New Build, 50 Amp Vs 60 Amp

mplsugly · Joined: 30 Dec 2017 Posts: 6

Hi All,

I’m new here and starting to procure parts for my electric brewery. My plan is to have a back to back 50 amp system. That said, I’m going to use two 5500w elements, one in the boil, one in the HLT. The way I look at it, the two elements are going to draw around 45 amps. The pumps will be a couple more. So is this too close to the 50 amp limit to be comfortable? Should I really be looking at supplying 60 amps to my panel? I think I can do this easy enough and use a 60 amp spa panel. The plug for a 60 amp service is a little more tricky but I think I can deal with that. If I go with 60 amps, should I run 5 Ga wire?

Are there any other considerations between 50 and 60 amp service or builds?

**kal** · Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:52 pm Post subject:

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Take a look here in our 50A back to back control panel build instructions: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25793

Specifically the FAQ question "Can I use two 5500W elements instead of two 4500W elements just like the regular 30A control panel?".
It should give you the information you need.

Short answer is no, you should be fine with 50A. People don't typically have any issues using two 5500W elements at the same time, but for sake of completeness, we mention it as something to look out for / consider / ask about. Just to be sure. (March 2, 2018 update: We've actually removed this from the FAQ now as it's really not relevant).

If you're interested in high quality parts for your panel, you may order a kit here: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel
We stand behind our products and buying through us means we can support you as we know exactly what you're using.

Other benefits:

Save money: Our combined price is LOWER than purchasing the parts yourself and paying for shipping from over a dozen suppliers as we purchase in bulk.
Save time: No need to order the hundreds of parts yourself from the various suppliers. Click once, pay once!
Get the right parts: No risk of ordering the wrong part by mistake, no risk of the wrong part being sent by the supplier.
Parts that are guaranteed to work: We individually test every single part as they come in before they are included in our kits.
Get better quality parts: Part quality can vary depending on the manufacturer. After years of trying different components to filter out the less desirable ones, we believe that the parts we supply are higher than average quality. Yes, these parts are more expensive but you get what you pay for.
Custom enclosure with less work: Our kit enclosures are custom made for us and result in less work for you. There is no need to move the ground post, no need to seal and sand the bottom cable plate, and no need to prime and paint as the enclosure is already professionally powder coated with an industrial flat textured charcoal/black finish. Also available is an optional upgrade to have the enclosure door, top and bottom pre-punched along with the heat sink tapped. (The back plate is not drilled or tapped, allowing you to lay out your parts as you see fit).

Good luck!

Kal

itsnotrequired · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 177 Location: central wi

EDIT: egads, typos on my part first time around. corrected below

there is no such thing as #5 awg conductors. assuming you are in the us, you will need to run #6 awg conductors for 50 amp but #4 awg conductors for 60 amp. this also assumes you are using nm (romex) cable. if you are running individual conductors in conduit (like thhn) AND the terminals at the panel breaker, spa panel and main breaker at the brew panel are rated for 75 degree C, you could get by with #8 awg on a 50 amp breaker and #6 awg on a 60 amp breaker. MOST reputable breaker have 75 degree C terminals but not all. if in doubt, go with the #6 on the 50 amp or #4 on the 60 amp. the sizes above allow for full use of the circuit breaker size. technically, you could use #6 awg romex on a 60 amp breaker but could connect no more than 55 amp of load to the circuit.

all that being said, see kal's comments above, 50 amp is fine.

mplsugly · Joined: 30 Dec 2017 Posts: 6

Hi Kal-

Thanks for the info! This is a great resource that you have created. Unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me, I have scraped together most of the parts for my build from the spare parts bin from past projects. If I do need some additional items I will let you know.

It's good to know that most people are OK with 50 amps. I think I will be too but I may just run 60 amps anyway. It's easy enough at this stage.

**kal** · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:58 pm Post subject:

No worries about scraping together parts - that only makes sense! You can buy me a beer someday... Wink

Good luck!

Kal

itsnotrequired · Joined: 15 Sep 2015 Posts: 177 Location: central wi

went back and edited my original post in this thread, i had the wrong conductor sizes.

mplsugly · Joined: 30 Dec 2017 Posts: 6

Pints on me anytime your in Minneapolis, Kal.

Just one other question.

Why do you put the element fire indicating lights on the 220v side of the SSR? It seams like it would be a bit safer to have them on the lower voltage side. Do you do this to be able to see of the SSR is stuck open or closed relative to the signal? I guess that's logical.

**kal** · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:49 pm Post subject: