ,80 spaces in commercial work.
This is the best subpanel install tutorial I've seen yet. It's to the point, explained well, and provides all the necessary information required to perform this task. PERFECT and thank you sir!
@@ArcLightAddicts If you think it's the best sub panel tutorial you've ever seen, then you obviously don't know how it's supposed to be done properly. If there's a load on the sub panel the line isn't dead, so It does matter that he installed individual conductors in a wall cavity. Blatant code violation and an amateur move that no real electrician would ever do. While it makes no sense to put Romex in conduit in the wall, you're wrong, there's no code that says Romex cannot be in conduit in wall.
I love this guy - Very thorough and yet down to earth and easy to understand. I watched a lot of videos on subpanels but this was the most entertaining with the same detailed info. Keep making more vids.
The panel wiring looks like you took your time and dressed everything properly. Best looking panel I've seen in the last 60 yrs! Excellent presentation, easy to understand for laymen. Great out-takes,
Great video - exactly what a homeowner needs to know, especially separating the neutral and ground in the sub panel. That is a key issue not emphasized enough. Thanks
Ken was easy going and confident in what he was doing. He stated up front that he was not an electrician. He had wired his own house and felt confident to tell others how to do a sub panel. i agree since that is what I needed to know. seems like the inspector agrees that he know how to do it. Compared to others, this was worth watching and very informative. Thanks.
You “arent” an electrician yet your work looks more meticulous and well organized then a lot of the hands I’ve worked with over the years. Nice work bud. Great video. Got a real kick out of the bloopers lol
Yeah, most electricians get paid for getting the job done, and don't get paid extra for making the box look like it was wired perfectly by a CNC machine. It takes a LOT of extra time to make it look pretty :)
This guy is one of the best because he puts himself into our situation, answering our questions before they're asked. He should have been a lawyer. I don't know about cutting/stripping the wire insulation with a knife. I invested in those $20 wire strippers 10 years ago and they've been a charm ever since. They don't score (no chance) the aluminum, which can be bad over time. I'm a klux at conduits and pulling wires around corners and the rest, this guy is an expert.
Thank you for posting this video. Your emphasis on safety is very well done. With electricity, you just can't be too careful. Also, the wiring you installed in both panels is superbly laid out and well organized. That makes it very easy to trace. Although you say that you're not an electrician (neither am I), your work is much better than most electrician's work I've seen. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. Keep up the good work!
I'm just fixing to do the same job and your show and tell was much more helpful than many of the others. You've convinced me to go pull a permit. Thanks.
Thank you for helping me wire my subpanel. I took your advice and spoke with my local Tennessee inspector about what he wanted before he came out. The inspector was great. The piece of mind after getting an inspection was well worth the $40 permit.
Dude, I'm from NJ and I have to say your Southern draw ascent just tickles me! Especially your warning about becoming a "crispy critter"! I bought my house at auction and had to rewire the entire house! The electrical estimate I got was for $6,000! I wired the entire house myself for $1,500! Passed inspection on the first check. For the reason you're talking about, I will be putting in a subpanel this summer. Vid's like yours saved me $4,500. Thanks!
Wow! I love how you explained everything simply! You did your homework and got the job done! A man not afraid of asking for directions! Thank you! Great job! We have some smart ones in my home state! Go Tennessee!
Thinking of adding a sub panel in my garage only because the wiring was not done properly ( three wires overhead) going to trench it from the main panel. I’ve looked at many videos on how to proceed, your video has given me more confidence on tackling it myself! Thank you for posting!
Great and very neat work. A couple of issues to watch, though. My comments are meant to be helpful, and not critical. The NEC requires a conduit system to be completely installed. The big hole in the back of the box would be a code violation, since the conduit system is not complete. Great job on the separating of neutral and ground - this is often violated. I would ensure the wires are torqued properly per the manufacturer listing, especially with aluminum. I have investigated several fires that were caused by improperly torqued aluminum conductors. Too tight can be just as bad as too loose - one damages the wiring and one creates arcing under the terminal. Great job with the comment on the rust inhibitor - typically electricians use something like NOALOX by Ideal or something similar (many brands of this). The 100 amp breaker, although it fits, can sometimes violate the max breaker size in the cabinet allowed by the manufacturer. Usually this is stamped on the inside of the breaker cabinet - something like MAX C/B SIZE 75A, etc. Some panels will max out at 60 amps, some at 75 amps, as high as 120 amps. Square D QO is a good series to use - better quality than the Homeline Series by the same company. Always check this for max load circuit breaker size. Some comments have been made about wire ampacity and usign 90 degree C wire ampacity. 90 degree C rated wiring in a typical panel cannot be loaded to that amperage, because the limiting factor is the terminal rating. Most home breaker panels are limited to either 60 degrees or 75 degrees C, so if you are using the NEC to determine wire size and max amps, you have to follow whatever the terminals on the circuit breaker (both supply and load end) and limit your amps to that amount. Again, great job with your neat install - better than many electricians' work I've inspected.
J/M Equine Services No one said I would have passed this whatsoever. Perhaps you didn't read the lengthy suggestions above, including not allowing wires to be installed unless in a complete conduit system. I was attempting to be cordial and point out code compliance issues, not be a jerk and make comments like yours. This helps no one, in my opinion. Had this been an inspection, I would have not approved it until corrected, and I have seen so-called licensed electricians do much worse than this.
