Table of Contents
What size copper wire do you use for a 200 amp service?
For copper wiring with a 200 amp service, you will need to use #2 AWG copper wire. AWG stands for American wire gage, which is the standard for wire gage in the US. The next option for a 200 amp service, is aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum.
What gauge wire do I need for a subpanel?
#4
The cable must have a wire gauge sufficient to the amperage of the subpanel—a 100-amp subpanel requires #4 copper wires or, more commonly, #2 aluminum wires, for example. (Aluminum is often used for feeder cables because the cost is typically much lower than that of copper wires.)
What size wire do you need for a 200 amp subpanel?
200A @100′ should be fine to use 3/0 wire. I’d be inclined to use conduit and pull THHN but you might want to go another route.
How many amps can I put on a 200 amp panel?
160 amps
In general, a 200-amp panel should handle no more than 160 amps at once. It’s important to note that people can have 300 or even 400 amps worth of breakers in a 200A panel, as they don’t use all circuits at the same time.
What is the wire size for 200 amp service?
NEC requires a minimum of 100-amp 3-wire service for a single-family dwelling unit. Two-inch conduits are used to hold the copper and aluminum wires for 200-amp electrical service.
Can a 200A branch breaker be used in a subpanel?
The conventional approach is to use a feeder-breaker and subpanel setup. This works, and is pretty much guaranteed to be accepted by your AHJ when done correctly, but has the disadvantage that it requires a big (200A) branch breaker in the outdoor panel, which can be problematic in some cases, such as yours.
What kind of wire do I need for a sub panel?
Either way you go, you’ll need to run four wires in conduit between the two panels. The hot and neutral wires will be 250kcmil aluminum, while the ground (if your conduit is plastic) will be a 6AWG bare copper wire (this saves on conduit fill).
Do you need a permit for a 200 amp service panel?
Wiring a 200 amp service panel is a big project that requires the services of a qualified and certified electrician. You may require a permit to install a 200 amp service. The electric service will need to be disconnected entirely in existing homes to install the 200 amp service.