Electrical Planning question.

[David Hostetler]

Here's the scenario.

My shop is a 2 car attached garage, with a single 15 amp outlet. For all my needs I have been dragging extension cords into the utility room for additional power.

The main panel into the house has a single 150 amp breaker. Not sure if the panel can handle more. All of the slots are full, many with twin breakers.

At a maximum, I will be running simultaneously...
#1. 6 shop lights. These are already wired into the pre-existing house lighting circuit.
#2. 2 HP HF DC, 20 amps 110V.
#3. Portable Air Conditioner 20 amps 110V, or 1500 watt radiator heater, same draw.
#4. One major power tool at a time, all 110 at this time, max draw 20 amps...
#5. I would like at least one 20 amp 220V circuit.

How can I go about getting the juice I want / need into the shop without going into the poor house, or burning my house down? I will hire the job out, I just need to know what to talk to the electrician about...

[Dave Gaul]

Since you are hiring out, I would call a few electricians and have them come quote you. Give them your intentions, and they should tell you what you need to do.

Sounds like you might need to upgrade your main to a 200amp panel, and then run a sub-panel into the garage, and while you're at it, I would run a big enough panel to the garage to suit your needs for a long time!

[Joe Angrisani]

Is the house's main panel in the garage/shop?

Is the garage/shop drywalled?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, a multi-wire branch circuit with a 20 ampere breaker will give you;

2 X 20A 120V circuits

1 X 20A 240V circuits simultaneously, obviously limited to 20A.

That would take care of all your requirements using only a 2 pole breaker.

The circuit for the air conditioner would have to be separate, using a single pole 20A breaker.

That's how my shop is wired, the multi-wire branch circuit takes care of all my machinery with the exception of the cyclone which is on a separate circuit.

Regards, Rod.

[David Hostetler]

Is the house's main panel in the garage/shop?

Is the garage/shop drywalled?

Code here puts the main outside, in the back yard, so that the FD can throw the main before entering a structure. Sub panels are cool though...

Yeah the garage is rocked, but I need to redo the rock anyway, the existing sheet rock is in BAD shape, and I need to insulate the walls... I was planning on ripping the rock down where I want the electrician to work, have him do the installs, get the inspection, then put the rock back up.

I am a bit concerned that I will need to pull a 200 amp service for this, yeah, I don't really want to have an entire new panel done. We've got medical considerations in the household and can't have power off for very long...

[Brett Clark]

When I had electric run to my barn from the house, I was expecting the electrician to add a breaker to my existing 200Amp panel and run it to a sub-panel. What he wound up doing was splitting the wire before the panel, installed a disconnect next to the house's main panel then installed 125 amp main panel in the barn.

[David Hostetler]

When I had electric run to my barn from the house, I was expecting the electrician to add a breaker to my existing 200Amp panel and run it to a sub-panel. What he wound up doing was splitting the wire before the panel, installed a disconnect next to the house's main panel then installed 125 amp main panel in the barn.

That's kind of what I am hoping they can do... I really don't want to yank out the original panel...