Wiring an ADU

10345 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Cow, Jun 5, 2014

newspark80

Discussion Starter · Jun 4, 2014

First time wiring an ADU. Here's what I want to do. Hoping someone can check my plan.

FIRST PROBLEM

1) Utility comes in at main house. ADU is currently a detached garage
2) Installing a new meter and mast on the main home per utility requirement for 125 amp
3) Have to run the power from the meter through the main homes basement and then underground to the ADU. So since this is going to be longer than 15 feet I need to have a disconnect. Well the disconnects I can find are rated 200 amp so I would have to get a fused disco and put in 125 amp fuses. PROBLEM these things are friggin expensive. What I would like to do is install a 125 amp main breaker panel at the main house. Then put in a 125 amp breaker with hold down screw. Then run power out to the ADU to another 125 amp main breaker panel. This would cost half as much.

SECOND PROBLEM

1) How to run my grounding?
2) I know the neutrals would need to float at the ADU
3) I have my UFER ground in place already
4) Install two ground rods
5) What else would I need to do for grounding.
6) water is all pex in the ADU
7) Do I need to bring water bonding from the main house to the ADU?

Sorry for the Book:thumbsup:

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Awg-Dawg

· #2 · Jun 4, 2014

Whats an ADU?

RHWilks

· #3 · Jun 4, 2014

Additional dwelling unit?

CopperSlave

· #4 · Jun 4, 2014

Alien Defense Unit?

Another Drunken Undertaking?

RHWilks

· #5 · Jun 4, 2014

You bond your noodle and ground at first point of overcurrent. So your grounding system would be built there, and the panel in the ADU would be a sub...and I would use a MLO panel in the garage. Why don't you put a 125 breaker in the existing panel. .and place a private meter beside the main panel and treat the second panel as a sub? Which is the case any way?
Did I get Cleetised?

newspark80

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 4, 2014

Well I love the sarcasm with electrician talk but sometimes my radars off....

ADU=Accessory Dwelling Unit

But of course if you guys could of helped you would have known the meaning...Congrats on knowing everything, your mom must be so proud

newspark80

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 4, 2014

No room at the existing panel. They don't want a sub meter.

A Little Short

· #8 · Jun 4, 2014

newspark80 said:
Well I love the sarcasm with electrician talk but sometimes my radars off....

ADU=Accessory Dwelling Unit

But of course if you guys could of helped you would have known the meaning...Congrats on knowing everything, your mom must be so proud

You're the one asking the questions!:whistling2:

If you have a Uffer, you don't need the ground rods.

And I never heard of ADU either!
In-Law Apartment :thumbsup:
Guest House :thumbsup:
MIL apartment :thumbsup:

But no ADU here.:no:

newspark80

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 4, 2014

Yep I'm asking questions. Is that allowed here?
Thanks for the UFER cancelling out the ground rods. I was not aware of that.
Type ADU into the google bar and see what comes up first.

I tried to get the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) answer these but was not getting clear answers.....

A Little Short

· #10 · Jun 4, 2014

newspark80 said:
Yep I'm asking questions. Is that allowed here?
Thanks for the UFER cancelling out the ground rods. I was not aware of that.
Type ADU into the google bar and see what comes up first.

I tried to get the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) answer these but was not getting clear answers.....

I was replying to this comment:

But of course if you guys could of helped you would have known the meaning...Congrats on knowing everything, your mom must be so proud

I would just put a MLO outside panel and put in a 125A breaker. I think someone already said that. Or put in a 100A MB panel and feed from a 125A breaker to your addition.
You can sometimes get a MB panel cheaper than a MLO.

CopperSlave

· #11 · Jun 4, 2014

newspark80 said:
Type ADU into the google bar and see what comes up first.

Well, I did just that very thing....and here is what I got. Perhaps if people wouldn't type like they are texting, these misunderstandings wouldn't occur.

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Reactions: 2

btharmy

· #12 · Jun 4, 2014

CopperSlave said:
Well, I did just that very thing....and here is what I got. Perhaps if people wouldn't type like they are texting, these misunderstandings wouldn't occur. http://s357.photobucket.com/user/treeyasoon/media/ADU_zpse7487745.png.html

It was only #24 on the list, so what's the problem. It's so obvious!!!!! (With Sarcasm)

Reactions: 2

bkmichael65

· #13 · Jun 4, 2014

newspark80 said:
Well I love the sarcasm with electrician talk but sometimes my radars off....

ADU=Accessory Dwelling Unit

But of course if you guys could of helped you would have known the meaning...Congrats on knowing everything, your mom must be so proud

Using a non electrical acronym and then ridiculing the electricians you're asking questions of when they're unfamiliar with it is textbook douchebaggery. I'll leave your mom out of it for now

Reactions: 3

dcb_minded

· #14 · Jun 4, 2014

Before you go through the trouble, you might wanna check with local ordinances... they won't allow 2 services on the same plot of land in some areas around here... 1 guy built a new house and wanted to rent his old one... we ended up building a 600a service and sub feeding the old house

Sent from my SGH-T599 using Tapatalk

Cow

· #15 · Jun 5, 2014

bkmichael65 said:
Using a non electrical acronym and then ridiculing the electricians you're asking questions of when they're unfamiliar with it is textbook douchebaggery. I'll leave your mom out of it for now

Yeah, he seems so smart he shouldn't have any problem figuring it out on his own. I mean come on, we didn't even know what an ADU was, how the heck are we going to know how to wire one?!?!

Since it sounds REALLY complicated, he would probably be better off without me guessing how to do it.....

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

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