Garage outlet layout

[BigChevy80]

I'm usually pretty fluent with wiring, but I just wanted to get your guys' opinion. I have the wiring for my garage outlets running horizontal in EMT on the walls of my garage. There are 3 outlets on each sidewall of the garage, 4 on the end wall and 1 up above the garage door opener (total of 11 outlets). The power to the circuit comes in the rear of one of the boxes that is right in front of the fuse panel and runs out either side of that box to the rest.

Right now I have them all running off the same 20 amp circuit and I know that is inadequate, but I just ran it that way for now to get the outlets working for the door opener and the fridge. I haven't had any problems tripping the breaker so far, but I know once I start using heavier equipment in the garage I will want to beef up the electrical.

Would it make sense to use a 20 amp double pole (240v) breaker and running half the outlets on one leg and the other half on the other leg? I've heard that some kitchen outlets use this kind of power supply but couldn't find any info on Google. Or would I be better off running 2 separate 20 amp breakers? Is it even legal to have 2 separate circuits in the same conduit?

Thanks for any advice...

 

[MXtras]

You want two separate breakers. Yes - it is legal to run two circuits in the same conduit per NEC. You are limited to the quantity of current carrying conductors in conduit based on numerous varibles including fill % and wire type used.

The comment about kitchen electrical is somewhat misleading. Many stoves will use one leg of the 220 to supply 110 to the controls. This is done inside the appliance - not from the breaker, and there is some specific requirement with the neutral(s) although I cannot recall the details. The appliance is fed from a 2 pole, 220 volt breaker with a single 220 connection at the appliance. It is done for convenience to the consumer.

Scott

 

[BigChevy80]

The comment about kitchen electrical is somewhat misleading. Many stoves will use one leg of the 220 to supply 110 to the controls. This is done inside the appliance - not from the breaker, and there is some specific requirement with the neutral(s) although I cannot recall the details. The appliance is fed from a 2 pole, 220 volt breaker with a single 220 connection at the appliance. It is done for convenience to the consumer.

Thanks for the input Scott. I won't have to change the wiring in the outlets at all. I'll just have to power one side with the current 20A breaker and then run a second wire into the same box to power the other side from a second 20A breaker.

As far as kitchen electrical goes, I wasn't referring to a stove supplying 120 volts. I was referring to a certain setup where half of the kitchen's outlets are fed from one leg of the breaker and the other half feeds the other outlets. I have also seen where they feed one side of a duplex outlet with one leg and the other with the other leg (the connecting tab is broken out). Is this up to code or am I just crazy?

The bedrooms in my house are from a 15 amp 2 pole breaker. One side of the breaker feeds one bedroom and the other side feeds another. I don't really know why they did it like this, but that is what got me thinking.

 

[CraigFL]

When I did my garage outlets, I put one at 18" high and one at 60" high above it. In my garage, the 18" high one is not used a lot because it's covered...

 

[tdkkart]

There are 3 outlets on each sidewall of the garage, 4 on the end wall and 1 up above the garage door opener (total of 11 outlets). The power to the circuit comes in the rear of one of the boxes that is right in front of the fuse panel and runs out either side of that box to the rest.

Would it make sense to use a 20 amp double pole (240v) breaker and running half the outlets on one leg and the other half on the other leg? I've heard that some kitchen outlets use this kind of power supply but couldn't find any info on Google. Or would I be better off running 2 separate 20 amp breakers? Is it even legal to have 2 separate circuits in the same conduit?

Thanks for any advice...

Although there may not be anything specifically excluding wiring all the outlets in one space on a single circuit, having them seperated most often works out to be a matter of convenience. Just sure as hell you'll be working on something that requires shutting down the power to one side of the room and still need power for tools etc. I prefer to see them split into at least 2 or more circuits per space/room if possible.
Often times adjacent rooms are split so that the exterior wall receptacles in each room are on one breaker, interior walls on another. Lighting of course on another.

In a split outlet situation it certainly make sense to have the circuits connected to a double pole 220v breaker. If the two circuits are on seperate breakers you can turn off one and still have live wires in each box, bad idea.

 

[pmiranda]

If you know you're going to keep a fridge in a certain location for a while, I'd give it it's own breaker so that a trip on something else won't ruin all your food.

 

[383-S-10]

I just wired up my garage, used the mini blade breakers (fit two circuts in one slot on the breaker board). I got mine at HomeDepot, it saves a bunch of room and keeps them organized better (in my opinion at least).

I wouldn't see why you would use a 220V breaker, rather run mini blades..

 

[Charles (in GA)]

As far as kitchen electrical goes, I wasn't referring to a stove supplying 120 volts. I was referring to a certain setup where half of the kitchen's outlets are fed from one leg of the breaker and the other half feeds the other outlets. I have also seen where they feed one side of a duplex outlet with one leg and the other with the other leg (the connecting tab is broken out). Is this up to code or am I just crazy?

You are referring to a "multi-wire" circuit as described in NEC 210.4 The two hots must be on opposing sides (electrically, meaning opposite phases) of the panel board buss, and the two breakers must have the handles tied together, meaning you use a double pole breaker as intended for 240v.

This was the subject of some recent discussion here and in the Free Parking forum.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Loads are calculated at 180 VA per strap or yoke, so on a 15 amp breaker, you could have 10 receptacles max, and on a 20 amp breaker, you could have 13 receptacles max. But this is too many for a shop or garage. Generally I have three receptacles on a breaker, I used four inch boxes with two receptacles next to each other, on separate CB's and separate neutrals and separate grounds too).

Charles

 

[crazyboy]

You are referring to a "multi-wire" circuit as described in NEC 210.4 The two hots must be on opposing sides (electrically, meaning opposite phases) of the panel board buss, and the two breakers must have the handles tied together, meaning you use a double pole breaker as intended for 240v.

This was the subject of some recent discussion here and in the Free Parking forum.

Charles

This is 100 percent correct, and if you have space I'd probably try to give the fridge its own circuit.