Installing 220 in the Garage?

[kbahus]

I need some guidance installing a 220 outlet in my shop. My main panel is in the garage and I would like to put a 220 plug in the attached shop so I can run an air compressor or welder. What is the simplest way to go about this project? I need to visit the hardware store, but it seems some wire can be run without conduit? Also, I was under the impression that breakers start at the top of the box and work their way down, mine seems to be opposite with a 100 amp breaker in the bottom right feeding the house panel inside. Is order irrelevant when it comes to the box?

 

[TerraNerva]

Not trying to be a smarta$$, but if you don't know how, don't do it. To answer your question, order is not important, nor is top or bottom, but you will want to get 110 off each side of the panel to make 220, use proper gauge wire (minimum 10 gauge with neutral, ground and two hot) for your run and application, install the proper breaker for your length and application and wire it up properly both in the outlet box and in the panel itself. You already have a 100 amp main feeding a 100 amp breaker for your house? The total breakers should never exceed the main breaker. Is that a 30 amp single pole? Impossible to see capacity without knowing the wire gauges and seeing how the panel is wired. You'll have to add an additional minimum 30A (probably a 50 or 60), so you are going to exceed the main, more than doubling it. So when your home AC, microwave etc are running and you start welding....you see the problem. Looks like you need to upgrade to 200 amp service. And yes, you can run properly shielded wire without a conduit. This is just my 2 cents, but best to get professional advice from someone who can actually lay eyes on it.

 

[kbahus]

Thank you for the response, exactly what I was looking for. If it was as simple as dropping in another breaker and running some wires I am game, but given my current setup it sounds like I will need more of a revamp. The house was built in the 50’s and added on to multiple times so I am not shocked it is funky. The inspection didn’t note anything bad persay but I will consult a pro. I am guessing the cost is going to be prohibitive sadly.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

What is the 100A breaker in the lower right corner for?

FWIW there is already bad info in this thread. You should seek electrical advice from a professional not IHMud.

 

[TerraNerva]

with a 100 amp breaker in the bottom right feeding the house panel inside.

best to get professional advice from someone who can actually lay eyes on it.

 

[kbahus]

That 100 amp breaker seems to be the feed for the house breaker box, which has a bunch of breakers in it. The amps certainly do not add up. I will have an electrician come out and take a look and give some ideas.

 

[KLF]

Not trying to be a smarta$$, but if you don't know how, don't do it. To answer your question, order is not important, nor is top or bottom, but you will want to get 110 off each side of the panel to make 220, use proper gauge wire (minimum 10 gauge with neutral, ground and two hot) for your run and application, install the proper breaker for your length and application and wire it up properly both in the outlet box and in the panel itself. You already have a 100 amp main feeding a 100 amp breaker for your house? The total breakers should never exceed the main breaker. Is that a 30 amp single pole? Impossible to see capacity without knowing the wire gauges and seeing how the panel is wired. You'll have to add an additional minimum 30A (probably a 50 or 60), so you are going to exceed the main, more than doubling it. So when your home AC, microwave etc are running and you start welding....you see the problem. Looks like you need to upgrade to 200 amp service. And yes, you can run properly shielded wire without a conduit. This is just my 2 cents, but best to get professional advice from someone who can actually lay eyes on it.

Wow is there a lot of incorrect info in this post.

Ya just get a licensed pro.

 

[TerraNerva]

Be happy to listen to what is considered incorrect info. It was written to provide advice, not direction, which seems pretty clear.

 

[Jgrauman]

The panel pictured appears to be a junction point during one of the previous remodels. That was probably the original entrance point, hence the 100amp main with a 100amp breaker feeding the "new" main panel. Someone just ran a few extra branch circuits off of it. By no means does the amperage listed on the breaker have to be under the total amps that the main breaker is listed for, that's silly. Go add up your breakers in your panel, with your stove, dryer and hvac you're past your main. This is why load calculations are done before determining a panel size for a home. Most 20amp breakers in a home are not even maxed at 1 amp... The breaker is there to protect the maximum amperage that specific wire can carry. You can easily add a 50amp breaker to that panel. If you pull more than 50amps, it will trip. If you happen to be welding, running the dryer and then your ac unit kicks on, you may trip your main 100amp. But you could also do that if you were running your dryer, cooking on all 4 eyes of your stove with something in the oven and your ac kicks on... Just matters what your actual load is on the home. Can easily find out by turning everything on and connecting a clamp meter to each leg and see, a professional can do this for you if you aren't capable.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Be happy to listen to what is considered incorrect info

OK

To answer your question, order is not important, nor is top or bottom, but you will want to get 110 off each side of the panel to make 220,

Incorrect, both phases need to be side by side. 220 volt beaker must open both phases simultaneously, this would not be possible if breakers were on opposite sides of the panel. The panel itself is not A phase B phase left and right, it alternates from top to bottom, A phase B phase.

use proper gauge wire (minimum 10 gauge with neutral, ground and two hot) for your run and application

There is not enough info provided to determine conductor size.

The total breakers should never exceed the main breaker.

Open your panel in your house, add em up, I am willing to bet you have a helluva lot more branch circuits than that main breaker could handle if your theory was true. The main breaker is based on a load calculation, each individual branch circuit doesn't get counted as a full load. Hell you only calculate at 80% anyway. Open the NEC and flip to the back, find a residential load calc example and enjoy yourself.

FWIW there is already bad info in this thread. You should seek electrical advice from a professional not IHMud

Wow is there a lot of incorrect info in this post.

Ya just get a licensed pro.

Correct answers.