I was wondering about that myself. BTW, J/M wasn't talking about you, he meant a general inspector should not have approved that. He was just using the generic "you."
I`m from Waycross Georgia, spent my summers on my grandpa's farm there ...and from my dad on up, they all had those great little one-liners! "So dark, you can sleep with your eye`s open!", and the like. Appreciate the video, and your sincere delivery ...something we could all use more of today! Best to you and yours!
As an electrical contractor, I appreciate your attention to detail, preparation, and common sense. An experienced electrician would have either upgraded the main panel, drilled a hole in the back , and put subpanel outside, or flush mounted the sub with a nipple through the stud, next to existing panel. If you ever do this again, a piece of romex, with a connector in the panel, and one in your junction box would have been legal.
I also commented in a separate posting that NEC requires all current carrying conductors be in a *continuous* raceway. Another approach may have been to use a piece of Greenfield or liquid tite. ST
This has got to be the best explanatory video on how to wire a sub-panel that I've come across on UA-cam. I wired a sub-panel about 7 years ago and need to do another one but needed some refresher as I am not an electrician and you provided me with the clarity I was looking for. Thank you for keeping this video up. Excellent work.
This video provides some fantastic advise. I appreciate the detail and the fact that you recommended getting a permit and talking to the inspector prior to beginning the project. Since I'm not a contractor I hadn't thought about that before, thank you! I love the detail!
blazingnailgun i am osha10 certified in electrical and safety so i can wire your whole house without worries and make sure it is done right and neat because im 17 and taking electrical in votec at my school and am already wiring a house that is just a frame right now and it is fun and easy because i am wiring it with my classmates
ira todd no you can't wire it because ur not a journeyman electrician and u don't have a master electrician with a contracting license and I'm also pretty positive that you couldn't explain grounding and bonding and with out those main principles it would be a very unsafe and illegal house
just starting the electrical phase after building a small 8 x 10 shed. I do have a small advantage, my neighbor is an electrical engineer and his father and brother. I am blessed occasionally, but I want to do it myself and he will be my inspector. Great video, Thank you
We used to use wooden poles to push dynamite into the holes, but they sharpened like pencils too quickly so they started sending us plastic covered loading sticks. Not much better. Low voltage electric blasting, no sparks please. In fact, all metal has to be non-sparking aluminum, copper or wood when near the (rock) face.
When I worked as a drift miner in the '70s, we used non-sparking or conducting hand tools, near the face when we were loading. $4.84 hour from a company called Texasgulf. That was in N. Ontario, Timmins.
This is gold. We just had a pole building built and its time for the electric. After calling electricians for a quote, I will be doing my own. I just hope my inspector is as helpfull as your's. thank you, Gordon Mercer, Spearfish, SD
I enjoyed your video. I'm installing sub panel in my shed next week. I wired my house too. Electrical inspector inspected it for 45 minutes. He couldn't believe it was a homeowner job. He passed me. I wish I was as neat as you with my wires. My wires are good, but not as neat as yours. Thanks.
Brother, I've been looking at videos for hours to see a close up of a 100 amp sub panel installation and wiring instructions. You'd think there would be tons of them but there's not. I'm running a 100 amp sub panel to my shop and using 3 2/0 AL wires and 1 1/0 AL ground, believe it or not your video was the only one that I found using AL wire and actually explaining the install, the neutral wire lug is what I was looking for. Thank you for sharing.
I'm just in the final stages of installing a 100 amp subpanel for a new kitchen panel and wish I had seen your video first. You walked through each and every step that I went through. I've done all my own electric work for the last 40 years but never installed a subpanel before. If I had seen your video before I started it would have saved me a few hiccups along the way... especially when I got back to the service panel and realized that I needed that special lug adapter to fit the heavy cable onto the bus bar. In my case, the panel is pretty busy with cables spread out over the left and right bus bars so I decided to add a third bus bar along the bottom of the panel (horizontally) where there is some breathing room. It'll save me from moving a lot of grounds and neutrals just to get 4 lug spaces to fit the two lug adapters I need for the heavier cable. Good work, guy.
Probably one of the best instructionals on this ever! Hate to say it but I thought the accent by Larry the Cable Guy was fake but you talk just like him in real life. LOL. I love it dude. You should make more tutorials. How about one running a wire underground from a garage to a shed. That would be awesome.
i am a new york city electrician for 25 plus years and i have to admit that this southern boy claims not to be an electrician but if i had to work besides anyone in my field it would surely be him. safety first, great job my friend.
Thanks, I learned a lot from watching this, not just how to wire a sub-panel. I'm a newbie at all of the options I can buy in the electrical department, and you showed me to how use a lot of them. I like the way you approach doing things, and as someone else says, you're work is very neat. Thanks.
don't let yourself get freaked out by all the different kinds of breakers and different wires. your service box is stamped with the manufacturer name that's all you need to know as far as what breakers to get. as far as working goes just learn what your local and state codes are. 110 and 220 are easy to install, but bear in mind 110 will tickle you a bit but can knock you on your ass. 220 can kill you, not to say 110 can't but less likely. it's not volts that will kill you per say. it's amps that will kill you, good luck with your new hobby
Not many 15+ minute videos I'd watch, but I enjoyed every moment of yours! Your explanation was excellent and your work seemed as professional as any. Loved the out takes at the end!
We so enjoyed your video, especially the comment: "Makes you feel alive and dead at the same time!" You did an excellent job on all the aspects of the project! We liked your end of your video showing the bloopers too! :)
Can we just get all long format talking head diy videos done by southerners? So easy to listen to. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this guy actually knows what he's talking about! Incredible source of info!
