Romex in Garage and Stranded in Loft

[Sumboodie]

A 600SqFt loft needs 100A? Wadda ya doin' up there, mining bitcoin? LOL

Honestly though, I haven't had a breaker pop from lightning since I was a child. I don't know if modern breakers are just better now, or if grounding is better, or what. But I have literally never tripped a breaker in my adult life without overloading it or shorting it.

My 1 bed apartment is all powered off the dryer's 20 amp 240v circuit . Can't run the dryer and anything high load at the same time... like the microwave, hot plate, vacuum cleaner, etc.

 

[Sumboodie]

That's one way of looking at it, but if this is a living space he needs AFCI's. I don't have any problems with all my AFCI's but my wife has something, perhaps an ol d heating pad, that will trip an AFCI. It's nice to walk over to the wall, take a painting down and flip the breaker.

Even she can do it whereas I don't see her in the panel outside at the meter.

In the 12 years I was in my old place, I had to replace the AFCI on the master bedroom twice.

First time, the breaker kept tripping while in the bathroom. Real fun being in the middle of a shower or pooping and it goes pitch black.

The last time was recently, when I was selling the place. If the lights were on in the bedroom and I turned the garage lights on, the AFCI for the bedroom would trip. It would also trip if I turned on a table lamp on a nightstand. The garage lights were on their own breaker, no connection to the bedroom. $48 for that stupid breaker and it about cost me the sale of the house. The buyer wanted an electrician to come in.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My 1 bed apartment is all powered off the dryer's 20 amp 240v circuit . Can't run the dryer and anything high load at the same time... like the microwave, hot plate, vacuum cleaner, etc.

Huh? A dryer circuit is 30a not 20a

 

[pb014]

Ha! you have my same exact Craftsman table saw complete with the Visegrip.

 

[lake marine]

Ha! you have my same exact Craftsman table saw complete with the Visegrip.

Hhahahahah!! Ive looked all over for a crank handle for that old workhorse!!!

 

[GMaze21]

36X24 garage with a ~600 sqft livable space loft (plan a small kitchenette, full bath and living area. I'm getting an estimate from a retired electrician to do the service hookup and install 200A panel. He'll also install one light, three way switch at the two entry doors and receptacle for the garage door. Once it is inspected/signed off I plan to do the remaining electrical myself. I mentioned to the electrician I planned to put a 100A panel in the loft for that area so that one wouldn't have to root through the garage to reset a breaker if ever need to. He disagreed and recommended running a single 1 3/4" conduit up to the loft containing enough stranded wire pairs for the switches outlets and mini split etc. and leaving the circuits in the main panel in the garage.
He also said if it were wired properly you should never need to reset a breaker. I said what about a lightning storm and he just shrugged.
Any opinions on his suggestion?
Thanks LM

Did you end up finishing the loft? Would you be willing to share some photos of it? Thanks!

 

[lake marine]

Did you end up finishing the loft?

Not finished but plodding along. Wiring and insulation finished and hope to ave drywall delivered this week and then hopefully have it installed next. There are a few more photos on progress in the mini split post.
I did not install a sub-panel or do any of that stranded the electrcian mentioned which now seems like a year ago. I pulled form the garage panel - ran 8 circuits and now have a total of 4 open slots in the 30 slot panel and i dont have plans to add anything more! The hardest part was drilling up through the top plates then down through the bottom plate and getting the holes to line up. It wasn't bad and was able to route in a very clean path then in the attic pace on running boards tothe circuit locations. I'm not sure if I should have insulated above the panel like I did Ive never done it before but I can find a lot of info on that. I plan to remove it and put a scrap piece of clear lexan i have over to protect it. The electrician who installed the panel did not insulate behind it or the penetration and it is quite drafty.

 

[Norcal]

Why was UF cable used? And why was the main left at the top when the feeder entered near the bottom leaving a lot of unnecessary wire clutter in the panel gutter?

 

[lake marine]

Why was UF cable used?

For the HVAC I had a lot of #10 UF that I wanted to use up. For the loft stove I used 8/3 UF becasue it was $3 per foot vs $6.28 per foot for NM. As to the feeder I cant say why the retired electrician ran it that way and it was a pita.

 

[mike93lx]

Why was UF cable used?

Some people are into torture and rough stuff. No kink shaming here

 

[acer66]

If the panel in pic2 and 5 are the same
is the receptacle below it still there?

 

[lake marine]

Oops. Yes - I put that in for temp outlet while I worked and plan to install a WR exterior outlet in that corner in its place. Thanks for pointing that out…I guess I’d realise it was behind insulation eventually!