Joe wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:

I'd like to add a subpanel for a workshop and am wondering if it
absolutely
has to be wired off of a breaker in the main box or if it can be wired
from
the meter (i.e., can I have two main panels). I realize this is atypical,
but I have the following to deal with:
1) My meter is on the wall of my workshop, whereas my breaker box is
in
the basement on an interior wall on the other side of the house. Not only
would it be very difficult to fish but it seems inefficient to run feeder
all the way back to the workshop.
2) My house has 150 amp service and I need 100 in my workshop.

It is possible in at least some situations to feed more than one service
panel directly off the meter. In this case it's not a main and sub
panel, but two main panels. I've not looked for the particular code
sections covering this, but I've seen it frequently with 400A services
feeding two 200A main panels in large houses or small commercial
settings.

In you case since your current setup seems to be somewhat out of code
with the long seemingly unprotected feeder from the meter to your main
panel (is there a separate disconnect near the meter?), I'd simply
install a new 200A main panel for the shop by the meter which would
become your main panel and reconnect your current main as a sub panel
off the mew main.

You have a slight issue with the fact that 125A is the maximum sub panel
feed allowed, but depending on what's in the existing 150A main panel it
may not be an issue. Worst case you can relocate a few circuits to the
new panel.

Pete C.

Thanks for your reply Pete.

There is a disconnect at the meter (1993 construction).

The 125A limit is a bit of a concern...this is a 3000 sq ft house and 150A
service seemed to me to be kind of lean to start with (though I don't
pretend to know anything about load calculations). I suspect we would have
to move some circuits.

Remember that 125A limit would only apply to the sub panel (former main
panel), if necessary you could reroute a few circuits off that panel to
the new 200A main panel. Your net result is still more capacity since
you go from a 150A panel to a 200A panel. This is also likely the
easiest thing to do.

Pete C.