1. Forget about the fact that the panel in the garage is rated for 200 amps. All that means is that it won't handle more than 200 amps; it doesn't mean that it has to be used as a 200A subpanel.

2. Given what you have to work with, the capacity will be constrained by the size of the feeder--#6AWG in this case. Under these circumstances, #6 is rated for 55 amps, but may be fed by a 60A breaker (due to a so-called "round-up rule").

3. Because your main panel can potentially deliver 100 amps (i.e., larger than 60 amps), you cannot connect a #6 feeder to the lugs. The wire should be protected by a 50- or 60-amp two-pole breaker. That breaker will serve as a disconnect.

4. It's puzzling that you have 6/3 "Romex" in conduit. Was this done by an electrician? While "Romex" (i.e., NM-B cable) is suitable for short runs in conduit for the purposes of physical protection, it's not designed for longer conduit runs. (The usual wiring method is THHN/THWN individual wires in conduit.)

5. Whether or not a nominal 60A panel in the garage will serve your needs and whether your 100 amp main panel is sufficient to absorb an expansion cannot be determined from the information provided. That would take a load demand calculation.

I can't resist this: Your hot tub is run on extension cords. Amazing!

(Why am I getting a bad feeling about his project?)

Just to add more bad news... the 6/3 Romex in the underground conduit is incorrect. Underground conduit is considered a wet location and Romex should NOT be used in a wet location.

"I just dont have any idea what I am talking about...."

You got that part right :)

1. I didnt do any of this work myself. I am not an electrician so I am assuming that this wire is romex because it is insulated by an additional grey coating.
2. This "Romex" goes about 20' in conduit underground (from what I can tell it is about 26"-28" deep), goes directly up into the garage panel with a threaded nip and nut, again I am not an electrician, but looks better than the professional job in my house panel - wires are all routed cleanly, etc. I am guessing that it is in conduit for physical protection.
3. YES! hottub is 110v and is located right outside my rear window and there is a designated a/c circut that is no longer used because I hadcenteral air installed .. So, is that bad? it is a short and very thick cord?
4. dont worry too much bout my projects, I will have someone check it out before I energize it. I have owned the house for 10 years and it has been like this before I owned it. I would just like to have it work and be done right. The garage is all wired with outlets and lights/switches but they have never been used because they are wired to that panel and it has never been active - ? - I couldnt tell you why it isi like that, just that it is like that. and it all looks good, stapeled w/i 8" of all boxes, those armor plates over all lumber where wires go through - it would make my life alot easier if I can get it to work. thats all.
Ty, Karl
-Please dont be critical of me for asking for advise. And thank you for your honest and objective input!

You need to look at the actual wire type stamped on the sheath. Not that it matters.

This cable is ILLEGAL to use for pool / spa work.

If it is NM cable, it is illegal to use underground or in other wet locations (yes even conduit is a wet location underground).

Tanks of water that you are going to be putting your body and your family's bodies into is no place for harry homeowner do it yourslef electrical work.

Rather than perpetuating any more dangerous conditions, why not have an electrician come out NOW and tell you what needs doing. If he's amenable to taking responsibility for your mess afterwards it would behoove you to find out what you're supposed to be doing now. Personally I wouldn't go near an amateur pool/spa installation without opening nearly everything up. It's unlikely that if a homeowner or even most non-electrical contractors (pool, spa companies, builders) has done it correctly.

If you have to ask basic questions like this I can guarantee you've done something wrong.

The wire that is "insulated by an additional grey coating" is most likely UF. UF underground is legal (in fact, that's what it's meant for).

As others have said, but in different words, you're going to need a 60A two-pole circuit breaker to power your subpanel. If you've lived there for ten years WITHOUT power in the garage, I'm sure your needs aren't very high!

And my mood just deteriorated rapidly. In order to prevent saying very rude things and possibly threatening people, I'm cutting this post short.

Maybe it'd help to divide this into two distinct projects: (1) Getting power to the garage and (2) bringing your hot tub and pool pump wiring up to snuff.

First the garage. It'd be helpful to identify for certain what type of cable that is. If it is marked NM (or "NM-B"), ronnatalie's answered that--it is not suitable for an underground run of any sort, whether in conduit or not. (BTW, the term "Romex" is a brand name and isn't precise enough to be of much help here.)

