How To Install a Sub Panel In 90 Seconds

In this 90 second video I show you a preview of installing an electrical sub panel next to your main electrical panel.

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[adamwilkinson]

Ben! You're videos are awesome!! Thanks

[Robnord]

Nice! Now prepare for incoming critique from the pros...you know it's coming. 😁

[jonathan]

Awesome video 👍. I have a question about a sub panel. I'm installing a new electric water heater and found out the feeding wire coming from my panel in the bedroom is 12/2 AWG running about 16ft to a junction box, wired to a 10/2 AWG it's about 2ft running into a 4 circuit sub panel ( which only 2 circuits are being used) a 20 AMP and 30 AMP 2 pole circuit. The 20 AMP was powering 2 receptacles that no longer are working ( can I disconnect that 20 AMP circuit?) The 30 AMP 2 pole breaker is wired to the old water heater which was 26 years old. Now for the question.... Shouldn't the feeding wire coming from the panel box in the bedroom and (what would it be hooked to?) Be 10/2 AWG? Do I even need the sub panel near the water heater? The highest AMP circuit in bedroom panel is 30 AMP 2 pole breaker. It's a 100 AMP max panel box 8 breakers total. The wire coming into the sub panel from the bedroom (White to top lug) ( Black to the other lug on the bar) ground to bus bar which has a empty lug ( which I'm assuming is the Neutral lug). From there a 16" 10/2 AWG from the 30 AMP 2 pole breaker to the water heater. I apologize for the long rant ....😞 But I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone I've talked to. ( They say yeah well a water heater should be 10/2 AWG 30 AMP 2 pole breaker) but from where? Directly from the main panel box directly to the water heater or to the sub panel then to water heater?) Again I'm sorry I'm I'll understand if don't reply back ( I asked the same question on another one of your videos) I've been without hot water for 2 months and really can't afford a electrician but if I have to it is what it is. I do have some knowledge, I'm mainly in Construction. Thanks...

[johnnyb]

Can you have two sub panel on same side lug?

[aytviewer]

This may be a silly question... Can a sub-panel (external garage) have a sub-panel (wife's she-shed)?

The she-shed has ~30 amps max possible usage at any single moment in time between window mount A/C unit, mini-wine fridge, lighting, laser printer, computer, monitors, large screen TV, plug-in scented air fresheners, hot-glue gun, wireless charging pad for the phone, LED doodads, radio, and whatever else she may have plugged into the wall at any one time... Sort of crazy, right? I tried this with a single 20 amp service but occasionally on a hot day with A/C going full blast with the laser-printer warming up coupled with the mini-fridge doing its cooling thing and all the other minor uses the breaker trips. Was going to run an additional 20 amp line but was wondering if I should just run 10-3 (40' run) instead to a tiny sub-panel and separate the outlets into two 20 amp circuits and the lighting into another 15 amp circuit. Would put in a 30 amp breaker in the garage sub-panel. As believe it or not all of the she-shed sources totaled up pull less than 30 amps. My garage is wired for a 90 amp load, but does not even hit 40 amps, and only that much because the washer/dryer, a full fridge, and an office is out there too. There are no 220 V tools or outlets in use in the garage --not counting the aforementioned dryer of course.

Thoughts anyone?

[galexid]

Hey good video. I have a question, I'm doing a subpanel for a little apt on top of my garage i have a 125 amp subpanel what gauge should i use for the conection between the main and sudpanel?

[miltonthecat]

I have a couple of questions.

Did I see copper to aluminum connections? If so, you then added some sort of paste, right?

Before watching a couple of YouTube videos, I would just insert a stripped stranded copper wire into a terminal and tighten once. The videos said to tighten to torque spec, wiggle, re-tighten, wiggle, re-tighten, etc, until the terminal screw stops turning. I went back and checked a few connections I had made in the past, and sure enough, I got several more wiggle, re-tighten steps on those terminals. I checked them again a month later, and got yet another wiggle, re-tighten step on some of them. Now I am paranoid about making these connections, I really don't want to create a fire hazard. Am I being too paranoid?

[GageDrums]

This is clearly edited. No way he installed that panel in 90 seconds

[jonathan]

Awesome video 👍. I have a question about a sub panel. I'm installing a new electric water heater and found out the feeding wire coming from my panel in the bedroom is 12/2 AWG running about 16ft to a junction box, wired to a 10/2 AWG it's about 2ft running into a 4 circuit sub panel ( which only 2 circuits are being used) a 20 AMP and 30 AMP 2 pole circuit. The 20 AMP was powering 2 receptacles that no longer are working ( can I disconnect that 20 AMP circuit?) The 30 AMP 2 pole breaker is wired to the old water heater which was 26 years old. Now for the question.... Shouldn't the feeding wire coming from the panel box in the bedroom and (what would it be hooked to?) Be 10/2 AWG? Do I even need the sub panel near the water heater? The highest AMP circuit in bedroom panel is 30 AMP 2 pole breaker. It's a 100 AMP max panel box 8 breakers total. The wire coming into the sub panel from the bedroom (White to top lug) ( Black to the other lug on the bar) ground to bus bar which has a empty lug ( which I'm assuming is the Neutral lug). From there a 16" 10/2 AWG from the 30 AMP 2 pole breaker to the water heater. I apologize for the long rant ....😞 But I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone I've talked to. ( They say yeah well a water heater should be 10/2 AWG 30 AMP 2 pole breaker) but from where? Directly from the main panel box directly to the water heater or to the sub panel then to water heater?) Again I'm sorry I'm I'll understand if don't reply back ( I asked the same question on another one of your videos) I've been without hot water for 2 months and really can't afford a electrician but if I have to it is what it is. I do have some knowledge, I'm mainly in Construction. Thanks...