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I recently bought a house with an exterior garage. The previous buyer only had an on/off panel installed on the outside with a single Romex running to one receptacle for the garage door opener.

I'm looking to remove the panel and install a subpanel that allows for dedicated circuits to a freezer and also multiple outlets for tools. What is the best way to extend PVC conduit from the outside after removing the panel? There's maybe a 4in difference at a 45degree angle from the end of the previous conduit to where the hole previously drilled into the side of the garage is (circled in blue).

The breaker is a 20amp. The hots are #10 but I did notice the GND is #12 (3.31mm), and I'm not sure why - that's leftover from the previous owner. The conduit is 3/4" schedule 40.

Position of current panel / drilled hole into interior of garage

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conduit I'm trying to extend

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    Use a pvc coupler?
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 19:17
  • Why not just install the new panel in that spot and hook up the existing conduit, etc?
    – gnicko
    Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 23:20
  • Sure you can but the hots red and black look much smaller than the neutral, lots more questions to be answered first but it is possible. I have a old 2 ea 240 circuit powering a outside panel with 2 lock outs and a 120v GFCI receptacle on a 1930 home. Much larger feeder as a guess only 3 phase requires a larger neutral but you won’t find those kind of answers here or the reason why , just saying why most pros don’t come back from all the down vote from internet only electricians. Just saying…
    – Ed Beal
    Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 1:44
  • Can you confirm the wire sizes in the feeder conduit? It looks like the hots are #10 and the ground is #12. Using #10 or #12 they need to be the same size.
    – NoSparksPlease
    Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 3:11

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Is there a reason you want to remove that disconnect? It looks like your feed it #10 and the Romex into the garage is #12. You could just remove the smaller cable and add conduit to you sub panel in the garage and pull #10 wire from there to your sub panel. Only 120V is going into the garage but you have the ability to bring in 240V by connecting the red wire to new wire into the panel. You might have to get a double pole breaker for your main panel if only one hot is energized.

If you have to remove the disconnect, the easiest way would be to get some ENT flexible conduit and cut off about 12" of the existing PVC and connect the L.T. to the end of the existing PVC and the other end to the long end of a LB (pictured below). and the short end into the wall with some additional PVC into the new panel. You'll have to remove the wires before cutting the existing PVC and then re install them (can't cut conduit with wires inside). If they're too short, add a junction box before the ENT and pull additional wire.

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    I hoped to avoid replacing the previous wires from the breaker to the panel. I'll say, I have little experience and this is just an opportunity for me to get started. Is replacing the wires a necessity due to the length probably falling short, or for another reason I'm missing? Part of the reason I'd hope to avoid it is the conduit runs about 50ft
    – Austin Seward
    Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 19:53
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    @AustinSeward We'll need to know the wire size, breaker size and conduit size. Edit your question to add that. I was thinking the length issue would require replacement of the wire but then also thought of the load.
    – JACK
    Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 20:14
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    @AustinSeward The way I read it, Jack's first paragraph essentially says "don't remove this disconnect box -- use it as a junction box." If there's no external reason why this disconnect box must be removed, then use this as simply a place to splice the underground conductors to new in-building conductors running to your new subpanel. The building has to have a disconnect somewhere, but if you prefer not to have that here, then splice the wires directly and leave the disconnect parts unused.
    – Greg Hill
    Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 22:53
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    I'd use the LB but use ENT instead of the LFNC (ENT is listed to be connected into PVC hub fittings while LFNC is decidedly not)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 1:02
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    Use the disconnect (i.e. the first paragraph) is the simplest and least fuss way to do this. Stick some conduit into the back opening and head inside with it - it's a wide spot in the conduit and a disconnecting means, with no need to go find more conduit parts to replace it with.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Jan 13, 2022 at 3:35

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