Electrical Question

[rakesdl]

Hi Guy's; I have already built my garage and installed a Murry 100 amp breaker box with six breaker slots. Right now I have five of those filled with 110 (15amp) breakers. I am now wanting to install a 220 electric heater and need to make room for the 220 breaker, I was wondering if I would be able to subtract some of the 15 amp breakers by merging them into one breaker, such as the lights are on two different breakers and the 110 volt compressor is on it's own breaker. I think by combining the overhead lights to one breaker and the compressor to the receptacle breaker I could make room for the heater breaker. There are 6 8' foot fluorescent lights on one 15 amp breaker and then the compressor has it's own 15 amp breaker, what do you think.

 

[JBurgess]

..........

 

[Junkman]

Stop messing around with trying to make such a small panel work for you. What happens the next time you need another circuit. Bite the bullet, and change that panel out for a 20 breaker panel. It will probably cost you a few bucks, but the aggravation factor will be alleviated. Buy the same brand so you can reuse your old breakers.

 

[dwilliams35]

Stop messing around with trying to make such a small panel work for you. What happens the next time you need another circuit. Bite the bullet, and change that panel out for a 20 breaker panel. It will probably cost you a few bucks, but the aggravation factor will be alleviated. Buy the same brand so you can reuse your old breakers.

Big time: you can get a panel you need for about thirty bucks with extra breakers, and I think it's safe to say that it's a subpanel: it's not like you need to call in engineers to swap it out: just turn off the feeder main and change it.

 

[rakesdl]

Thanks Guy's This just proves that you should plan for upgrades when first building and not have to worry about these things later.

 

[Mattlt]

Pro's screw it up too. When we had our house remodeled, the sparky installed a sub-panel that was exactly the size needed for the new circuits - nothing extra. It was all done and installed before I noticed it. Probably should have made him swap it out.

 

[JakeD]

One additional complication from putting in a bigger box may be that the conductors are not long enough to reach. I had to cut down the conduit on mine to effectively extend the cables to reach the lugs in the new big box.

 

[Torque1st]

I wire all of my panels with a loop like the telephone guys. The wire always has a 3-4" loop below the breaker. It makes it real easy to change a breaker position, install a bigger box, or to clip on an ammeter.

 

[Aceman]

It was all done and installed before I noticed it. Probably should have made him swap it out.

Sure. It's your money.

 

[Dragster Racer]

I hate to see when contractors start with too small of a box. The parts are hardly any cost difference. Labor is about the same. Why not plan ahead.
But back to our story. I wouldn't see why combining the lights or going to the double breaker wouldn't work to get you out of your "current" fix. (sorry about that!)

 

[Torque1st]

#1 rule: Don't scrimp on the box, you will regret it later.

 

[Dragster Racer]

Those sound like wise words that can be used in other areas of life.

 

[Torque1st]

 

[nissan_crawler]

Stop messing around with trying to make such a small panel work for you. What happens the next time you need another circuit. Bite the bullet, and change that panel out for a 20 breaker panel. It will probably cost you a few bucks, but the aggravation factor will be alleviated. Buy the same brand so you can reuse your old breakers.

Agreed, I have a 20 breaker panel in a 20x24 garage, and have all but 4 or 5 slots used.

 

[rakesdl]

Update: Checked with local electrical store and found that they make a double breaker that will take the place of two of the 15amp slots, giving me the 30amp for the heater and still leaving me room for the amp light breakers. That will solve this problem, but when my wife accidental purchases my new Bend Pac lift I will have to replace the breaker box then, shhhh! don't tell her yet.