Adding lines from existing panel..overload?

[DJ_Schmo]

Hey guys,

I don't have so much as a clue when it comes to electrical service so I'm hoping I explain this properly.

My house has 100A service. The panel has 10 empty slots. I have a dishwasher, W/D, stove, refrigerator and central air (furnace and water heater are gas). My garage is attached and has as best I can tell no dedicated circuits to it. There are two plugs (one in the ceiling where the opener plugs in and one GFCI on a wall) but according to the panel the circuit is shared with my family room.

I would like to have 2 220 lines ran (compressor and electric heater) as well as 3 standard lines for extra outlets in the garage. My thought was 1 line for each wall and have a hard wired power bar for each.

All this said I have two questions:

1: Will my current service/panel support what I want?

2: I'm aware garage plugs must be GFCI. Is a GFCI breaker safe as well as code sufficient or do I need to scrap the power bars and go to individual GFCI outlets?

Thanks!

 

[pattenp]

You should be okay adding the circuits you stated. If you happen to overload the main, the worst will be it trips. Just use common sense when powering up a bunch of high amperage stuff. Such as running the dryer while baking a cake while running the compressor while the electric heater is going.

The GFCI breakerss are fine to use, just more expensive than the GFCI outlets. Only one GFCI outlet is needed to protect all down stream outlets on a circuit.

 

[DJ_Schmo]

You should be okay adding the circuits you stated. If you happen to overload the main, the worst will be it trips. Just use common sense when powering up a bunch of high amperage stuff. Such as running the dryer while baking a cake while running the compressor while the electric heater is going.

The GFCI breakers are fine to use, just more expensive than the GFCI outlets. Only one GFCI outlet is needed to protect all down stream outlets on a circuit.

This is awesome to hear! Thank you!

Now I have to research what wire/breakers/etc I need to get and learn how to SAFELY do the hookups and runs. My panel is on the back wall of the house and I have attic access all the way across so this should be fairly straightforward.

 

[justsam]

Depending on the length of run to your existing panel to the attached garage, you may want to consider establishing a small subpanel in the garage. You would then feed your garage circuits from there.

 

[pattenp]

Consider adding a sub-panel in the garage instead of running a bunch of separate circuits from the other side of the house.

justsam just beat me to the punch.

 

[DJ_Schmo]

Running a subpanel is looking like the best option. Its less wiring to run and if something overloads the whole house isn't shutting down. I may just bite the bullet on this one and call a pro.

Thanks again for the help guys!

 

[sberry]

You have to consider adding the electric heat, that can be an issue. The rest of it wont add much load.

 

[volleyball]

don't install gfci breakers in the house for the garage. Either outlets in garage or sub panel.
I vote panel. Then if you add stuff, you won't have to open the walls again.

 

[justsam]

don't install gfci breakers in the house for the garage. Either outlets in garage or sub panel.
I vote panel. Then if you add stuff, you won't have to open the walls again.

I am a recent convert to GFCI breakers in the panel.
Before changing I had a GFCI just outside my garage, which was closest to the panel, and it would occasionally trip I suspect just due to environmental conditions. Of course being closest, it fed other outlets inside the garage.

I had another LINE/LOAD outlet that wound up being directly behind a large file cabinet, however it had no tripping issues.

After reading some here, I replaced both with GFCI breakers. Now very easy to get to, centrally located, etc. It was a little weird wiring neutral through a breaker however!

Seems like it might even be a little safer in that if there is any weird wiring or insulation breakdown, it is protected from the feed source forward, not just after the first outlet. (I know, very unlikely)

Cost is a little more than outlets, Siemens QP were $35.

 

[volleyball]

Reason is you would have to leave garage, go in house, down to basement or where ever it is