I had a few moments to really get an idea of what I would be needing to upgrade electricity in the garage. There is a small 50 amp six circuit panel in the garage already. It's not really set up to do the things that I plan.
So I looked at what was set up in the house panel, because bit is an old farmhouse and I know not every circuit is currently being used.
What is circled is:
(bottom left) air compressor 30a
(top right) garage 50a
(bottom right) barn 60a
Also there is an electric dryer circuit.
The air compressor no longer exists. It's wiring is dead headed in the basement. We no longer have an electric dryer and unless it is really well disguised I no longer have a barn. That is four 220v outputs ready to be run into the garage which is semi attached. My thoughts are to run the four runs of appropriately sized wire to their own boxes within the garage, one box for lighting and 110v outlets. The three 220v would essentially have a breaker in a box and an outlet mounted on one of the three walls.
Am I wrong in thinking that this is the right way or should I consider another option?
Dryer should be 220 also. AFAIK, you can only have one service entrance supply come into a single building. Keeps people from dying thinking "but I just shut off the breakaaaah". Since you say semi-attached, I'm not sure what applies
Since that is Square D, you should be able to find a 100 A breaker that would do everything from a new sub-panel in the garage
Semi Detached as in at one point the two buildings were separated but at some point in the last 40 years they have become one. What was once a lean-to and porch between them has been structurally modified to be the new external wall and roof support. The issues with old farmhouses in notoriously lax rural settings is that a bunch of "stuff" happens that the inspectors have signed off on.
My concern with running a single 100 trunk to the garage is making certain that I don't outgrow it. I guess if I do I probably have already outgrown my house service as well.
Great point. I'm overthinking and overcomplicating.
My shop is "only" 60 amp.
That's a LOT for one guy to use when working recreationally. Especially now with LED everything and battery-powered tools that really dampen out the power demands.
my home has a 200 amp panel. Home has electric hot water, two big A/C units, electric oven, etc.
I put a 100 amp breaker in it to run the 100 amp sub-panel in the remote shop.
What Robbie said above. A one man shop is only going to use one big item at a time. e.g. my 220v welder. And with all the battery powered stuff and LED lighting. No problem 4 years now. The shop A/C unit is only 110v 20 amp. I have a 50amp exterior outlet for the motorhome use occasionally. But, if the RV is backed up to the shop, I'm not welding. I'm not welding the same instance that I'm running the lift, etc. Whole shop could probably run on 60 amp.
If I 'kill' the house panel it also kills the shop. But, I can also kill the whole shop out there if need be. One big underground cable in conduit the whole way from the house to the shop.
I have a 80 amp 220V breaker feeding my detached garage. In it I have a lot of tools. I have never managed to get the main breaker tripped.
I think you will be money ahead to run 1 100Amp rated cable to the garage subpanel vs several smaller ones. Unless your panel locations make this somehow make sense like your cable lengths work out to where you run less total cable length running most things from the main panel. Since it is an attached structure there is no reason you can't feed the garage room from several circuits from the same panel. Just make sure any given sub panel or wall box only contains one circuit.
I am running a Sub/Sub/Sub/Sub panel in my garage. It's fun. Everyone should go 4 panels deep.
It is really uncommon to use the full rated load on circuits. Elective resistive loads are the biggest concerns. Motors during start-up also can be high. That's why ovens and dryers are pretty big loads. My house has probably close to 1000amps of breakers on a 200 amp service. Clearly I cannot carry all the loads at 1 time.
Sorry that got rambly and I don't know if I helped.
If you're in Michigan, I believe you're under the 2017 edition of the National Electric Code, and it only allows a single branch circuit to an accessory building.
Multiple branch circuits will be allowed under the 2020 edition, under certain circumstances.
edit: I missed the part where it's an attached garage - in that case, multiple branch circuits are okay.
In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :
That's nearly 18hp.. that's quite a lot of work multiplication for 1 person. My garage is nearly 25 HP @ 80 amps.
I'm sure some of you have 3 phase 480V @ 200 amp shops with up to 225 HP.
The run is about 40ft from service entry and house box (green scribble) to garage panel (yellow scribble)
I would like to update this prior to the end of fall because next year I want to invest in either a propane heater or mini split. Once the garage is properly juiced I plan on a hostile takeover acroy the street. It's time to start dealing with that mess. I want Dad to enjoy life not just turn old engines to rust.
That's going to need LED zone lighting, insulation, partial cement work and a hoist. I'd really like to separate out a clean room and a woodworking shop with a loft currently there are 6 vehicles, a tractor and a zero turn mower in there but the only thing remotely accessible is the zero turn.
You sure that building's not a really well disguised barn?
I'm certain.
The barn used to sit directly behind the house. That, my good man, is a covered junkyard.
