240 volt 200 amp disconnect switch question

[EddieWalker]

I didn't consider connecting the existing wire with new wire underground. Is that possible? Would I need access to the connection after it's done? Or bury it and forget it?

I just drew this with Paint from Google Maps. It doesn't show the garage addition on my house, but it gives you an idea of how where everything is.

My house is the metal green roof.

The black circle is where my meter is. I have a 1,200 amp breaker box with six 200 amp breakers. I'm using three of them right now, including the one we're talking about.

The red line is approximately where my line is buried for my house.

The orange line is where I plan to bury the line to my Shop. The green box is where I will build my Shop.

The trees behind my mom's house are a great shade barrier for the summer heat and they are staying. The path around the trees, to where the Shop will be built is longer than the entire red and orange run combined. This is the very shortest way to get to the Shop location, and over half of the wire is already in place.

 

[garry1p]

Where do you plan on placing the whole house generator since those wires will also have to have access to the main breaker box.

 

[etpm]

I'm pretty sure any breaker panel, AKA a Load Center, and any cutoff switches, in fact any switches in general, cannot be covered. They must be obvious and accessible. I just put in a sub panel in my basement and checked code for placement. There was a door close by. If that door would have covered any part of the panel when opened I would have had to change the panel location. Fortunately for me the door swings away from the panel. The only reason I can see to use a big switch is if the switch is not protecting the wiring. If you want to use a breaker it must be sized to protect the wiring. If you have the proper sized wire to power a sub panel then using a proper sized breaker is fine. When I put in my sub panel I used wire rated at 80 amps and I used a 70 amp breaker to power the sub panel. If I need to shut down the sub panel I will just throw the 70 amp breaker, no need for another disconnect. I don't understand why you don't want to use a breaker. It does double duty: protects the wire and can act as a shutoff.
Eric

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry, I didn't include the other 200 amp panel in that drawing. It's on the South Side of my house, with the Water Heater and HVAC system.

The red line in the drawing actually shows two sets of wires going to my house. I didn't draw the path around the side of the house to where it's at in the first pic. I just did in this picture.

It shows the two red lines coming to the house. The panel at the new front door is the one I'm getting rid of. I will run the house from the panel in the utility room. I drew a red line there with a black box to show were the panel is. I added a purple line to show where I plan on running Natural Gas to the Generator. I'll also run power from the generator to that panel.

My original house is just the area where the stairs and above. It was 1,200 square feet before I started all this. When done, I'll have 2,600 square feet of living area.

 

[EddieWalker]

There is no Code where I live. But I would like to follow Code as much as possible. The part about not covering up the new switch, or junction box, or whatever I end up doing, isn't going to happen. It will be covered.

With a breaker at the meter, and another when I install the panel in the shop, it just seems excessive to have a third breaker. The more things there are, the more things that can go wrong. I would like to keep it as simple as possible. But I'm not against a breaker. As of right now, that seems like the best option that I've seen.

This one from Home Depot seems to do everything I want.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eaton-200-Amp-Enclosed-2-Pole-Outdoor-Circuit-Breaker-ECCVH200R/205936221?MERCH=REC-_-rv_gm_pip_rr-_-n/a-_-0-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a#overlay

But I'm not buying anything yet. I'm hoping to hear of something better. And why I should not use it, if there is a reason.

 

[etpm]

The part about not covering up the new switch, or junction box, or whatever I end up doing, isn't going to happen. It will be covered.

Excellent idea. You should just drywall over the junction box. Then nobody will ever need to worry about it. /snark.
Eric

 

[ponytug]

I believe that what you want is under NEC is a splice rated for direct burial. You could pull the shop wires back from the house to some convenient spot, and cap them with a direct burial rated splice kit. When you are ready, then run a spliced cable back to the shop. If no code, I suppose that you could pull the wire back a bit, bury in a vault to open up when you are ready to run the power to shop. If it were me, in the mean time, I would pull the 200A shop breaker to keep anyone from accidentally powering the buried line up.

E.g. NEC Rules for Underground Feeder (UF) Cable Installation - ExpertCE

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

Did something similar with a RV power tap doubling as a junction box since the cable was short and needed to be extended.

 

[eolesen]

If it were me... I'd find a way to terminate the wire outside until you get ready to run the new shop wiring. Having to snake a new chase up to the junction box in the living room... that's going to be a lot of pulling for no real benefit.

A vault in the driveway... easy and not a problem to trench to later. Alternatively, in a riser into a junction box (think RV pole).

Once the breaker is off, there's not much risk in having the dormant wiring underground. When you run the new wire, use an inline splice kit for wet locations, about $40 per conductor.

 

[CobyRupert]

I don’t think you want that in your wall.

Could put the 200A terminals block or “power terminals” in a buried, cover flush (with ground) mounted “handhole box” outside the wall where the feeder presently enters. Not sure how big the box cover would be (8” x 10”?). Flush cover makes a nice birdbath or flower pot platform. And keeps the terminations accessible like the Code wants.