[jambear]

I am currently adding an addition on to my 100 year old house (which has 50 year old wiring). I only have 100 amp service, but this is enough for now. Here is my plan:

From the pole to the addition will be a 100 foot stretch of 4/0 cable. I realize that with 100 amp service I do not need that heavy of a cable, but I do believe that in the future I will be upgrading to 200 amp service. At the addition, I will have a little room off the side of the house for the sole purpose of housing electrical boxes. The 4/0 cable will come into a 100 amp breaker. From that breaker, I will have a cable (how heavy?) running into a breaker box that will feed everything in the addition with a 100 amp main breaker. This breaker box will run the lights and outlets and a stove in the addition. Should I run 4 gauge cable to the stove? And a 70 amp breaker?

And, I would also like to have a double 100 amp breaker to feed the old part of the house. It will run about 50 feet to another box with a 100 amp main breaker. How heavy of wire should I use to run to the second breaker box? #4?

And then, and here's where it gets really hairy, I intend next summer to incorporate into my system a wind generator. I want it to come into my electrical room where I will store the batteries and other equipment necessary. To tie into my system, I wonder if I can run it into its own 100 amp breaker which would feed the breaker box which feeds the addition, but I would be backfeeding the system through that breaker box.

To make that more clear, there will be two 100 amp breakers in the 'electric' room. One from the wind generating system and one from the pole. The one would feed the main breaker on the same breaker box as the one that backfeeds. These two breakers would never be on at the same time.

Does this sound feasible or really scary?

[tkrussell]

A few comments:

1.4/0 wire will not fit in a 100 amp breaker, compression wire reducers will be needed, or a mechanical connector that a piece of #2 can be spliced as an extension, if there s room in the enclosure. Do not just off extra strands to make the wire fit.

2. #4 copper THHN/THWN or XHHW, or #2 Aluminum XHHW wire is allowed for a 100 amp residential feeder.

3.I doubt the range needs a 70 amp circuit, most only need a 50 amp breaker with #6 Cu wire if Romex, or #8 Cu if MC cable.

4. The wind system should use a manual transfer switch, that allows for two inputs and switches between the two inputs to one output. The two breaker method you propse is not allowed, check with your utility for their opinion.

If you intend to cogenerate power and inject it into the utility grid, you must consult with your electric utility for their unique requirements.