Electrical sub-panel question

[CoyPatton]

My ground is too rocky, and thus too close to ledge rock to drive a ground rod that way, so I do not even try. I dig a trench with my backhoe as deep as I can go, and then put the ground rod in the trench, and then back-fill.

This was a trick an electrician showed me when we were laying a lot of underground cable, and i thought it was a much better way to "drive" ground rods in the ground.

I am not sure what other electricians think of it, but I see no reason why it is not a good way to do it.

Don’t forget that you can rent a walk behind trencher and avoid a lot of digging. Trench a route for conduit from main panel to sub panel and for ground rods while while you have it rented.

 

[aczlan]

Don’t forget that you can rent a walk behind trencher and avoid a lot of digging. Trench a route for conduit from main panel to sub panel and for ground rods while while you have it rented.

If you're going to spend the money to rent a trencher, rent a Toro Dingo or a similar tracked mini skid steer with a trencher attachment. You'll be done in a third of the time and with a quarter of the aggravation.
We had to replace the power line going out to the barn a couple years back (in January no less) and the Dingo had no problem chewing through the frozen soil and getting the conduit down far enough where were they traditional walk-behind trencher you would have been fighting to get it to dig in and stay down.
Also, when you found a large rock that wouldn't come up on the chain, you could hook it on one of the teeth, then lift the trencher straight up to pull the rock up and out of the trench.

Aaron Z

 

[crazyal]

I know the feeling. When I went from one 20a 120v outlet in my father's garage to two and a 240v outlet it seamed like I could now conquer the world. That original outlet also had the basement lights on it so if I was close to tripping the breaker anyone flipping the light switch on would be too much. When they built the house they didn't think about having a dedicated light in the basement at the panel so resetting it was always fun.

 

[johncanfield]

I completely understand! I went a different route, and pulled a separate address for my garage, then added a meter can with breakers(like a mobile home uses on a pole) and another 42 slot panel inside the garage. I now have 200 amp service in the garage and don't have to worry about the Bride firing up the stove while drying clothes when i am trying to weld!
David from jax

My shop is 30'x50' and it has a separate meter and 200 amp service. My last shop suffered from my design flaws so I did it right for this one (my 'forever' shop :thumbsup: .)

 

[rbstern]

All finished. Got the breakers and outlets wired up today. Was trying to use up what I had on hand, so I was short one outlet box. Will probably add one more 120v receptacle at some point. Not pictured: I have one outlet up high, and a rewind type extension cord fixture running from it, off to the right of the pictured area.

While I was at it, I added on to my grinding bench, making it into an L shape, so my belt sander and vice would have more elbow space.

It's a humble corner, as shops go, but I used it this afternoon to work on my log arch project and, yes, it was great to have dedicated circuits!

 

[Peter 315]

All finished. Got the breakers and outlets wired up today. Was trying to use up what I had on hand, so I was short one outlet box. Will probably add one more 120v receptacle at some point. Not pictured: I have one outlet up high, and a rewind type extension cord fixture running from it, off to the right of the pictured area.

While I was at it, I added on to my grinding bench, making it into an L shape, so my belt sander and vice would have more elbow space.

It's a humble corner, as shops go, but I used it this afternoon to work on my log arch project and, yes, it was great to have dedicated circuits!

View attachment 658080

Neat and tidy shop.....