I wouldn’t worry about local code so much but I would match the existing system if it’s #12 then only use #12, but if it’s truly aluminum then you can’t join it directly with copper.... well you can but it will eat itself loose with corrosion in a few months
Electricity
- Thread starter Baja Big Dog
- Start date
JamesBong502
Well-Known Member
It’s aluminum, the wiring is aluminum in the entire house. So I’m hoping I can just wire in a 100 amp sub panel and run a lighting controller at 220v and a 100v compound box to cover everything else. But can I use copper wires in my main panel where everything else in the house is wired with aluminum.
panels & breakers use alloys chosen for the purpose and marked with this AL/CU or CU/AL designator to indicate dual useage is acceptable. This is for the lugs or connectors themselves and any attached wiring provided that you never marry an aluminum wire directly to a copper wire - there must be an approved al/cu spacer so the metals won’t eat each other. So for example on an outlet use 1 screw terminal for an aluminum and the 2nd screw terminal for a copper should this ever need to be utilized. But never join or twist an aluminum and copper directly together without a spacer or approved al/cu connectors or terminals.
JamesBong502
Well-Known Member
Turns out my main panel is only 80amps so I’ll have to upgrade that before anything else. But I appreciate all of the helpful information
Look at your outdoor meter box too, some are called house power panels where all the 220 volt stuff is outdoors and the indoor panel is small and for 120 volt branch circuits. Don’t cut the safety or anti tamper seal on your meter - utility companies get freaky about that shit especially since you have a grow op but maybe get pic of outdoor setup. See if there is a breaker box adjoining the meter.
JamesBong502
Well-Known Member
Ok not a house power panel outright but close enough... that’s an old ITE panel, if you look close at bottom 2 breakers... the one on the right is single breaker that is plugged into 1 space but the one on left is double breaker plugged into one space. It’s called a piggy back and is a way to run new circuits even tho panel is out of space. But that has been piggy backed pretty heavily already, however there are 3 single pole or 120 volts slots that could be piggybacked.
yes you need a good residential electrician, those old ITE panels were pretty good but for a few years they tinkered with some cheap assed alloys and got in serious trouble. The bus bars that hold the breakers were corroding on panels that had been in service for less than a year.
Absolutely get a qualified licensed electrician to either upgrade the whole thing or to add a sub panel and back feed existing circuitry. Don’t pay up front either... pay only after the work is complete.
yes you need a good residential electrician, those old ITE panels were pretty good but for a few years they tinkered with some cheap assed alloys and got in serious trouble. The bus bars that hold the breakers were corroding on panels that had been in service for less than a year.
Absolutely get a qualified licensed electrician to either upgrade the whole thing or to add a sub panel and back feed existing circuitry. Don’t pay up front either... pay only after the work is complete.
JamesBong502
Well-Known Member
thanks again, i called a retired electrican referred by a friend. he asked for the same photos. he said the same thing, better to start with a solid foundation i suppose. will be getting some quotes this week.
cheersHate this for you but better safe than sorry! Best of luck to you my friend
JamesBong502
Well-Known Member
in the end it adds value to my home, value to my life, and value to my garden. thats how im going to look at it until the check clears 
Edzzed
Well-Known Member
We have two houses, One is 200 amp service, The other one is in a small town and it has 100 amp service. Only growing at our 200 amp house. I worry what will happen when I retire next April. We plan to sell one house and move to where we have 100 amp service. I can legally grow outdoors but what about the stereo home theater. I have 5 subwoofers and 13 speakers to run. Not to mention an LFE buttkicker that has to suck a lot of power.
Broclee
Well-Known Member
So you are correct on how the billing works but When speaking of volts. Running the same 1000 watt GPS lamp on 110v and 220. The 220 will run the light more efficiently and cost less
Those dwellings with 60 & 100 amp services were never designed for any future expansion, times were lean and they didn’t have our materialistic gotta have a tv in the shitter plus one at the mailbox too culture. Most homes have 200A as the standard but seems all McMansions go with 400 amp services
I wanted a new circuit to my grow room for the simple reason I did not want to overload the existing circuits plus the new circuit could be dedicated to the new grow tent.thanks again, i called a retired electrican referred by a friend. he asked for the same photos. he said the same thing, better to start with a solid foundation i suppose. will be getting some quotes this week.
Called up a buddy who just retired as a licensed electrician. He came over, looked at the circuit box and the layout of the room, checked the main draws like the furnace, the AC circuit and so on. Came back a week later with the parts pre-assembled and a half hour later he was done. We drank a few beers and his price was covered by a 1/4 ounce of something I grew from the seeds he had given me a couple of years ago. Everyone was happy.
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