ok, so i'm not going to try to do it myself i was seeing if anyone can or knew of someone that could wire in a new service box. i may not get all of the terms here correct so forgive me.

basically we have 100 amp service right now and we're looking at adding on a garage. we want 220v service in the garage, but that would require 200 amp service correct?

so, can anyone do that for me for cheap? or know someone that can? bc that'd be awesome. my dad got a quote of around a grand to put in a new box and that sounded a little ridiculous to me. what all work does that include?

flame away

3/21/2006 5:13:29 PM

electrical work ain't cheap. 100amp service is all you need for the majority of stuff. just wire a 220v outlet out of it.

3/21/2006 5:16:08 PM

but dont fuck up.. 220 hurts..

3/21/2006 5:17:52 PM

my dad said our service right now can't handle another 220v outlet. i don't understand why tho. does anyone here know why that might be?

3/21/2006 5:19:41 PM

it more than hurts... shit can pretty easily kill you. i wouldn't reccomend screwing with it unless you shut down the main power and are positive you're wiring it correctly. i can help you out if you're talking about your house here.

i don't know why. 100amp should be plenty for most places. how old is the service to the house? it's possible you don't have 220v running in in the first place. doubtful though.

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 5:21 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2006 5:19:46 PM

we have 220 haha, and it would be running from our house out to the garage ~30-40 ft away from the house. i'm not going to screw w/ it at all. trust me.

3/21/2006 5:27:34 PM

where is the place at? i might could take a look at it for you sometime this week

the big problem depends on your service line. you probably have a 4 or 2 gauge feed for a 100 amp service. you need at least a 00 gauge feed for 150 amps, but preferably 0000 for 200. you're talking abour $6 a foot from your meter box to the panel, plus the costs from the power company for upgrading your service. add in about $2-300 for a 200a box and breakers, plus additional wiring.

what size is the house? electric baseboard, heat pump, or gas heat? electric or gas water heater? electric or gas stove and dryer? are you just out of breakers in your box? you can use half size 120v breaker to free up more spots, or run a 50a sub panel off of it. there are a lot of options, but wiring is like cars, its hard to figure out something if you havent seen it.

if all you need to do is wire in a garage 40 ft away with a 220 sub panel, you are looking at less than $300, plus outlets, switches and wiring, so say $450 out the door with less than a days worth of work

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 5:35 PM. Reason : blah]

3/21/2006 5:33:06 PM

^ you have a pm

and 1200 sq. ft. not sure on the heat, gas water heater, electric stove, dryer. i can find out more in a lil bit

3/21/2006 5:37:17 PM

Figure a couple hundred at least in parts. Breakers aren't cheap and Wire isn't that cheap either. Electrician has to be licensed and will have to call that in pay for his time, truck, insurance. Just call a few residential electricians and get quotes.

3/21/2006 10:40:54 PM

maybe in raleigh, but in joco as long as it passes inspection you don't have to use a licensed electrician

3/21/2006 10:53:18 PM

why dont you just go and check out a book about this shit from the library (i heard of this one at NCSU called DH HILL?) and do it your damn self!

3/21/2006 11:16:51 PM

good lord man, i was asking for advice or for someone who knew their shit to tell me what my options were.

i can/will probably go check that book out, but ultimately it's my dad's decision, not mine, and he likes things done "professionally"

so, thanks for your helpful input and i will go to this mysterious "DH HILL" if i can find it. i heard it's a myth

3/22/2006 12:26:25 AM

i think it is a myth. i mean, i never saw the inside of it.

is this for the place you live at now or in clt? like 69 said, at worst you should only have to wire in a new sub panel unless the house was wired years and years ago with smaller stuff (likely if it's the place you live here).

fwiw, my shop has 100amp service at the main box. i've got a sub panel in my area, as does the guy next door. i know i put some pretty heavy loads on all my stuff sometimes running tools, welder, heaters, stereo, lights, etc. all at the same time.

3/22/2006 12:32:23 AM

this is the house here. 69 said he'll come by tomorrow sometime, so i think he'll know a lil bit more ab it than me.

we've put some loads on ours too, running the welder, chopsaw, 3 grinders and a light.

3/22/2006 12:38:00 AM

I have some AC questions too, right now concerning wiring more light fixtures into an existing circuit in a garage. Currently there are 2 and I want to add 2 more. I am under the impression that flourescent lights draw so little amps that this wont be a problem.

?????

3/22/2006 10:29:46 AM

as long as they add up to under 15 amps your fine (under 12 is much better though), as most common house breakers are 15 amp

3/22/2006 12:04:54 PM

with the flourescent light question, with standard dual 40w fixtures, you can run 22 lights on one 15 amp circuit, 30 on a 20 amp, provided the switch is rated for that much, for dual 32 power savers, you can run 28 on a 15a, and 38 on a 20a. just make sure you dont put 40 watt bulbs in a fixture with power saver ballasts, it will burn them out.

my dads shop has three sets of 20 dual 40w lights on 15a circuits, but the switches are rated for 20 amps, because they are heavier duty and the contacts wont burn out as fast

3/22/2006 8:25:11 PM