Panel GFCI Breaker

Looking at the two options for a 50A GFCI breaker. In box breaker vs spa panel. I have a standard 50A breaker in the box now for my range that I'll be piggy backing off of (Yes I know I won't be able to use my stove while brewing and yes I've checked with a local electrician who says this is fine and will doing the termination at the box). I'll be using the setup in my current garage for 1-2 years until I build a new garage with a dedicated 100A service. (after upgrading the house to 300A).

If I go with a 50A GFCI breaker, I will keep the standard one to put back in the box when I move the operation to the new garage taking the GFCI one with me.

If I go with a spa panel, I just unwire it from the box and take it with me to the new garage. Really doesn't matter either way I suppose. Price is where the question comes into play. At lowes last night I saw 50A spa panels for $82 and $110. The $110 was a plastic box and I like the design better as far as closing and latching the box. They did not have any 50AFGCI loose breakers for my Siemen's box. I'm looking online and seeing them around $70 bucks. Looks good to me. I want to clarify one thing though. All I know of my box is that it is Siemens. Do all Siemens breakers fit all Siemens boxes? Or are there different types or styles? Also, I'm assuming I can just look at my existing stove to see if I need 3 or 4 wires. Or is beneficial/possible to use 4 for the brewery even if my stove is 3? I do have an electrical background, but it is electronics, not 240. I'm comfortable doing the work with proper safety as long as I clear up a few questions here.

Long post to ask that last question, but working in field service, I know the more info I can provide, the more solutions and options I'm likely to get.

Thanks. The bolded questions are really what I'm looking for.

LOL! Your sig is freakin hilarious!

Keep in mind that if you do pull a fourth wire...you will need to change the plug and outlet for the stove. I'm in the process of upgrading my service to my (detached) garage to 60a for my brewery build. I've now grounded the main panel at the house (built in mid 1920's so no grounds before) and will install another ground at the new sub panel at the garage location. I'm pulling #6, four conductor, wires to that location.

Sparky, here on HBT, helped me out quite a bit with info on what I needed to do. You might want to hit him up. He's very informative!

Here is my thread which he helped me on.

The benefit to running 4 wires (Hot/Hot/Neutral/Ground) is that you can split that off in to 120v in your control panel for your brewery. This will allow you to run the PID/Pumps, and any things else that runs on 120V with out running a second cord to your control panel. Personally I'd go with the Spa Panel, or a 240v GFCI Cord.

wyzazz said:

The benefit to running 4 wires (Hot/Hot/Neutral/Ground) is that you can split that off in to 120v in your control panel for your brewery. This will allow you to run the PID/Pumps, and any things else that runs on 120V with out running a second cord to your control panel. Personally I'd go with the Spa Panel, or a 240v GFCI Cord.

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Those cords are stupid expensive! ANy reasoning behind the spa panel over the breaker? Breaker is $70 as apposed to $110 for the spa panel.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350425166456&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
$77.00 on Ebay. The SpaPanel just keeps things separate, cleaner for when you migrate to the garage.

Thanks, but I don't see anything for 50A.

IrregularPulse said:

Thanks, but I don't see anything for 50A.

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If you're looking for a 50A cord then you will be spending the big bucks like you mentioned above. JMO but I like the Spa Panel, either way is perfectly acceptable though, and some like to have the GFCI as far upstream as possible.

IrregularPulse said:

Those cords are stupid expensive! ANy reasoning behind the spa panel over the breaker? Breaker is $70 as apposed to $110 for the spa panel.

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If you go with the spa panel, this one at Home Depot is cheaper:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...panel&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Wow, $50. Thanks for the link. We'll be driving by a HD this weekend. I may just have to go ahead and pick that up.

I I run 4 wire to it, I have to run 4 wire and a new outlet, thus a new plug for my stove too then right? Wouldn't the stove not have a 4th wire? This part confuses me. I guess I'll have to confirm my stove being 3-4 first.

IrregularPulse said:

Wow, $50. Thanks for the link. We'll be driving by a HD this weekend. I may just have to go ahead and pick that up.

I I run 4 wire to it, I have to run 4 wire and a new outlet, thus a new plug for my stove too then right? Wouldn't the stove not have a 4th wire? This part confuses me. I guess I'll have to confirm my stove being 3-4 first.

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This depends on when the stove was wired and installed. If you change the stove wiring to a 4 prong/wire outlet/cord you just need to change the bonding strap in the stove so that neutral and ground are isolated in the stove. It is very easy to do once you have the stove pulled out.

P-J said:

This depends on when the stove was wired and installed. If you change the stove wiring to a 4 prong/wire outlet/cord you just need to change the bonding strap in the stove so that neutral and ground are isolated in the stove. It is very easy to do once you have the stove pulled out.

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Cool thanks. Should be able to answer my questions then by pulling the stove out. Now, how to get swmbo out of the house to avoid questions about pulling the stove out to rewire it.

I don't think all Siemens breakers fit all panels but I found one at a local Home Depot or Lowes (don't remember which) that was labeled for my box. I looked at another (same HD or Lowes) store and they didn't have them , just happened to be in this store and there it was. You might look around a bit and get lucky.

I prefer the GFCI in the breaker panel... fewer pieces to deal with.

Ed

Ohio-Ed said:

I prefer the GFCI in the breaker panel... fewer pieces to deal with.

Ed

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This was my thinking too with with the breaker in the box. I'll look at home depot if we stop in this weekend. It's ~40 minutes away though. I'll have to write down the specifics of my box.