PTS Flowbench Forum

My house actually has three total panels. It was originally built in the 1950's as a small three room house and was then added to in the 1980's. I will try to explain this the best I can based on my limited knowledge of house wiring. From what I gather, the box in the new part of the house is where the main electric line comes in. From here, it sends out two feeder lines, one to the old part of the house and one to the detached garage. This box is also where I have the 220V at which runs my HVAC, Stove, and Dryer.

The feeder to the garage goes into the third electric box. From here I have a couple of breakers that control the garage as well as my pool filter. When I first moved in I looked at the possibility of adding a small HVAC unit to the garage (similar to those seen in hotels) which runs on 220V. I had a couple electricians look at it and was told that there was pretty much no easy way to get 220V out to the garage. First they said that the line would be such a long run (~100ft or so) that they would have to bury it. This would mean pulling up my deck to get under it to bury the line. Second, they said that I would have to switch out the old box in the garage for a new one and that wasn't going to be cheap either.

When I get home later today I can take pictures of the different boxes and post them on here.

Can you also find out just exactly what the gauge of the wire and number of conductors is going form house panel to garage? Is this on a master breaker in the house panel? What size is this breaker?

Rick

I think Rick is on the right track. If there's more than one breaker out in the garage, the chances are very good that you already have 220v running into that breaker panel and it's been split into 110v circuits to service the garage. Pull the cover off of the breaker box in the garage, check the size, colour and number of wires coming in from the main service, tell us what you see, or even better, post up a picture to accompany the description.

Alright, here is what I have for you. The garage actually has two 20 and two 30 amp breakers. I was thinking it was 15 and 20. Anyway, it looks like the garage feeder is a double 60 amp breaker on the main box. I have attached a picture of both boxes as well. On the garage panel, the two large breakers at top are labeled "Main" and "Range".

Thanks for everyone's help on this one. When it comes to electrical stuff, changing a switch or a light fixture is as far as I have gone in the past.

LWhitson2 wrote:It looks like the garage feeder is a double 60 amp breaker on the main box.

That answers the question.
If the "garage feed" breaker is sixty amps, the cable running to the garage will be sixty amp rated cable.
As it is a double pole breaker, it also means there will be 220v available at the power board in the garage.

Providing a high current 220 volt power outlet in the garage should be a very simple low cost job.

LOL a 60 amp 220 service to the garage, BUILD A 8 MOTOR BENCH!

Rick

PS, you just need to update your panel in the garage to something that will take newer style breakers. and you may have to drive a ground stake to ensure it is bonded.


Oh, i would love to see inside that garage panel can you pop the cover and snap some close up pics.

Hey Chris you out there????