If the cable is UF (underground feeder), it can be used in wet locations, as Pharkus noted. (And he's also spot-on in pointing out that UF is gray in color, although there are a few other types of cable that also have gray sheathing.)

So, if it is Type UF, the question remains whether it's acceptable in that 20' conduit run and I believe that is a judgment call on the part of your AHJ.

But let's back up a bit. It appears that the garage was wired right up to the point that it was ready for connection but then left disconnected. Why it was never connected is a mystery that needs pursuing, IMHO. It's entirely possible that at some point in the past, an inspector rejected the wiring and wouldn't allow it to be connected. And if that's the case, it'd be downright illegal to hook it up--a misdemeanor in most jursidictions.

If it were my house, I'd check with the AHJ ("authority having jurisdiction"--the building permits department or similar office in your area) to see if there's a history of permits and/or inspections pertaining to the garage. This may or may not shed some light on the situation.

Whether this had a permit pulled in the past or not, you really should pull a permit and have this inspected (unless, of course, you live in a rural area without any permit/inspection requirements).

As for "project #2"--the hot tub and pool wiring--that's a very specialized area with many exacting safety requirements. I know that you don't want to hire an electrician but, still, I can't recommend that you undertake this without professional assistance. In any event, there isn't enough information given to begin discussing it at any depth.

***
p.s. The reason I mentioned the issue of the load demand on your main panel is that it is possible that capacity was a reason for rejecting the connection at some point in the past. Some but not all jurisdictions require a load calculation when adding subpanels. If your main service is indeed only 100A and if you have substantial existing loads (especially electric heat and appliances rather than gas) you may be teetering on that threshold where the AHJ might have required a service upgrade. But without finding out more about the history here, who knows?

This cable does not go to the pool or spa. the type is UF. the electrical was updated just before i moved into the house, so i would assume that the electrical inspecter seen the wire hanging there and it was approved for sale as it was. I AM NOT CALLING AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR NOW! not to scream at amyone, but if it is not live then i can at least try to get everything in order before i call in the pro, i am not paying him to do what i can do myself. harry homeowner is not stupid - just a bit cheap -lol so. i want it all correct, but considering that i lost my job and hense dont have the income of an electrician, calling one in now is out of the question. i have no major electrical appliances besides the dryer and fridge - both are newer. it is a small home with two bedrooms and a computer - not a mansion or anything large scale, but none the less i understand what you are saying about the load demand and i will call in a friend who is now a senior citizen but was a liscensed electrical contractor to see if he can work up some calculations on the demand without the garage - if that is the way to go at this point. you are right, 10yrs with no electric - im not looking to hook it up today, just findout what the dealeo is with what is there - if you all are telling me to findout what the demand is now before going further, thats what i will do. my panel in the basement is almost full with breakers, but many of them only have a few outlets on them ans others have two or three single light bulb fixtures, i really dont think i would have a over demand issue with what electric i use, i think that the issue may have been that the guy who did it, hid it from the inspector during inspection because the municipality that i live in are real jerks when it comes to having permits issued, they get their noses into your house and the next thing you know you have to get hardwired smokedetectors and update this and that , not to mention that all half of a dozen electricians that are liscensed to do work in the city are political relitives and charge 2x the cost of the same job in a rural area.. so that was more than u needed to know but that is why i will not call one untill the last moment. period. ty.

So you don't care what is legal, safe, or just plain right. Sorry, this isn't the "How can I kludge it together cheaply with whatever previous harry homeowner cob job I have lying around with your free advice, and the advice of someone who claimed to have once been an electrician."

If you do it wrong now, it may cost you more when an electrician comes in and insists it be done correctly or insists that if he's going to touch it, he's going to rip it all out and do it properly. It may not be anything to you if the house burns or someone gets zapped, but it is this guy's livlihood and he can get sued.

You were the one who mentioned that you wanted to run the spa and pool off this mess. Now you're talking out the other end of your mouth saying it's not going to be connected.

The laws requiring permits, inspections, and bringing the affected areas up to code aren't just political corruption, they are there to protect you, your guests, neighbors and any fool desperate enough to buy this house in the future.

If you've come here looking for sympathy for violating the codes and the laws, you've come to the wrong place.

Ya know, I don't really care what you decide to do.

