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Jeff Urban Jeff Urban is offline
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Default USA wiring question

So I use a breaker in the house main panel to feed the well house and then use another breaker for the pump and one for the lights, right?

You do not need another breaker for the pump if the one in the house is properly rated. However for lights and outlets you do.

A 240V breaker is a tandem which means when one side overloads both trip. They are mechanically coupled to achieve that.

There is a five move rule, you have to be able to shut down the whole building in five moves. So you'll have two, one for lights one for outlets. IF there is a box it has to be, however if it is ONLY the pump then don't even worry about it. I am unsure though if the one breaker in the house qualifies as a one move shutdown, is should but the code can be weird, you put a box in there and you got more rules. So if you have another breaker out there that is one move. Outlets a move, lights a move. If for any reason you have to add more circuits out there then all you get is five unless there is another main out there, which I think is unnecessary.

What would you add ? A pool pump ? Those are mostly 240V but with the tandem breaker that is only one move.

One of the houses I put a panel in I retained the original FPE box and used what used to go to fuses, a 50 amp, to the main lugs of the sub panel. The backyard where the meter was was all overgrown with trees and weeds, trees that used to be weeds and just forget it. So then some yahoo comes in and mumbles something about code and eliminates the original FPE box. Now it is like 12 moves to shut down the building, THAT is against code. I washed my hands of it. I would have put the main kit on the box, GEs have that option, but of course he didn't bother with that. Once someone does that I am absolved when the house burns down and guess what...

The same guy saw my furnace which was installed sideways, which is code and it was a furnace made for it. (it must, the flame arrestor is configured differently) It was nice because there was a huige return oh the first floor right into the intake so I put the filter so they could change it without going in the basement. Hey the guy was getting old.

The reason for the after the fact ranys is to watch who you listen to when it comes to code. Evne if they show you the book, there are sections. Like this driveway here, I wasn't here for that but the guy cheated, put the new driveway about 1-2" higher than the original. They of course guarantee it not to crack but didn't want to do the digging. If someone bitched he would have sid it is code, but that is bull****. Tell him to show you the book and he'll open the pages on footers and foundations, which ARE regulated. Ask "Then how the hell can I have a cement basement floor ?".

For any of this **** go to a union hall and hang around a little. Catch them walking out, if they are there early in the afternoon they are probably looking for work. Most have a problem with residential here on 38 unless it is a new install of something. But some will do it. here, they got stickers and if they put their sticker on the job the inspector doesn't even look. He knows it is right. There is a unique number for each journeyman and if **** happens it falls on them. You might pay over $200 a day but you can pay some asshole that much who doesn't know jack **** and endangers you.

Your call.

If you have the breaker in the house, you can use an old junk fusebox as long as you're only pulling 120v. However use that house ground, do not put another ground in and if you do not have a house ground out there and you do pound one in do not tie it to the neutral.

Also if you put a breaker out there for the pump it will have to be a GFCI. The one in the house is grandfathered in.