Anyone else havd/had their garage wired like this?

[Porcupine]

Hi All,

Anyone else have their garage powered by one 20 amp breaker with 14 gauge wiring used for all 15a recepticles, switches and lights, not to mention the same breaker used to power the recepticles on the exterior of the house and the light post on the front yard?

This seems to be common practice in our neighbourhood, houses are 24 years old.

Having an electrician come look at things tommorow, possibly planning a new panel (original panel 24 years old, no room left), and more recepticles in the garage. GOing to have him bring everything up to code.

I have issue with one breaker controlling so much, especially with 14 gauge wiring. I want outside recepticles on one breaker, the lights in the garage on another, and the recepticles on the inside of the garage on their own as well.

 

[KCarGuy]

Thats how my old garage was wired also.
My new garage, I ran new cables from the house to the garage, installed a breaker panel, (or sub panel) now i run 8 different breakers.
Off of a 60 amp breaker from the house.

 

[nate379]

Sure, many garage like that minus the 14 guage on a 20 amp breaker.

Against popular "belief" on here you don't need 400amp service to your garage with a 80 space panel

 

[Alchymist]

When we bought our FHA foreclosure, the garage was fed with 12-2 Romex stretched overhead between house and garage, and just fed under the sheet steel trim at the garage. It ran surface mounted along the house porch ceiling, then thru a hole in the roof to come out under the steel trim. (Both garage and house roof are metal). Inside garage was a rat's nest of wiring with outlets in goofy places, along with a fused disconnect for the underground run to a barn 100 feet away. There was also an underground run from the same disconnect to an outlet on a post next to what had been a pool. Both underground runs were good old Romex. Light switch for the far bay was on the back wall opposite the door. And the breaker in the house panel for all this was one side of a 30 amp 220 breaker. Needless to say there is now a 100 A subpanel fed with #4 copper underground from the new 200 amp service in the house.

 

[mrb]

When we bought our FHA foreclosure, the garage was fed with 12-2 Romex stretched overhead between house and garage, and just fed under the sheet steel trim at the garage. It ran surface mounted along the house porch ceiling, then thru a hole in the roof to come out under the steel trim. (Both garage and house roof are metal). Inside garage was a rat's nest of wiring with outlets in goofy places, along with a fused disconnect for the underground run to a barn 100 feet away. There was also an underground run from the same disconnect to an outlet on a post next to what had been a pool. Both underground runs were good old Romex. Light switch for the far bay was on the back wall opposite the door. And the breaker in the house panel for all this was one side of a 30 amp 220 breaker. Needless to say there is now a 100 A subpanel fed with #4 copper underground from the new 200 amp service in the house.

huh? #4 copper is only good for 85 amps....

 

[Alchymist]

huh? #4 copper is only good for 85 amps....

Aha ...you assumed because it was a 100 amp subpanel the main panel breaker was 100 amp? Nope - it's a 60 amp. Had the 60 on hand, (actually removed from the old house panel where it was feeding a #10 wire). 60 is plenty for now, and I can always replace with a 70 or 80 amp if needed.

 

[Porcupine]

Well, after speaking with the electrician, he recommended that two circuits be run out to the garage and that there be seperate feeds for the outside recepticles. He is also going to check (when he comes back) the existing panel for any safety and loading issues.

Next month he will be back to do the job. Until then, I have some more work ahead of me (taking down more drywall, etc).

 

[Alchymist]

Is the garage attached or separate?

 

[darkk]

This is how mine is wired...

 

[Porcupine]

The garage is attached.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

Have the electrician tighten you up with something like a 100a subpanel fed by a 60a breaker off the main panel....Metal conduit and boxes on the walls will leave you all kinds of options for adding circuits, 220v for welders/compressors, and lighting additions

 

[Porcupine]

We only have 100 amp service. The electrician said we still have room in our panel and that it did not have to be changed. All houses built in this area have the same service. He did mention we could put in a subpanel in order to add additional room but we still had slots left on the original panel.