The responses you got in this thread were attempts at helping you think through the problem. My gut instinct was that this is probably a case where the addition of a subpanel in a detached building has been rejected at some point in the past. I mean, why else would you have all that completed wiring with nothing left to do but slap in a breaker, skin three or four wires, screw them to the right breaker terminals and bus bar(s) and maybe tighten a clamp? We're talking about a 15-minute task and a $15 breaker.

Some people might consider it useful to know if the job was previously rejected or red tagged and they'd like to know why it didn't pass (if that is what actually happened. Heck, I have no way of knowing that for sure.)

In talking you through the issue of cable in conduit and **possibly** a mostly technical matter pertaining to estimated load demand, I, for one, was just trying to zero in on what might have been the deal-breaker.

Now, I know that there are folks out there who won't give a rat's @$$ if the thing is legal or not as long as it "works". If that's your point of view, feel free to disregard any and all advice. It's worth every penny you paid for it.

Happy wiring!

Karl - sorry to hear you are out of work. I know personally that if I was in your position, I too would be looking to do all the nagging tasks around the house. With that in mind though, some things are easy/quick fixes and some can end up costing a bit of time/money to do them right.

The subpanel could be a quick and easy fix. If you have room for a 60amp-2 pole breaker, and you can absorb the new load, it is $15 and 15 minutes. Step 1 would be to see if your current setup can handle the additional potential load. Since you wouldn't actually be using any more power than you are now, that is more of an inspection concern than an immediate danger. Step 2 would be to find/make room in the panel for a 60amp-2pole breaker. That is not necessarily simple. You may have some tiny circuits that you could theoretically combine, but you can't just splice them together in the panel and stick them on one breaker.

As for the hot tub, that is a whole issue onto itself. Hot tubs are big energy users and have the inherent danger of mixing electricity and water. There are numerous rules and codes to follow, but the most important one you seem to have skipped is to have it all protected by a ground fault interrupter. That could literally cost you your life. Additionally, the extension cord is a serious concern. Extension cords are not meant to permanently connect anything. Besides from them being easily damaged, the joint between the male and female plugs is not tight. A little jar or tug could be enough to open them slightly and expose someone to electrical shock. If that cord has been sitting outside exposed to the elements for an extended period of time, it has already started to decay. If a squirrel has tried to climb up it or a bird has landed on it etc, the insulation could already be compromised. The longer you leave it hooked up that way, the greater the chances of something tragic happening.

everything else aside you really need to start with making sure that everything is wired properly in the garage and that the UF cable is still good prior to even thinking of connecting power to it.

This is a detached building from what I have gathered so - is the ground system installed and if so is it done properly? Are the grounds and neutrals seperated in the garage panel? Is the bonding screw removed like it should be? Have critters nibbled away at any of the wires in garage? The list goes on and on.

I know it seems like you dont want to follow advice but you really need to find out why this was never hooked up to begin with. There was way too much time and effort invested to wire it and be so close to connecting yet never doing so.

Ronnatalie, you have been of no help. You donÂt even understand the question I am asking. And you really shouldnÂt assume that my grandfather "claims" to be an electrician, he did it in the ARMY for 30 years before becoming a civilian electrician for hospitals for another 20 before retiring  the only reason I donÂt just ask him to come over and look at it is because he is in England ATM.. just because I have that running to the garage doesnÂt mean  and you must have assumed  that I would run out and by more to go from the subpanel to the pool or spa. I donÂt assume that you are an apprentice nor do I assume that you sound like a union steward. I didnÂt come in here asking for you to bash me and just make assumptions about my standards and fortitude. If all you can say is that I am a dumb@$$ because I wonÂt call an electrician NOW, then you are only telling me the same thing that my grandmother told me yesterday. I didnÂt do any of this work so it wonÂt cost me any more if he says it all has to be torn out anyways  and he could say that even if there is nothing wrong with it, just because he has that option  right? No, im not talking out the other end of my mouth either. Sorry if you were not paying attention but I was asking about getting it to the garage first, I will deal with the pool later. I seek no sympathy from you for code violations  again you assume what I am about. I am an unemployed law enforcement officer. You speed and violate the law, IÂm sure if a hardnosed LEO pulled you over in the state of New York, they could hit you with about 10 vehicle infractions. So just like in your world there is double parking, in mine there is the DIY electrician.
TerribleTom, Pharkus, and Bill, My sincerest thanks to you for helping me get all of my proverbial ducks in a row before I have the work inspected  that wonÂt happen soon either, but like I said, if it is there, why tear it out? I respect the work of professionals, but I am not the guy who calls contractors for every job. This is no different; if I can do a majority of the work myself and then have it inspected (and like I said, the wire is already in the basement) why wouldnÂt I? There is nothing wrong with that  I am not violating any code or law by assembling electrical circuits that I donÂt energize, and if all went well, it would be approved. But yes, I am curious about why it was not completed before.
I understand if no one wants to advise me, thatÂs cool. I will figure it out one way or another. I was just asking for advice.

