Any electricians want to lend me a hand?

[Jigstick]

So it looks like the heat pump specs are 240 volts at 60hz on single phase. Minimum circuit amps 42 amps, minimum overload protection 50amps, maximum overload protection 60amps.

The 1.5hp water pump can run on 115v or 230v on a dedicated 20amp line

The pool light is LED so shouldnt drawl much. The salt chlorinator system doesn’t drawl much either. And 3 LED shed lights and 3 outlets to charge phones, run a radio etc. I’m hoping all of this can be run on one 20amp line.

So in total I need to have 3 circuits in the pool house.

Heater
Pump
Light - salt system - shed outlets / lights

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

I haven't read through this whole thread, so this may have been covered.
Get the nameplate information off each piece of equipment, pumps, heater, lights, etc. and I'll run a load and VD calculation for you when I get to work.
I agree with everyone else, don't use aluminum. Aluminum wires have burned down more houses than anybody will admit to. We don't even spec aluminum at work. If the owner wants to VE to aluminum, that's 100% on them.

 

[tomcatmv]

I'm not an electrician but a retired mechanical, commercial HVAC contractor. Years ago, like early eighties, we were doing all the work on the new Microsoft campus. All the buildings were being cooled with large 150-200+ ton evap cooled Mammoth VAV units with Hitachi screw compressors. The manufacturer warranty required copper terminations but the electrical contractor ran aluminum as a VE and used what I recall were called "high pressed lugs" which I think were basically a copper termination that was pressed into the aluminum conductor. I guess in theory sort of a cold welding technique.
At any rate, the architect, GC and owner's rep bought off on it.
Well about two years down the road, guess what? We started losing compressors due to single phasing because of lose terminations
$20,000 a pop.
DO NOT USE aluminum!!

 

[Jigstick]

I haven't read through this whole thread, so this may have been covered.
Get the nameplate information off each piece of equipment, pumps, heater, lights, etc. and I'll run a load and VD calculation for you when I get to work.
I agree with everyone else, don't use aluminum. Aluminum wires have burned down more houses than anybody will admit to. We don't even spec aluminum at work. If the owner wants to VE to aluminum, that's 100% on them.

Thank you. I don’t have access to the name plates of the equipment because the pool isn’t being installed until next June. The best I can do is pull the specs from the manufacturer. Which is Hayward for the heat pump and water pump. The salt system and LED pool light I’ll have to call the pool company about. I’ll try and track that down.

 

[Jigstick]

Electrician should be here in 20min to look at my panels. Any particular things I should ask him or tell him? Just want to not sound like an asshole and not be taken advantage of. I appreciate all your help guys.

 

[n2ishun]

Ask him if the main service can handle another 100 amp sub panel drawn from it.
Ask him how much to upgrade to copper mains.
Ask him how much to run basement sub to copper.
THEN start asking about pool house addon sub panel.

 

[Jigstick]

Ok. First electrician just assessed. He said my main panel has enough power. He said he has to do some calculations but eyeballing it he thinks my main panel can handle the increased load.

He said 90% of drops in Pittsburgh are done with aluminum wire in conduit. He said he’d quote me aluminum and copper runs.

He would like to jump off the main panel to the pool house. And bypass my sub panel in the basement. But that would require some undesirable routine of the wires…ie going out the back of the main, down underground around the house….back into the house….run through the exposed basement ceiling…out the opposite side of the house…then underground to the pool house. Based on my driveway location and backyard patio locations. Plus my ground is solid fucking shale. So it would mean less digging and not fuck up my driveway and patio.

His 2nd idea was to feed the basement sub panel with larger wire. And possibly install a larger basement panel. And jump from that panel up to the pool panel.

He was going to run load calculations based on the current boxes including the new loads. Figure all that math out. Price out materials. And get back to me.

 

[Im2bent]

His second idea is the better one.

 

[Jigstick]

His second idea still requires jumping from the main in the garage…going outside underground…then back into the house to the basement sub panel. A run of about 25ft underground.

 

[DeadAss]

Sounds like he knows what he is doing. I would go with option 2, also replace all alum wiring.

 

[Bullfrog08]

Being perfectly honest.
You seriously need a new drop.
You have a fully loaded 200 amp panel with a 100 amp sub already being pulled from it.
Now you want to pull another sub off of a overloaded system ?
It's ALL being fed by aluminum at this point, and not heavy enough to feed what is there....let alone, more.

Oh boy.......!

 

[n2ishun]

Oh boy.......!

Of course having said this you looked at what gauge wire is feeding the thing ?
Ah, no, probably on a phone and can't do that canya ?
Here's a pro tip...
Open mind before mouth.