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Dedicated Circuits - Subpanel importance?

My system is no more. Sold everything. Starting from scratch. Thanks to you and seven months of experience I am doing the following, which is taking care of the number one component, the room:

  1. Treating. The full GIK order in October is starting to arrive.
  2. Running one or more dedicated circuits.

I am addressing #2 in this post. There are extensive discussions here and one can spend hours if not days trying to wring-out the critical details needed for a DIY solution. I have spent hours and there a few things I need to confirm before I proceed because I was unable to find definitive answers.

I am doing this myself. I do not want or need lectures on only having a licensed electrician do this work. I have been doing my own electrical work for many years and am very comfortable doing so.

  1. Does a subpanel help? Is it required? Subpanels are typically supplied from a breaker off of the main panel's bus, so I'm guessing there is no advantage in terms of SQ? Perhaps if I can independently ground the subpanel it might make a difference?
  2. Opening up my walls is not an option, so I need to use conduit. This may restrict the number of lines if the wire should not share the same conduit? If I am restricted to Romex 8 or 10,2 versus metal-clad, is it okay for two runs to occupy the same conduit?
  3. How much better is metal-clad? Is it required vs Romex? Will metal conduit accomplish the same result with Romex?

Answers to these questions will complete my plans and I will go forward at speed. Hopefully this discussion helps others as well even if it's to know what to have their electrician setup for them.

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

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Showing 3 responses by 8044drussell

8044drussell
93 posts
 

@ieales

Unless the OP has a 3-phase system (unlikely), don't you mean "leg"?

8044drussell
93 posts
 

Leg is not synonymous or the same thing as electrical phase. Most residential homes in the US are single phase. One phase of 240V is brought from the transformer and split into 2 x 120V. It’s one wave cycle split in two—2 legs of the same phase.

Three phase is 3 different wave cycles, 120 degrees apart.

8044drussell
93 posts
 

I have never seen phase used for anything other than the distinction between single and three phase in the NEC. Which is what we are talking about in reference to someone claiming that there are 2 phases in single phase service.

2 phase power is not used anymore.

For something to be out of phase, there must be at least two identical wave forms that don’t line up. In 3 phase power, 3 wave forms are 120 degrees out of phase. In single phase power, one wave form is split in two, but not out of phase.

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