Garage electrical service help request

[Matti]

Hello all,

I'm starting the new 26x24 garage project and I'm stuck on how to get power from the garage to the house. The plan was to put a mast and a meter on the garage, take power from the alley pole, and split the power to both the garage panel and the house panel just after the meter. I have a 100 amp house panel and would use a 60 amp garage panel. I was going to split the power in some kind of junction box and then run it down the outside of the garage wall and underground to the house. I can't seem to find anybody who knows how to do this although I haven't spoken with a residential electrician as I plan on doing most of the work myself. I even walked the back alleys and looked at dozens of garages that have power directly to the garage and nobody has done this the way I planned. Unfortunately I can't look in the garages to figure out how they ran the power in. I'm thinking I'm barking up the wrong tree. Perhaps I am required to run the power through the garage panel first??? Any ideas on how this is typically done? Until then I'll continue to read through the code book to see why my plan won't work.

 

[Kevin54]

Unfortunately I can't look in the garages to figure out how they ran the power in. I'm thinking I'm barking up the wrong tree. Perhaps I am required to run the power through the garage panel first??? Any ideas on how this is typically done? Until then I'll continue to read through the code book to see why my plan won't work.<!-- / message -->

If it is not too far away from your house, most will run off of the home breaker panel box out to the garagte and have a subpanel in the garage. Wire size depends on how far, what you are coming from, what you are going to feed off of the sub panel.

 

[jamm]

If your home currently has a meter on it why go to the extra expense of relocating it? 100 amps for a house is normal for older houses, new ones have 200 amp service. If you are planning to run an air compressor or welder in the garage you might look at upgrading the house service and run a sub-panel to the garage off of it.

If you are set on mounting a new meter to the garage you might think about installing a larger amp service panel in the garage and then feed the house from it. This sounds better than having a junction box where the line service would split. On the other hand, I'm not an electrician so it's just how I would proceed as a starting point in talking to an electrician.

Good luck

 

[timgr]

...If you are planning to run an air compressor or welder in the garage you might look at upgrading the house service and run a sub-panel to the garage off of it.

This is what I did (or rather the electrician did). The upgrade was mixed into some renovations, so I can't tell you how much it cost ... probably added $1000-2000 to the cost of the renovations though. They installed a new 200A panel in the house, and another electrician used the existing 100A panel in the garage. In addition to upgrading the panel and moving all the circuits, you'll also need to upgrade the service into the house. Running the service to the garage was another $600.

 

[jamm]

Timgr ---

Any pics of your CJ6?

Sorry not trying to hi-jack the original thread

 

[Matti]

I'm trying to get rid of the overhead line to the house which will be resting on the new garage roof. I think what I have missed is that the power must go through the 100 amp panel first and then feed the 60 amp garage panel. Thus I must run the power from the garage meter to the house panel and then back to the garage. The way I was going to do things I would end up with a 160 amp service when I have only 100 amp service. It think it is about $800 to get 200 amp service around here.

 

[timgr]

Timgr ---

Any pics of your CJ6?

Sorry not trying to hi-jack the original thread

Sure - I don't have a good recent portrait, but here's one from last fall when I bought it:

It needs some work, but fairly solid.

There are a bunch more here, in no particular order
http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~reese/ResizedJeepIPics

 

[tfi racing]

What is your location?I have done this job dozens of times.What you need to do is install the new service in the garage-100 or 200 amp,your choice I recommend 200A.A 100A breaker in that panel will have to feed the house either using conduit and pulled in conductors,or you may use ACWU cable if that is easier.You can't just "split" off after the meter in a JB or something.
Your local rules will determine how much of the work you can do under a homeowners permit,a lot of municipalities in Canada won't let you change your main service on your own.

 

[Matti]

What is your location?I have done this job dozens of times.What you need to do is install the new service in the garage-100 or 200 amp,your choice I recommend 200A.A 100A breaker in that panel will have to feed the house either using conduit and pulled in conductors,or you may use ACWU cable if that is easier.You can't just "split" off after the meter in a JB or something.
Your local rules will determine how much of the work you can do under a homeowners permit,a lot of municipalities in Canada won't let you change your main service on your own.

Thanks. I am in Edmonton.

 

[Steve in Mi]

I was going to split the power in some kind of junction box and then run it down the outside of the garage wall and underground to the house.

My split is done in a Square D safety switch immediately following the meter. Service to the house and service to my detached shop are both seen as primary service entrance (neither a subpanel of the other).

I think this link can help the DIY'er sort out the options but it's not a substitute for a good electrician being involved early in the project.

http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/home...o-dwellings/wiring-a-detached-garage-2002.php

 

[tfi racing]

Sorry to hear that you are in the Chuk!I just recently escaped from the asylum that is Calgary.Contact the Inspections Group,I think that's the name, they are the private company that handles permits and inspections for Edmonton.I have dealt with them before on a commercial project and seem to be reasonable(they didn't even pick on me for being from Calgary),they will let you know what you can and can't do under your homeowner's permit.You can PM me if you have any more questions.

 

[Matti]

Sorry to hear that you are in the Chuk!I just recently escaped from the asylum that is Calgary.Contact the Inspections Group,I think that's the name, they are the private company that handles permits and inspections for Edmonton.I have dealt with them before on a commercial project and seem to be reasonable(they didn't even pick on me for being from Calgary),they will let you know what you can and can't do under your homeowner's permit.You can PM me if you have any more questions.

I'm going to contact the Inspection people tomorrow and see if they approve my plan in principal before I get to far. There are many conflicts on allowable trenching depth too so I need to sort that out. I would like to avoid running the #3 primary to the house and the #6 back to the garage. I priced out wire. Somehow I think that if I put a 100 amp panel in the garage with a 100 amp breaker to feed the house and a bunch of other breakers for the garage that they might have an issue even though that is basically what I'm going to do with the other plan.

Edmonton is still a good place but things have deteriorated with all of the growth and the influx of people from absolutely everywhere. Try driving in rush hour traffic with people who are clueless about driving let alone know their way around town. Traffic circles can be scary. I'm almost surprised when I get decent service anywhere and English is a second language here. Oh well. I guess most of us came from somewhere else at one time too.

 

[Matti]

When I got my permit I spoke with one of the inspectors. He was very clear that I had to put a 100 amp panel in the garage with a 100 amp circuit breaker to feed the house panel and whatever breakers I needed for the garage. He also cleared up a few other issues such as trenching and location of the power mast so I am quite happy now.