Electrical ? Sub Panel

[Treetroit City]

So I'm wanting to run a sub panel off of a sub panel. Is there any reason this won't work?

Here's the deal. I recently ran electric out to my pole barn to this panel.

Now one nice thing about having this out in the barn is that when we lose power I can hook up the generator in the barn to back feed from this panel instead of in the garage like I used to do. Much quieter.

My genny is not big enough to power both the house and the grow that is being put in the barn. My thought is I will get another genny for the grow, thus a need for a new panel to back feed into.

So, can I just run, say a 40 amp circuit to another panel and then run my grow room circuits from there?

Or, is it possible to back feed two genny's into one panel through two different breakers?

Anyone got any brilliant ideas today?

 

[rives]

Yes, you can run a sub off of a sub.

There should be a mechanical interlock or transfer switch between the utility main and the generator main that precludes the possibility of the utility main being on when you are powering things with the generator. It doesn't sound as though this works with your scenario (the main originating at the house and the generator placed at a remote location) if you want the power to feed your house.

If you are talking about the two generators being run simultaneously, then no, you cannot feed them into one panel. There is the interlock problem mentioned above, but they would also need to be perfectly synchronized in order to parallel them. Not really an option with most small generators, although Honda builds some inverter-based generators that can be run that way.

The mechanical interlock is critical - you can easily back-feed the utility and fry the men working on the power outage.

 

[Treetroit City]

Yeah I know I should have a transfer switch and will get one although up to this point I've just hooked up to the dryer breaker making sure to turn the main 100 amp breaker off so I don't fry guys.

I guess I'm just looking for the easiest way to have a genny for the grow separate from the house, while doing it correctly

 

[guyyug]

Most people (that do it right) will run a separate subpanel (as you described doing) for their generator that has the necessities that need power from a gen in case of an outage, b/c having a gen that can power electric heaters, ovens, dryers, pumps, etc all at once, would take one hell of a generator. Also, having a transfer switch that will isolate the gen power and the utility is the most important thing, don't have it auto start without one (sounds like you got it figured out though), but yeah, feeding all of it off it's own sub will make everything easier, especially if you are not there and someone else has to work it, having them remember which breaker to throw and all that...