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Mar 11, 2002
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I want to add a 220V outlet in my garage for a big compressor. My box has room for a 50-amp breaker. The garage and adjacent basement are all unfinished. It's maybe 20 feet from the box to where I want the outlet.

Before I start calling electricians for quotes, could someone here give me a ROUGH estimate on what it will cost to add one? Is this a $100 job, or a $1000 job?
 
Depends on where you live. Probably get hit for 2-3 hrs + parts. Around here that's 350-500 for a yellowpages "pro", or about $100 and free beer for a local journeyman electrician. Or do it yourself for about $75 in parts.
 
I work for guns, beer, tools but the travel time is gonna be costly.

You really should just do this yourself. Its not a biggie. Take some pics and post em up and people will walk you through it. Otherwise its gonna cost $75/hr, four hour call out & materials.
 
My father has done it before and would give me a swift kick in the a$$ if he knew I was paying someone to do it. I'm just trying to do it "right"
 
My father has done it before and would give me a swift kick in the a$$ if he knew I was paying someone to do it. I'm just trying to do it "right"

Wiring a dedicated circuit is very easy. The hardest part is running the wires to the panel if the panel is located in a bedroom closet.

Run some #6 wires so you can use a 50amp breaker at a later time if you decide to go with big welder. Otherwise, install a 30 amp breaker.
 
I'm just trying to do it "right"

Well the ironic part here is if you don't know what "right" is (i.e. wire size, where it should be ran, what size breaker, etc) then you won't be totally sure any electrician will be doing it right. You would suspect they would do it right (and they probably would ofcourse), but if you learn enough to know what they are doing...then you can easily do it yourself. There is no magic trick for dragging wires through walls/studs/joists, it can be a pain, but not complicated at all.

You have any buddies who could help you? That's the easiest way, someone who has done it before, combined with some reading of how it needs to work, where it needs to go, etc...be careful when getting into your main panel, and shut of whole house power if you can (many houses you can't, my dad's house did not have a main breaker)...but that only makes the other breakers dead...the actual incoming wires are still live...

Good Luck!

:cheers:
 
Update:

I ran a dedicated 20 amp 120V circuit to the garage. It's on a new GFI breaker (the only one in this old house!) 12 gauge romex; one 20 amp outlet.

I think I goofed. When I plug anything into the outlet and turn it on, the breaker trips immediately. Could I possibly have a bad breaker?
 
I just ran some 8-3 and a 40amp breaker. I ran about 20ft of it from my basemant to the garage. It took some time because I had to take out some gypsum board but it was a simple job. It also help when you have a family member that has wired multiple houses help you!
 
Pics

I agree with everyone else. Post up some pics and everyone can walk you through it.

It's not hard at all.

JR
 
Update:

I ran a dedicated 20 amp 120V circuit to the garage. It's on a new GFI breaker (the only one in this old house!) 12 gauge romex; one 20 amp outlet.

I think I goofed. When I plug anything into the outlet and turn it on, the breaker trips immediately. Could I possibly have a bad breaker?

I think you probably wired the GFI breaker wrong or else have the white wire grounded out. Either will cause the breaker to trip.

There should be a white wire that was coiled up and is attached to the breaker. It needs to terminate in the neutral bar in the panel. The black and white wire from the cable you ran both need to terminate in the breaker. The breaker will have markings on it telling you where each wire goes. Let me know if you have any other questions or if this fixes your trouble. ...Steve
 
Thanks for the help. Here are a few pictures of what I did. The new circuit is the breaker at the bottom left. The yellow romex at the top is the new wire.

Dscn1149.jpg


Close-up.
Dscn1150.jpg
 
Thanks for the help. Here are a few pictures of what I did. The new circuit is the breaker at the bottom left. The yellow romex at the top is the new wire.



Close-up.
Dscn1150.jpg

The white wire from the new wire needs to go straight to the GFI breaker, not to the neutral bar. The white wire that came attached to the breaker then goes to the neutral bar. Make sense?

Do this:

Black wire from the cable to the breaker
White wire from the cable directly(don't touch the neutral bar on the way like it looks like you are now) to the breaker
White wire from the breaker to the neutral bar
Ground wire from the cable to the ground bar

The way you have it wired is causing it to trip. A GFI breaker measures the amount of current on the hot wire and compares it to the current on the white wire. When there's a difference in current between the two, the breaker trips which is what is happening to you. The current returning to the panel isn't going through your breaker. Let me know when you fix it but that will solve your issue. .....Steve
 
Thanks a lot! I see what you're talking about. In order to get the white down to the breaker, I'll need to pull some wire back to the box. I have enough to do it, but I'll have to pull it through all the holes in the floor boards. It may take an hour or two. That's a job for next weekend! ;p
 
Thanks a lot! I see what you're talking about. In order to get the white down to the breaker, I'll need to pull some wire back to the box. I have enough to do it, but I'll have to pull it through all the holes in the floor boards. It may take an hour or two. That's a job for next weekend! ;p

Just splice on a short, 2 foot piece. It'll take less than 1 minute and you'll be up and running.
 
Am I allowed to do that? It'll look kinda ugly but is MUCH easier. The rest of the wiring looks so neat and tidy.
 
I like how you have "Panel" on the wall next to the panel so as you won't forget :D

That's one neat panel. With the cover off mine it looks like a rat nest.
 
I like how you have "Panel" on the wall next to the panel so as you won't forget :D

That's one neat panel. With the cover off mine it looks like a rat nest.

I suppose some framer wrote it there long, long ago. The breakers were never labeled on the inside of the cover, so the previous owner wrote in stuff like "Joey's room" "Mike's room" etc. I have no idea who those people are, or which rooms they belong to. :D

The home inspector was also impressed with the panel. He said it's obvious that nobody has messed with it, yet.
 

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