Can I Directly Wire 50 A Into Electric Control Panel

[cgingras1]

I apologize if this has been addressed before but I am converting to all electric in my basement and closely following Kal's design.

I tried search to no avail

I have a 50 A GFCI available that was previously used for a hot tub. It is in the perfect spot and the GFCI breaker should eliminate need for a spa box

Do I need to install an outlet and create a cord that runs power from the outlet to my control panel?

Or

Is it possible to run the wire directly to my control panel? It would clearly be less expensive but I also want to avoid electrocution and Kal's design seemed to require power from a plug.

Thanks for any thoughts you may have.

 

[mateomtb]

I did it that way, a couple pics in this post from earlier today.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/there-any-issue-hooking-up-spa-panel-like-360443/#4

 

[Bucefalus]

When you say 50A GFCI, are you referring to a socket outlet?

If you are, the National Electric Code (NEC) requires you to have an enclosure every time wires are exposed and or connected to something. In other words, make sure that you have the back casing for it and all the cables you run are inside, not pinched and properly grounded. Also, make sure that the you at least use AWG #6 four conductor cables from the socket to the distribution panel. Inside the panel make sure to have a 4 wire 50Amp breaker.

If you are referring to a 50Amp GFCI breaker just make sure you run cable AWG #6 from there to the respective outlets. In this case the outlets don't need to be GFCI because the breaker has taken care of that. Also remember to properly enclose the outlets with the back casing and that everything is properly grounded.

Have fun and be safe!

 

[yjfun]

Hardwiring is perfectly acceptable but cord and cap allows for easy disconnection if you want to move anything and provides a physical disconnection point for safety.

 

[Homercidal]

I apologize if this has been addressed before but I am converting to all electric in my basement and closely following Kal's design.

I tried search to no avail

I have a 50 A GFCI available that was previously used for a hot tub. It is in the perfect spot and the GFCI breaker should eliminate need for a spa box

Do I need to install an outlet and create a cord that runs power from the outlet to my control panel?

Or

Is it possible to run the wire directly to my control panel? It would clearly be less expensive but I also want to avoid electrocution and Kal's design seemed to require power from a plug.

Thanks for any thoughts you may have.

It sounds like what you are saying is that you have a 50A GFCI Breaker in your panel now. And you want to know if you can hard wire that circuit to your control panel?

I would say yes, but I would only do it if I were mounting the panel permanently to a wall or other solid structure.

My rig is designed to be mobile so I can wheel outside the garage if I want to (when I get the $$ to pour the concrete in front of the garage...) So I opted to mount an outlet just below the SPA panel, which is just off to the side of my main panel.

 

[SpentGrains]

I will recap what most people are saying: if it is a permanent brewery, you can wire straight from the panel. If it is movable, you need to install an outlet near the panel, not run a cord from it.

The power in that electrical panel can very easily kill you, be careful and do it right (or have someone who knows how do it right).