Adding more power to garage?

[ps2cho]

I want to get more power into the garage so I can get 220v — I want to be able to run a mini split and a dedicated circuit for my air compressor and futureproof EV charger.

My breaker is unfortunately on the other side of the house…two story house -- (SLAB and attached garage)

What’s a “normal” procedure an electrician would do to get power into a garage on the other side of the house?

Trying to conceptualize logistically and see if this would be cost prohibitive…

 

[reader2580]

If the house has an unfinished basement the wire could be run through there. Another option would be to run through the attic.

 

[mike93lx]

Attached garage?

Entirely depends on the house's construction. Slab, crawl space, basement, attic. All change the approach

Don't be afraid of cutting some drywall. It's an easy repair.

Plan on a subpanel. A #2 aluminum feeder (SER) could get you up to 90a

 

[ps2cho]

sorry should I have -- SLAB. Attached garage

 

[sparky 1971]

Two story on a slab, panel on the opposite side. Nightmare. If the panel is on the outside wall, come out the back, LB down, grab a shovel and get busy. You could also run conduit around the outside but it will look like ****.

 

[mike93lx]

Either a shovel or a drywall knife are in your future

Have any attic access? Could go up and over

 

[Skellyii]

Doesn't sound like fun.

Get a couple of qualified folks out and get an estimate. they'll give you options.

 

[Mikes61]

I had the same issue needing to get 1/0 wire from one side of my house where the breaker box is, to the other side where the garage is. My house is a 1 story so it was fairly easy.

Im sure the neighbors heard the yelling back and forth with me and my teenage stepdaughter. She was standing at the breaker box with 100 ft of the 1/0 wire ( about 1” round ) and me in the attic trying to pull the wire while she pushed from the outside.

My recommendation would be to hire it out. You could break open the stucco, if you have stucco on the outside, or put a trim piece over the wire on the outside of the house and paint it to match the house.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

If you cant bring it up into the attic and across, only other option is to dig around the perimeter and lay the conduit.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Either a shovel or a drywall knife are in your future

Have any attic access? Could go up and over

Conduit on the outside of the house.

 

[sweetk30]

look up EV chargers . they pull a LOT of amps for longer times that kitchen stoves / clothing dryers .

 

[ps2cho]

I may have found a pass through area through a covered porch that gives me an avenue in.

If I am successful, would it make sense to buy the wire and run it myself to both ends, then have an electrician do the actual subpanel and hookups since I don’t have that experience, or just have them do the whole thing?

What size wiring would make sense knowing I’d like to add an EV charger down the road but day one 220v for air compressor and a mini split (20amp)

 

[Mikes61]

I may have found a pass through area through a covered porch that gives me an avenue in.

If I am successful, would it make sense to buy the wire and run it myself to both ends, then have an electrician do the actual subpanel and hookups since I don’t have that experience, or just have them do the whole thing?

What size wiring would make sense knowing I’d like to add an EV charger down the road but day one 220v for air compressor and a mini split (20amp)

If you can do the crappy part yourself you’ll save a lot of money. I think I paid a couple hundred bucks to have an electrician make the connections at both ends. It’s a two person job to snake that thick of wire through and around parts of your house. That would get expensive quick to pay an electrician for that.

Lay the big coil of wire in the sun before you get started.

You’ll need a breaker panel to put in the garage. Make sure you buy one that has a lot of extra space in it. You don’t need to use all the space but it would be a nightmare if you need to redo it in a few years because it’s full.

My run was about 100ft and I wanted to power a 50amp receptacle for my welder and plasma cutter so I used 1/0 wire. It has worked for me and I haven’t popped a breaker.

 

[ps2cho]

If you can do the crappy part yourself you’ll save a lot of money. I think I paid a couple hundred bucks to have an electrician make the connections at both ends. It’s a two person job to snake that thick of wire through and around parts of your house. That would get expensive quick to pay an electrician for that.

Lay the big coil of wire in the sun before you get started.

You’ll need a breaker panel to put in the garage. Make sure you buy one that has a lot of extra space in it. You don’t need to use all the space but it would be a nightmare if you need to redo it in a few years because it’s full.

My run was about 100ft and I wanted to power a 50amp receptacle for my welder and plasma cutter so I used 1/0 wire. It has worked for me and I haven’t popped a breaker.

I will have to have the wire run through some conduit to the get from the breaker box to the covered patio (about 8 feet), so with that in mind, what type of cable would be best?

I want to be sure after all the work to run a cable myself I get the exact correct one, as I will also need to remove a bunch of drywall/wood panels to hang the cord up periodically along the run.