Thanks for the video. Very clear, concise instructions. I also like the consult you did with the inspector prior to the job... Makes a lot of sense. I'm not an electrician ither but have done and will do some simpler jobs soon. These videos by folks like yourself help save a TON of grief and rework. Thanks again.
Great video. I do my own electrical stunts too...and I'm not an electrician. You're right though...do the research, be careful and you can do near anything electrical in your own house.
Although you may not be an electrician you gave a clear precise explanation, thank you. I am trained as an electrician from trade school but never worked as an electrician but always for major work get a permit to insure I am following latest electrical code and keep my home insurance company happier.
I have always pulled permits on my places, resale goes so much smoother that way. I wired an old Studebaker truck and looking at your job in the main and sub panel, I would say you are a perfectionists for sure.
For not being an electrician you do an awesome job my friend. Very professional and eye pleasing as well. Nothing worse than opening up a panel to see a spider's nest of wires. Job well done!
Man, I loved the outtakes at the end. Makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only UA-camr with moments like that. Thanks for the video, it was very informative!
Hey I just wanted to thank you for the knowledge and confidence you've given me. This video was just what i needed. I followed all codes. I called inspector in washington state and just like you said aluminum is totally fine. Thanks so much for all the advice. Today i installed a 240 direct wire forced air heater from my garage rafters. It kept me warm so i could work on my 1968 f100. Thanks again.
Great clarity in your perspective and thought processes. I do like listening to people like you. Thanks, I now have my DIY subpanel in my garage here in California! Oh, and inspected too. Excellent editing and camera work.
Really?? He used exposed wire inside the wall? looked like XHHW wire not SER?? He cut a 3" hole in the back of the 6x6 and ran it into the wall. Feddy, I love all your videos but I don't know how the electrical inspector passed this. If I'm wrong about the type of wire plz excuse.
Pat M Hey Pat. Thanks for checking in. There's not an "electricity" video on UA-cam that doesn't have some controversy surrounding it and I knew mine would not be any different. I don't mind your critique at all. I'm glad you took a minute to write it. Keeps us honest and holds us all accountable. That said, I will clarify that there is actually a short conduit inside the wall that dumps out into the utility box. I could have probably done a better job of showing that in the video. May not be they ideal way to do it but I didn't know any other way. The inspector was ok with it. Also, the wire is service entrance cable rated for 100 amps at 90C. Thanks for watching and hold my feet to the fire anytime you see that I need it. :-)
Feddy, I did see the piece of pipe you installed in the wall but it doesn't connect to the 6x6 box. It wasn't cable that looked like this was it? keithspecialty.com/media/pics/Electrical/75-216.jpg If it was and you left the jacket on in the space thats exposed then we are all good. I would have installed this wire into the main panel with the right size connector, then used an LB fitting to the 90. You still had 8 spaces left in the main panel, do I sense another project coming down the road??
Pat M Thanks for the free advice, Pat. Based on your comments I feel reassured. I appreciate it. Yes, there are some future projects coming. I'm trying to save for some new toys that will require more power. I hope to start incorporating some welding into some of my projects. Got my eye on a nice TIG but I'm light in the wallet right now. Hey, if you get a chance and don't mind, shoot me an email at blazingnailgun@gmail.com. I'd like to talk to you about another related video I am planning and get some thoughts if you don't mind sharing them. Thanks again.
I have been working in the trade for about 30 years everything from large industrial to residential you may not be a professional but you made sense to everything you did. OH my papers are in industrial and as handyman for residential but you got it thank you.
I'm in the same boat. As a general contractor (licensed) I've been renovating and building for 30 years. I learned a couple of things here, I like the plastic bushing you screw down over the male adapter nut. I'm installing a solar PV system right now, I'm just connecting the last wires (AC out) from the Inverter to the sub-panel, much like yours, that I installed for this purpose years ago. I was going to use the sub panel to connect the PV system (with 9.8 kwh battery storage) to the house circuits, but the City of Palm Springs won't approve my permit application, even though everything will pass code, or any inspection. They don't like my "Straight line diagram". In my defense, it's cut and pasted from the SolarEdge support site and it's redundant information already in the component spec sheets. So no inspection/approval will be forthcoming and my $20k investment sits on the roof, baking in the 115 F sun. No good. I'm going to use it off grid, so now I want to use that sub panel for AC distribution from the solar PV and battery/Inverter, disconnecting it. Essentially doing your video in reverse, except that my Entrance panel is at one end of the house, and the sub panel is in the garage at the other end, 80 feet away. Like you, the main panel scares me. It now has a 100 Amp double pole feeding the subpanel that I will remove, but what about the #00 wires inside the panel? Can I just put large wire nuts on them and leave them there? Also the garage is part of the house so no new ground rod was needed when I put that in. Now, if it's the distribution panel for the Solar PV system, and not connected to the house, doesn't it need a ground rod? I was thinking of leaving the ground wire connected, between the main and sub panels, but specifically not the neutral wire. (or hot) Every component of the PV system (racks, panels, Inverter, LG Chem Resu 10 Battery, sub panel and transformer) is connected with a #8 AWG copper wire. The sub panel now feeds a Level II EV Charger, which is 240 Volts @ 30 Amps. Installing that I included a neutral wire so (that) the AC circuits generated by the Solar PV system all use a neutral wire. My concerns are how to handle the subpanel grounding and neutral wires/circuits?
