30 amp electrical box

So, those 30 amp, 2 circit breaker box/ load center units seem to be popular sellers around here. The farm is wired with 6ga Aluminimn or 8ga copper (proper al connectors) which seems to beat the 10ga requirement for a 30 amp box right? Do those boxes support a total of 30 amp output, as in 2 15 amp circuts? They would not support 2 20 amp circuts, correct? Just want my thinking right. Difficult to bother a real electrician with such thinking, & the college kid at the warehouse place would know less than me...

--->Paul

Depends on what you want to use in your shop when you get done. It's not going to cost alot more to do a 100amp service(if need) than a 30amp sub-feed. You can do more with the 100amp in the long run.

The AL wire is good for overhead utility feed before the meter. I personally would never use it after the meter as it causes to many headaches down the road and thats using the correct Al to CU connectors. Cu is a much better choice.

Now if your talking house and farm out buildings then it could get expensive for a rewire but most local codes will allow you to do the change in steps so it's not so much cash out lay at one time. The service is usually one inspection and the out building another inspection.

Since you have an exisiting 60amp service, pre-check with the building dept to see what is required if you up grade to 100amp or 200amp. You can also check with the elec utility for the same info without names being asked.

Sometimes the utility will make you upgrade the service if the out buildings require more than 50% rewire.

T_Bone

This farm place has 3 wiring overhead runs to various buildings (shop/ barn/ old building/ corncrib; possible shop/ grainery/ machinery storage/ machinery storage/ deep well - another nicest shed has no electricity at all (dad built in 1964 & never wired) would be on this line; and a run to the house. All are 220 overhead runs on 1950's wire, altho only the end buildings actually use 220 - most are tapping only 1 leg.

'Someday' I would like to get the 200 or 400 amp service, underground wiring, a breakerbox in the house, and do the simpler indoor outbuilding wiring myself. I wish money were no object, but it very seriously is. So, I'm in the daydreaming & planning stages. :) Several of the sheds don't need more power (dirt floor, only storage) but could use a better outlet/ lighting plan (switches & outlets don't last forever - better to replace be4 the fire!). Looking to do what I can at this time, keeping the big plan in mind. :)

Square D is 'everywhere' here, don't see much GE stuff on the shelves....

Thanks again,
--->Paul

--->Paul