Adding a remote load center for Electric kettle

I am collecting the parts for electrifying my boil pot and have a 50 amp gfci breaker for the main panel of my house. I am planning to use a 5500 watt element so I believe I will need a smaller load center (sub panel) with a regular 30 amp breaker in it. I'm looking at home Depot and they have a 100 amp load center that has 6 spaces for breakers. I have seen where others have added a sub panel for their rigs but they don't mention which panel they used. Will the 100 amp panel be up to code if it is controlled by a 50 amp GFCI breaker? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

 

I can't answer the "up to code" part, but I added a 100amp sub panel to my shed where I ferment, store brew equipment and other crap. I have the sub panel feed by a 50amp breaker in the main panel. So even though I have over 100amps of breakers in the sub panel, the sub panel will never see more than 50A. There was no other way to add the number of circuits I needed; 1 for the BBQ, 1 30A 220V for the A/C condensor, 1 30A 220V for the welder (I always switch off the A/C breaker when I weld) and 1 for the shed itself.

The guy at Home Depot kept telling me I couldn't add the sub panel with the #8's I was feeding it until I finally got him to realize it was being feed by a 50A breaker. He thought I was tying straight to the mains without feeding it from a breaker.

Anyway, some cities will not let home owners even do their own electrical work, so check with your city if you want to make sure it's up to code.

 

Thanks! I am more concerned about safety than code. I live out in the sticks so I sometimes do things without permission from the town board. I was just wondering if there were any problems with using the 100 amp sub panel running off the 50 amp breaker. I plan on using #6 wire to run from the main panel to the sub.

 

Nope, you're adding a pretty good safety margin by feeding it with the smaller breaker. #6's should be great, depending on the run. Mine was 50' with all the bends. Next time you're at Home Depot, there is a little green book in the electrical tool section called "Wiring Simplified". It has several tables for wire sizing and a lot of other great info.