Old school wiring...where folks actually take an effort to make it neat and orderly...As opposed to trying their hardest to entangle everything. Neat work.
Hey men i do house wiring, i must let u know i am not an Electrician but i was train by one. I love the way you explain so that any body can understand.
I put some electrical tape over the main lugs in my panel just to make it that much harder to accidentally touch something that is hot when I'm working with the cover off.
Great job explaining this really practical project. This is the most helpful subpanel video I could find. Thanks for being so detailed in your description process.
Though I learned house wiring when I was 20 I am now 69 This was a very good presentation. I am licensed contractor but not licensed electrician. My personal house work has always passed. This is a great video for the do it yourselfer.
Your are clear and easy to understand and your tutorial keeps me interested, You have excellent communication skills. You should be on a live TV program as a point of interest being DIY. I hope to see more tutorials from you. Thank you.
good detailed video, I did my windows and doors in the craftsman style you showed in another video my wife loves it just wanted to let you know keep the videos coming I learn alot and saves me alot of time and money seeing someone do it in detail.
jlaner99 Outstanding. Thanks for watching and glad the videos are helping out. Send me a pic of your windows. I'd love to see how they turned out. blazingnailgun@gmail.com
As an Army Corps of Engineer Officer having received many instructional briefs, your instruction was clear, concise and easy to follow. Well done !
But incorrectly executed...
@@donl1410 how so?
@@drguitar78 Did you read my following statement? NEC 300.3 Conductors. You must install that type wire in a complete raceway or conduit system. Just allowing those individual wires to float free from the j-box into the wall and through that PVC angle-cut nipple into the panel is non-compliant.
310.12 Single-Phase Dwelling Services and Feeders. While #2 alu meets the requirements of for a service or feeder the dwelling unit. A subpanel supplying additional circuits in a dwelling unit requires a #1 alu conductor. #2 has max load of 90 amps for this subpanel. #2 could be permitted by special permission of the AHJ
I've sat thru many classes taught by professors that were a waste of time. They just couldn't teach. You have that rare teachers gene. You don't leave out the little things that hang people up and you don't try to impress with how much you know. 10 out of 10 my friend. Thanks.
8 years later: This is by far the best, most detailed, most coherent wiring video I've watched. I'm trying to add a 240v welder to my 200A household panel, which has no more room. You've walked me through the process of adding a sub-panel so I feel comfortable doing it myself. I may ask my electrician buddy to give it an eye-over, but it seems pretty straightforward. I particularly appreciate seeing the TN inspector's sticker in your breaker box. My mom was a Vol, and I appreciate hearing such a clear, helpful and informative lesson in the same voice.
Thanks!
Except for the blatant code violation of running individual conductors in a wall cavity. A real electrician, or anyone that knows what they're doing, would never do it this way.
You can make room in your existing panel in most cases. Replace the full size breakers with half size breakers. That will open up spots on the buss. We call them twins. If your panel is twinned out then you can add sub panel. Use to be code you could only have 42 breakers in a panel. Code changed. I've seen panels with ,60 to ,80 spaces in commercial work.
This is the best subpanel install tutorial I've seen yet. It's to the point, explained well, and provides all the necessary information required to perform this task. PERFECT and thank you sir!
Other than the blatant and dangerous code violation where he fishes individual conductors through the wall without conduit....
@@pld8993 If the line is dead it doesn't matter. Also, it's not code to have romex in conduit in wall.
@@ArcLightAddicts If you think it's the best sub panel tutorial you've ever seen, then you obviously don't know how it's supposed to be done properly. If there's a load on the sub panel the line isn't dead, so It does matter that he installed individual conductors in a wall cavity. Blatant code violation and an amateur move that no real electrician would ever do. While it makes no sense to put Romex in conduit in the wall, you're wrong, there's no code that says Romex cannot be in conduit in wall.
I love this guy - Very thorough and yet down to earth and easy to understand. I watched a lot of videos on subpanels but this was the most entertaining with the same detailed info. Keep making more vids.
+Chad Craig Thanks!!!!
Very professional. Done electric for 40 years. You are better than most!
This is the most helpful subpanel video I could find. Thanks for being so detailed in your description process.
The panel wiring looks like you took your time and dressed everything properly. Best looking panel I've seen in the last 60 yrs! Excellent presentation, easy to understand for laymen. Great out-takes,
Perhaps the most straight forward, informative DIY video that I have ever seen. Thank you.
Excellent work. Bonus points for getting a permit and having the panel inspected. You, sir, do neat, organized wiring. A pleasure to watch.
Great video - exactly what a homeowner needs to know, especially separating the neutral and ground in the sub panel. That is a key issue not emphasized enough. Thanks
Ken was easy going and confident in what he was doing. He stated up front that he was not an electrician. He had wired his own house and felt confident to tell others how to do a sub panel.
i agree since that is what I needed to know. seems like the inspector agrees that he know how to do it.
Compared to others, this was worth watching and very informative. Thanks.
Thanks for the support, Joe. Really appreciate it!
***** some of the comments came from jerks. You did a great job. I plan on putting one in my shop this weekend.
You “arent” an electrician yet your work looks more meticulous and well organized then a lot of the hands I’ve worked with over the years. Nice work bud. Great video. Got a real kick out of the bloopers lol
Yeah, most electricians get paid for getting the job done, and don't get paid extra for making the box look like it was wired perfectly by a CNC machine. It takes a LOT of extra time to make it look pretty :)
You said HANDS, you must be a fellow IBEW member.