 

[larry_g]

I will have to have the wire run through some conduit to the get from the breaker box to the covered patio (about 8 feet), so with that in mind, what type of cable would be best?

I want to be sure after all the work to run a cable myself I get the exact correct one, as I will also need to remove a bunch of drywall/wood panels to hang the cord up periodically along the run.

When I did this I was in contact with my electrician and had him provide some guidance and provide the equipment. I was to trench in the conduit, mount the equipment, and in general do the manual labor and him provide his skills and knowledge where needed and I was uncomfortable doing. Get your agreement with your electrician before starting the project and lay out what she is doing and what your to do is.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ps2cho]

When I did this I was in contact with my electrician and had him provide some guidance and provide the equipment. I was to trench in the conduit, mount the equipment, and in general do the manual labor and him provide his skills and knowledge where needed and I was uncomfortable doing. Get your agreement with your electrician before starting the project and lay out what she is doing and what your to do is.

lg
no neat sig line

I wasn’t sure if they’d basically give the knowledge for free and lose the “sale” but I guess I can ask!

 

[yatg]

I will have to have the wire run through some conduit to the get from the breaker box to the covered patio (about 8 feet), so with that in mind, what type of cable would be best?

above ground or under ground?

 

[strength_and_power]

I wasn’t sure if they’d basically give the knowledge for free and lose the “sale” but I guess I can ask!

Probably depends how you ask. Lol. If you take the, “I want to make your life easier” approach, you will get a better response than,” I don’t think you are worth what you charge” approach. That’s been my experience at least.

 

[larry_g]

I wasn’t sure if they’d basically give the knowledge for free and lose the “sale” but I guess I can ask!

When I said " provide the equipment " That means that I bought the subpanel and wire from the electrician. The knowledge was part of the deal weather it was free or hidden in the bill. I already owned a backhoe so the trenching was logical for me to do. Just be upfront with the electrician that you want to do the dumb labor and use him for his expertise.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[mike93lx]

look up EV chargers . they pull a LOT of amps for longer times that kitchen stoves / clothing dryers .

They can, but don't need to.

My father commuted 100+ miles a day on an EV with a 16a charger, and he didn't even plug in every day

 

[mike93lx]

I will have to have the wire run through some conduit to the get from the breaker box to the covered patio (about 8 feet), so with that in mind, what type of cable would be best?

I want to be sure after all the work to run a cable myself I get the exact correct one, as I will also need to remove a bunch of drywall/wood panels to hang the cord up periodically along the run.

Aluminum xhhw is what I would go for. Size dictated by the ampacity you want.

#4 would do 60a. #2 for 90a

Then you could transition to SER if it's protected from damage (like in a wall).

 

[Syberia]

I have two EVs (32a each) along with a welder, compressor, mini split, and small tankless water heater (5kw) on #2 AL and it's fine. The EVs charge at night when I'm not using the garage.

 

[75gmck25]

Electricians don't like working with unfamiliar or 2nd rate products, and if they provide the materials they also make profit on the markup. If you want to share the project and do work yourself, make sure the electrician fully agrees. After all, he/she is also the person who will pull the permit and be there for inspection.

A common choice to feed a sub-panel is 2-2-2-4 AL (aluminum) SER or Mobile Home Feeder (MHF) because its usually relatively cheap compared to other choices, and it will handle up to 90 amps to feed the sub-panel. If the entire path goes inside through your house (or attic) you would be able to use SER. If you have to bury it you would use MHF, and inside a building MHF needs to be in conduit.

EV charger circuits are considered a continuous load (draws current for more than 3 hours), so the circuit is derated to 80% of the breaker amps. For example, this means you would use a 60 amp breaker for a charger that draws 48 amps. Many current EV chargers draw 32 amps or less, so even a 40 amp breaker gets you what you need.

 

[CJ7VFR]

When I said " provide the equipment " That means that I bought the subpanel and wire from the electrician. The knowledge was part of the deal weather it was free or hidden in the bill. I already owned a backhoe so the trenching was logical for me to do. Just be upfront with the electrician that you want to do the dumb labor and use him for his expertise.

lg
no neat sig line

Agreed.

I know several electricians and they have all said they would much rather stay clean doing the actual electrical work than digging in the dirt to bury cable. So they were happy to shave some money off estimates and bills if someone else did the dirty jobs.

My dad, who was in the Navy, always said rank has its privilege when it comes to who digs the ditches and who stays clean. So as a kid, when I would be helping my dad, I dug all the ditches...

Jim