I have a 220v 15amp compressor and 220v 15amp pressure washer. I have an attached garage that doesn't have 220v service. My main panel is full. I've installed a sub panel in the garage.
Feeding it I have #6/3. At the main panel I have installed a subpanel and have one 60 amp 2 pole breaker for for the garage subpanel (essentially daisy chaining the panels). Being that my main panel is full I needed to make room on the main. There is a dual pole 30 amp breaker for our steam shower steam generator. I plan to move that circuit to the subpanel and install a 60 amp breaker dual pole to feed the sub.
So I have two subs daisy chained off the main: 60 amp dual pole breaker on main >>>>> sub 1(circuit 1: 30 amp 2 pole steam gen circuit 2: 60 amp breaker 2 pole to Garage sub) >>>>> sub 2(circuit 1: 15 amp dual pole for compressor circuit 2: 15 amp 2 pole for pressure washer).
My question is: Is the breaker for sub 1 off the main big enough? 60 amp is the biggest stab-lok NC breaker – going to 100 amp would require a NA breaker which is bigger in physical size and require some panel reconfiguring.
Best Answer
Using a 60 amp breaker is fine. The breaker serving a panel does not have to be larger than the total of the breakers in the panel; it has to be appropriately sized for the load. I doubt you'll be using the steam generator, compressor and pressure washer at the same time, so you'll be fine.