@@chadcoady9025 That's probably one of the better rationalizations for being a hack I've heard so far.
Awesome Job!
This guy is one of the best because he puts himself into our situation, answering our questions before they're asked. He should have been a lawyer. I don't know about cutting/stripping the wire insulation with a knife. I invested in those $20 wire strippers 10 years ago and they've been a charm ever since. They don't score (no chance) the aluminum, which can be bad over time.
I'm a klux at conduits and pulling wires around corners and the rest, this guy is an expert.
Thank you for posting this video. Your emphasis on safety is very well done. With electricity, you just can't be too careful. Also, the wiring you installed in both panels is superbly laid out and well organized. That makes it very easy to trace. Although you say that you're not an electrician (neither am I), your work is much better than most electrician's work I've seen. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos. Keep up the good work!
Richard Terzi Thank you for the kind words, Richard. I appreciate you taking a minute to share them with me.
After looking in my existing panel, I am blown away at how clean and neat yours is.
I'm just fixing to do the same job and your show and tell was much more helpful than many of the others. You've convinced me to go pull a permit. Thanks.
Thank you for helping me wire my subpanel. I took your advice and spoke with my local Tennessee inspector about what he wanted before he came out. The inspector was great. The piece of mind after getting an inspection was well worth the $40 permit.
You are a smart dude. I have watched a number of your videos from grading to electrical wiring. You really help the common man!
Dude, I'm from NJ and I have to say your Southern draw ascent just tickles me! Especially your warning about becoming a "crispy critter"! I bought my house at auction and had to rewire the entire house! The electrical estimate I got was for $6,000! I wired the entire house myself for $1,500! Passed inspection on the first check. For the reason you're talking about, I will be putting in a subpanel this summer. Vid's like yours saved me $4,500. Thanks!
Wow! I love how you explained everything simply! You did your homework and got the job done! A man not afraid of asking for directions! Thank you! Great job! We have some smart ones in my home state! Go Tennessee!
Thanks Karen. You're sweet. :-)
Thinking of adding a sub panel in my garage only because the wiring was not done properly ( three wires overhead) going to trench it from the main panel. I’ve looked at many videos on how to proceed, your video has given me more confidence on tackling it myself! Thank you for posting!
Great and very neat work. A couple of issues to watch, though. My comments are meant to be helpful, and not critical.
The NEC requires a conduit system to be completely installed. The big hole in the back of the box would be a code violation, since the conduit system is not complete.
Great job on the separating of neutral and ground - this is often violated.
I would ensure the wires are torqued properly per the manufacturer listing, especially with aluminum. I have investigated several fires that were caused by improperly torqued aluminum conductors. Too tight can be just as bad as too loose - one damages the wiring and one creates arcing under the terminal.
Great job with the comment on the rust inhibitor - typically electricians use something like NOALOX by Ideal or something similar (many brands of this).
The 100 amp breaker, although it fits, can sometimes violate the max breaker size in the cabinet allowed by the manufacturer. Usually this is stamped on the inside of the breaker cabinet - something like MAX C/B SIZE 75A, etc. Some panels will max out at 60 amps, some at 75 amps, as high as 120 amps. Square D QO is a good series to use - better quality than the Homeline Series by the same company. Always check this for max load circuit breaker size.
Some comments have been made about wire ampacity and usign 90 degree C wire ampacity. 90 degree C rated wiring in a typical panel cannot be loaded to that amperage, because the limiting factor is the terminal rating. Most home breaker panels are limited to either 60 degrees or 75 degrees C, so if you are using the NEC to determine wire size and max amps, you have to follow whatever the terminals on the circuit breaker (both supply and load end) and limit your amps to that amount.
Again, great job with your neat install - better than many electricians' work I've inspected.
Kenneth. good comment.
If you "inspected" any work and allowed those conductors to fish in a wall like that... you need your ticket pulled.
J/M Equine Services No one said I would have passed this whatsoever. Perhaps you didn't read the lengthy suggestions above, including not allowing wires to be installed unless in a complete conduit system. I was attempting to be cordial and point out code compliance issues, not be a jerk and make comments like yours. This helps no one, in my opinion. Had this been an inspection, I would have not approved it until corrected, and I have seen so-called licensed electricians do much worse than this.
I was wondering about that myself. BTW, J/M wasn't talking about you, he meant a general inspector should not have approved that. He was just using the generic "you."
Kenneth Sellars it passed inspection
I`m from Waycross Georgia, spent my summers on my grandpa's farm there ...and from my dad on up, they all had those great little one-liners! "So dark, you can sleep with your eye`s open!", and the like. Appreciate the video, and your sincere delivery ...something we could all use more of today! Best to you and yours!
As an electrical contractor, I appreciate your attention to detail, preparation, and common sense. An experienced electrician would have either upgraded the main panel, drilled a hole in the back , and put subpanel outside, or flush mounted the sub with a nipple through the stud, next to existing panel. If you ever do this again, a piece of romex, with a connector in the panel, and one in your junction box would have been legal.
I also commented in a separate posting that NEC requires all current carrying conductors be in a *continuous* raceway. Another approach may have been to use a piece of Greenfield or liquid tite. ST
Do you just merret the 2 types of wire together?