Good kill youself, go have mercy on the souls of the innocents who visit your house.

Sure thing. I think I will be safe considering IT ISNT LIVE. And my kids wont be killed because IT ISNT LIVE.
And considering that I have already said that I would absolutely have it all checked before it is finalized  I think all will be well.
Oh, about the hot Âtub  I didnÂt mean to insinuate that it is hooked up now. I have only used it a few times, I donÂt have it hooked up on a permanent basis. But the pool on the other hand, I really want to get that addressed but it would be easier to address that after the garage is figured out because it is half way to the pool. I do run that off of an extension cord, but only once a week at the most, and I never do it when the pool is in use because of my fear that the cord would get wet. So I hope you understand that I am looking to have it all done the right way, but I canÂt do it all at once. I guess the first step is the garage; like you had said.

Great. Yet another person who is getting pissed off at everyone else (IE: FREE advice from professionals) because he does not like the answers he is getting.

Petey, what exactly is it that he told me that I could possibly have issue with? ÂÂmaybe it is that he had nothing to say besides that I am too much of a dumb@$$ to delve into his field of expertise. Thank you to those of you that did offer advice, I have no doubts that what any of you say what is the right things to do.
K

Throughout the hostilities and arguments in this thread, which I don't necessarily disagree with, there is valuable advice. First, check for past electrical inspection reports as to why the line to the garage was never hooked up. There could be a simple answer, such as an improper (or no) grounding system at the detached building. Second, ask your grandfather to look it over when he returns.
Also, be sure to plug your hot tub extension cord into a GFI receptacle!

I've taken a personal interest in this thread. Don't know why, but I have.

kzaker, find all the markings on the side of that damn "grey cable" that goes to the garage, and get me the brand and model number of your main panel.

If you can, I'd also like you to get your hands on a digital camera (not a cellphone either) and take a picture of the INSIDE of the garage panel.

Pharkus - Sorry.. I am not sure when I can get pics of the boxes, I donÂt even have a camera phone.. but what I can do is give you as much of the other information that you requested as what I can..
1. The main panel says "CH612C" 125amp max.
2. The garage panel says "Murray LC216MC" 200amp max.
3. The wire is not stamped. I had a piece of the sheath but put it in the trash (after calling it quits for sake of argument) because I figured if I needed to know what it was, I could look on the wire. The piece I had was about 12" long and it said romex  600v  4/3  UF-something. I will look again and go through the trash (tonight is garbage night) and see if I can find that piece  unless that information is what you were looking for..
I will also see if I can get a camera for pics what part(s) of the box do you want pics of?
K

NOT 4/3. it is 6/3 with ground.. i was thinking 4 wires.. 6/3.. sorry...

HR brings up a very good point. When looking at that panel, see if there is any indication that there's a connection to a ground rod. If not, you can certainly get some sweat equity by pounding the couple in that would be necessary to make this safe and legal.

First  let me tell you that I truly do appreciate all of the advice that everyone has offered to me. I understand the conundrum that all of you are put in on a daily basis for helping people out. I for one, really appreciate all of you. I am  now  running out of battery life on the laptop, but wanted to thank all of you for your help! Sorry it has been so long but things get busy and so do I. I will let you know what I figured out in a day or two. You may not be interested in it, but I figured because you helped me I will fill you in. - no - it isnt done yet either..-lol-
Regards,
KZaker!

my Pops (grandfather) tells me that a)install a grounding rod. b) purchase tandem breakers for basement to free space.
c) there prob was no permit for this work because the line in the yard has no (i dont know the technical name) risers that move with frost. d) the Romex brand that is being used is fine for use in conduit as well as a direct burial. e) finish all of that before thinking about the pool and tub.- lol - but really, thank all of you.