Adding a 220VAC line

[355f1]

Hello,

I am new on this forum, retired and now living in Miami. I would like to start working on my car but the garage is too hot - the sun hits the garage door throughout the whole afternoon, it is an oven. I want to install a mini split AC which is 220VAC. The water heater is in the garage, it is also 208/240VAC. My question is, can I take a line from the water heater and connect it to a 15A or 30A amp breaker, depending on the AC's BTU, or do I have to run a separate 220V line through the attic? I do not see room in the electrical panel to add an extra breaker for the garage AC. Pease see attached photos.

Best regards,

Horacio

 

[Beemer533]

No, you can't do that.

Best bet would be to run a subpanel in the garage to run both the tank and the AC.

You would need to run a new larger wire for the subpanel though.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Welcome to GJ !

Yep, Beemer is right on.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Youre gonna need a subpanel like has been said.

But before u do that, u need to clean up that panel. Looks like a GE panel but youve got BR/Bryant, SQ D, Murray, and a few other brands in there.

If your panel is GE then all the non GE breakers need to be replaced!

 

[brewchief]

Youre gonna need a subpanel like has been said.

But before u do that, u need to clean up that panel. Looks like a GE panel but youve got BR/Bryant, SQ D, Murray, and a few other brands in there.

If your panel is GE then all the non GE breakers need to be replaced!

ITE panel based on the label.

I think I would have to consider a new panel and maybe run a subpanel to the garage at the same time for future upgrades.

 

[klassenl]

Call an electrician. He can save you time and money. Call an electrician.

 

[Norcal]

Youre gonna need a subpanel like has been said.

But before u do that, u need to clean up that panel. Looks like a GE panel but youve got BR/Bryant, SQ D, Murray, and a few other brands in there.

If your panel is GE then all the non GE breakers need to be replaced!

It is a ITE EQ loadcenter, based on the circuit directory is a early model 4-pole wide 200A main, ITE was the first to build them that way. Siemens is the successor to ITE, and IMO is the only replacement that should be used.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Youre gonna need a subpanel like has been said.

But before u do that, u need to clean up that panel. Looks like a GE panel but youve got BR/Bryant, SQ D, Murray, and a few other brands in there.

If your panel is GE then all the non GE breakers need to be replaced!

Or better yet upgrade your ge panel to something non ge.

 

[Hivolts]

Get a pro. It's not 220.. It's 240

 

[355f1]

Thanks a lot for the invaluable info, the house was built in 1968, I have no idea if the panel has ever been replaced by the previous owner(s), it looks original to me. I am very handy but it is more complicated than I thought and I will call an electrician to be safe.

Best regards,

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Either replace the panel or swap out all the non siemens/murray/ITE breakers for siemens/murray breakers...

 

[Norcal]

Either replace the panel or swap out all the non siemens/murray/ITE breakers for siemens/murray breakers...

There are only 6 non- ITE or Siemens breakers in that panel, some are original ITE Circuit Breaker Company, or ITE Imperial Corp designs.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I counted at least 8

 

[Norcal]

Still count only 6, the top 2-pole on the left side & the 2nd 2-pole on the right are the style of ITE breaker used when that panel was still in production.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What about the 3 twins on the right in spaces 5-7? And the one on the left in space 7? Looks like a different brand...

 

[Norcal]

ITE EQ-T breakers, I call them " pre-Gould" breakers as the Siemens and Murray breakers sold today came out in the late '70's when they were Gould/ITE.