This has got to be the best explanatory video on how to wire a sub-panel that I've come across on UA-cam. I wired a sub-panel about 7 years ago and need to do another one but needed some refresher as I am not an electrician and you provided me with the clarity I was looking for. Thank you for keeping this video up. Excellent work.
You may not be an electrician, but this was the most informative video I've watched. Keep up the good work.
+jow popper Thanks for watching and for the encouragement. I really appreciate it!
This video provides some fantastic advise. I appreciate the detail and the fact that you recommended getting a permit and talking to the inspector prior to beginning the project. Since I'm not a contractor I hadn't thought about that before, thank you! I love the detail!
I can't believe how meticulously neat that panel was!
Thanks Dan
blazingnailgun i am osha10 certified in electrical and safety so i can wire your whole house without worries and make sure it is done right and neat because im 17 and taking electrical in votec at my school and am already wiring a house that is just a frame right now and it is fun and easy because i am wiring it with my classmates
For real, it's kind of beautiful!
ira todd no you can't wire it because ur not a journeyman electrician and u don't have a master electrician with a contracting license and I'm also pretty positive that you couldn't explain grounding and bonding and with out those main principles it would be a very unsafe and illegal house
derek rodano i am in votec and am wiring a house in school now fyi
just starting the electrical phase after building a small 8 x 10 shed. I do have a small advantage, my neighbor is an electrical engineer and his father and brother. I am blessed occasionally, but I want to do it myself and he will be my inspector. Great video, Thank you
Scary tab. the one that makes you feel alive and dead at the same time. love that line. also the wooden pointer is a great safe way to show things.
yup, laughed out loud at that
We used to use wooden poles to push dynamite into the holes, but they sharpened like pencils too quickly so they started sending us plastic covered loading sticks. Not much better. Low voltage electric blasting, no sparks please. In fact, all metal has to be non-sparking aluminum, copper or wood when near the (rock) face.
@Vin Vin Did you miss the part where he said the MAINS ARE STILL HOT...?!?!?!?!
When I worked as a drift miner in the '70s, we used non-sparking or conducting hand tools, near the face when we were loading. $4.84 hour from a company called Texasgulf. That was in N. Ontario, Timmins.
This is gold. We just had a pole building built and its time for the electric. After calling electricians for a quote, I will be doing my own. I just hope my inspector is as helpfull as your's. thank you, Gordon Mercer, Spearfish, SD
For someone who's not an electrican your panel is very neat man , good job .
I enjoyed your video. I'm installing sub panel in my shed next week. I wired my house too. Electrical inspector inspected it for 45 minutes. He couldn't believe it was a homeowner job. He passed me. I wish I was as neat as you with my wires. My wires are good, but not as neat as yours. Thanks.
Thanks Thomas!
i have paid professionals that did not have such a clean install of a panel box. awesome work.
Brother, I've been looking at videos for hours to see a close up of a 100 amp sub panel installation and wiring instructions. You'd think there would be tons of them but there's not. I'm running a 100 amp sub panel to my shop and using 3 2/0 AL wires and 1 1/0 AL ground, believe it or not your video was the only one that I found using AL wire and actually explaining the install, the neutral wire lug is what I was looking for. Thank you for sharing.
I like your thinking! Anything is possible today with a little effort and some dedication ( and of course the right UA-cam channel).
Good on you Bro!
I'm just in the final stages of installing a 100 amp subpanel for a new kitchen panel and wish I had seen your video first. You walked through each and every step that I went through. I've done all my own electric work for the last 40 years but never installed a subpanel before. If I had seen your video before I started it would have saved me a few hiccups along the way... especially when I got back to the service panel and realized that I needed that special lug adapter to fit the heavy cable onto the bus bar. In my case, the panel is pretty busy with cables spread out over the left and right bus bars so I decided to add a third bus bar along the bottom of the panel (horizontally) where there is some breathing room. It'll save me from moving a lot of grounds and neutrals just to get 4 lug spaces to fit the two lug adapters I need for the heavier cable. Good work, guy.
Jerry Finzi Thanks for watching, Jerry. I appreciate the kind words and compliments. Good luck on your project. Be careful!
Outstanding. Glad to hear that everything is going smooth for you. It never seems to for me. Ha!
Thanks for sharing this! That looks great man. Im a 4 year apprentice and i have seen journeymen not do work this good. Very nice man
I've been watching electrical videos for a few hours. That intro... Man I think this is the last video for the day. Incredible.
The panel looks amazingly clean. Where you are at do you not need to tape one of the hots with red tape? Just curious.
Probably one of the best instructionals on this ever! Hate to say it but I thought the accent by Larry the Cable Guy was fake but you talk just like him in real life. LOL. I love it dude. You should make more tutorials. How about one running a wire underground from a garage to a shed. That would be awesome.
i am a new york city electrician for 25 plus years and i have to admit that this southern boy claims not to be an electrician but if i had to work besides anyone in my field it would surely be him. safety first, great job my friend.
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to show all the fiddly little parts to make it all fit.
Finally a video that actually shows you how to actually wire a panel from a main panel !!
Great video, love your down to earth explanation and assuring manner.
Thanks, I learned a lot from watching this, not just how to wire a sub-panel. I'm a newbie at all of the options I can buy in the electrical department, and you showed me to how use a lot of them. I like the way you approach doing things, and as someone else says, you're work is very neat. Thanks.
Glad it helped out!
don't let yourself get freaked out by all the different kinds of breakers and different wires. your service box is stamped with the manufacturer name that's all you need to know as far as what breakers to get. as far as working goes just learn what your local and state codes are.
110 and 220 are easy to install, but bear in mind 110 will tickle you a bit but can knock you on your ass. 220 can kill you, not to say 110 can't but less likely.
it's not volts that will kill you per say. it's amps that will kill you, good luck with your new hobby
thanks, I like how it sticks to the important stuff and doesn't waste time
Not many 15+ minute videos I'd watch, but I enjoyed every moment of yours! Your explanation was excellent and your work seemed as professional as any. Loved the out takes at the end!
We so enjoyed your video, especially the comment: "Makes you feel alive and dead at the same time!" You did an excellent job on all the aspects of the project! We liked your end of your video showing the bloopers too! :)
Can we just get all long format talking head diy videos done by southerners? So easy to listen to. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this guy actually knows what he's talking about! Incredible source of info!
You did a nice job. It's all correct, and I would think you were a trained and licensed electrician just like me. A+++ man!
Thanks for the video. Very clear, concise instructions. I also like the consult you did with the inspector prior to the job... Makes a lot of sense. I'm not an electrician ither but have done and will do some simpler jobs soon. These videos by folks like yourself help save a TON of grief and rework. Thanks again.
Wrath Claw Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, Wrath. Glad the video helped out!
Great video. I do my own electrical stunts too...and I'm not an electrician. You're right though...do the research, be careful and you can do near anything electrical in your own house.
You should know what you're doing
Lire neutral & earth grand bar earthrod
Although you may not be an electrician you gave a clear precise explanation, thank you. I am trained as an electrician from trade school but never worked as an electrician but always for major work get a permit to insure I am following latest electrical code and keep my home insurance company happier.
"I'm not an electrician but I ain't afraid to fool with it." I think I'll use that quote lol.
I'm not a gynecologist, but I'll take a look.
@@RayleighCriterion 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I was preparing to install a subpanel and your video was helping me get my work done. Thanks!
Your accent is awesome and very soothing. Thanks for the info!
I have always pulled permits on my places, resale goes so much smoother that way.
I wired an old Studebaker truck and looking at your job in the main and sub panel, I would say you are a perfectionists for sure.
Good video and well articulated southern accent. Appreciate you....
Very well done. I also liked how neat and organized the wiring in your panel was.
+Eric Nelson I believe it was birch.
"Make you feel alive and dead at the same time " 😂😂😂
😃
Yeah Electricity seems so peaceful when no touches it. And then the alive can become dead
EXACTLY what I was going to comment! This guy is funny IMO. Lol
Sort of like Schrödinger's cat huh?
Funny sh*t lol
Putting a subpanel in my basement. I'm not an electrician but I'm a contractor. This is a good video, helps alot. Thanks
You are a gifted and cool soul. I wish we could hang out.
For not being an electrician you do an awesome job my friend. Very professional and eye pleasing as well. Nothing worse than opening up a panel to see a spider's nest of wires. Job well done!
"just hush I don't want to hear it" I love it lol
Man, I loved the outtakes at the end. Makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only UA-camr with moments like that. Thanks for the video, it was very informative!
Hahaha.
“That shiny part that makes you feel alive and dead at the same time” lol
Hahaha
Hey I just wanted to thank you for the knowledge and confidence you've given me. This video was just what i needed. I followed all codes. I called inspector in washington state and just like you said aluminum is totally fine. Thanks so much for all the advice. Today i installed a 240 direct wire forced air heater from my garage rafters. It kept me warm so i could work on my 1968 f100. Thanks again.
+Billy Davis Great compliments, Billy. I appreciate it!
Had to watch it twice. The first time I got to "that shiny bit that makes you feel alive and dead at the same time" and had to start over.
Great clarity in your perspective and thought processes. I do like listening to people like you. Thanks, I now have my DIY subpanel in my garage here in California! Oh, and inspected too.
Excellent editing and camera work.
Yeah' I really like the way your neat & precise & the way you produced it was excellent. Thanks for your info & knowledge.
I am actually an electrician in the UK and I'd just like to say that the work you did was pretty good for some one who hasn't studied it! Good job
Really?? He used exposed wire inside the wall? looked like XHHW wire not SER?? He cut a 3" hole in the back of the 6x6 and ran it into the wall.
Feddy, I love all your videos but I don't know how the electrical inspector passed this. If I'm wrong about the type of wire plz excuse.
Pat M Hey Pat. Thanks for checking in. There's not an "electricity" video on UA-cam that doesn't have some controversy surrounding it and I knew mine would not be any different. I don't mind your critique at all. I'm glad you took a minute to write it. Keeps us honest and holds us all accountable.
That said, I will clarify that there is actually a short conduit inside the wall that dumps out into the utility box. I could have probably done a better job of showing that in the video. May not be they ideal way to do it but I didn't know any other way. The inspector was ok with it. Also, the wire is service entrance cable rated for 100 amps at 90C. Thanks for watching and hold my feet to the fire anytime you see that I need it. :-)
Mrthagimize Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching!
Feddy, I did see the piece of pipe you installed in the wall but it doesn't connect to the 6x6 box. It wasn't cable that looked like this was it? keithspecialty.com/media/pics/Electrical/75-216.jpg If it was and you left the jacket on in the space thats exposed then we are all good. I would have installed this wire into the main panel with the right size connector, then used an LB fitting to the 90. You still had 8 spaces left in the main panel, do I sense another project coming down the road??
Pat M Thanks for the free advice, Pat. Based on your comments I feel reassured. I appreciate it. Yes, there are some future projects coming. I'm trying to save for some new toys that will require more power. I hope to start incorporating some welding into some of my projects. Got my eye on a nice TIG but I'm light in the wallet right now. Hey, if you get a chance and don't mind, shoot me an email at blazingnailgun@gmail.com. I'd like to talk to you about another related video I am planning and get some thoughts if you don't mind sharing them. Thanks again.
wow sweeeet job man I love it!!! very meticulously done the way I like to do thing's!!!
I have been working in the trade for about 30 years everything from large industrial to residential you may not be a professional but you made sense to everything you did. OH my papers are in industrial and as handyman for residential but you got it thank you.
Damn good instruction! Hell of a DIYer!
+David Robinson Thanks!!!!!
David Robinson jjss dos
blazingnailgun weeo
blazingnailgun is wwww
blazingnailgun fde
I'm in the same boat. As a general contractor (licensed) I've been renovating and building for 30 years. I learned a couple of things here, I like the plastic bushing you screw down over the male adapter nut. I'm installing a solar PV system right now, I'm just connecting the last wires (AC out) from the Inverter to the sub-panel, much like yours, that I installed for this purpose years ago.
I was going to use the sub panel to connect the PV system (with 9.8 kwh battery storage) to the house circuits, but the City of Palm Springs won't approve my permit application, even though everything will pass code, or any inspection. They don't like my "Straight line diagram". In my defense, it's cut and pasted from the SolarEdge support site and it's redundant information already in the component spec sheets.
So no inspection/approval will be forthcoming and my $20k investment sits on the roof, baking in the 115 F sun. No good. I'm going to use it off grid, so now I want to use that sub panel for AC distribution from the solar PV and battery/Inverter, disconnecting it. Essentially doing your video in reverse, except that my Entrance panel is at one end of the house, and the sub panel is in the garage at the other end, 80 feet away.
Like you, the main panel scares me. It now has a 100 Amp double pole feeding the subpanel that I will remove, but what about the #00 wires inside the panel? Can I just put large wire nuts on them and leave them there?
Also the garage is part of the house so no new ground rod was needed when I put that in. Now, if it's the distribution panel for the Solar PV system, and not connected to the house, doesn't it need a ground rod? I was thinking of leaving the ground wire connected, between the main and sub panels, but specifically not the neutral wire. (or hot)
Every component of the PV system (racks, panels, Inverter, LG Chem Resu 10 Battery, sub panel and transformer) is connected with a #8 AWG copper wire. The sub panel now feeds a Level II EV Charger, which is 240 Volts @ 30 Amps. Installing that I included a neutral wire so (that) the AC circuits generated by the Solar PV system all use a neutral wire.
My concerns are how to handle the subpanel grounding and neutral wires/circuits?
Hell yeah bro, can tell your a good ol boy, godd bless you brother great job on those panels
That's the cleanest wiring job i've ever seen in an electric box!
Awesome video ! Thanks!
I am appreciated your video shows
His carefully !
Old school wiring...where folks actually take an effort to make it neat and orderly...As opposed to trying their hardest to entangle everything. Neat work.
bloopers at the end *Two thumps up* good stuff
Hey men i do house wiring, i must let u know i am not an Electrician but i was train by one. I love the way you explain so that any body can understand.
victor stuart Thanks Victor. I really appreciate the great feedback.
Good instruction and good videography. Thanks!!
This video is one that a person can actually follow. Thanks a lot for your great visual demonstration and clear voice in your explanation.
I put some electrical tape over the main lugs in my panel just to make it that much harder to accidentally touch something that is hot when I'm working with the cover off.
Dude, this is perfection. About to run 2-2-2-4 AL SER cable to a 100A panel in my attached garage and this is just what I needed. Thanks!
nice job. You can tell a sparky didn't wire that panel... it's super tidy... ;-)
a sparky?
Sparky=Electrician
Boris Navy background?
No kidding.
Great job explaining this really practical project. This is the most helpful subpanel video I could find. Thanks for being so detailed in your description process.
"Make ya feel alive and dead all at the same time" --- LOL
Quote of the day!!!
Though I learned house wiring when I was 20 I am now 69 This was a very good presentation. I am licensed contractor but not licensed electrician. My personal house work has always passed. This is a great video for the do it yourselfer.
Hahah Love the end!!! great video man!!
Very helpful and well put together. Also this guy takes pride in his work. Something that is lost on pretty much most people these days.
Thanks Stainer!
"...Feeling alive and dead all at the same time..."
Classic!
Your are clear and easy to understand and your tutorial keeps me interested, You have excellent communication skills. You should be on a live TV program as a point of interest being DIY. I hope to see more tutorials from you. Thank you.
very nice, love the bloopers at the end. lol
I like the way you explain everything and your tidy
electrical panel. Well done! Especially like the outtakes!
Love the out takes! Lol
I noticed how neat your original panel was instantly. Looks like something I would do. Well done.
great video thanks....!!!!
good detailed video, I did my windows and doors in the craftsman style you showed in another video my wife loves it just wanted to let you know keep the videos coming I learn alot and saves me alot of time and money seeing someone do it in detail.
jlaner99 Outstanding. Thanks for watching and glad the videos are helping out. Send me a pic of your windows. I'd love to see how they turned out. blazingnailgun@gmail.com