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Electrician referral - adding 240v to garage


everlight44

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Anyone have an electrician they recommend? I'd like to add a 240v outlet.

 

The fuse box is in the garage with open slots. I know how to wire in 240v (double fuse, 2 hot wires, one ground), but there is no main power switch to turn off the fuse box. I think that the main power off switch is not required since it is not indoors, and it does not strike me as a good idea to work on any kind of live wires.

 

As far as I care the 240v outlet can be right next to the fuse box in order to require minimal drywall / cable routing.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Sean

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The breaker feeding the garage panel should be in your main panel (probably in the basement). It'll be a two-pole breaker, likely 30, 50, or 60 amps. Since you're already going to be in there, adding a service disconnect just in front of the garage panel wouldn't be a bad idea, and isn't particularly expensive, either.
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Mine in the garage is the same way. I have some push button box. Also, there are two lines coming off the bottom of my meter. If I cut power to the house with the main breaker in the basement, the garage power stays on.
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Breakers... sorry said the wrong thing.

 

If you are comfortable, wire in the circuit to the breaker out of the box, keep the breaker turned off, pop it in the box and turn it on. Bam, no need to turn the main off. I do it this way all the time if I can't get the main off or don't want to interrupt service.

 

I find it hard to beleive there isn't a way to turn off the whole box, but wiring to it with it on isn't that bad just don't touch the hot parts.

Yeah, it has to be fed from somewhere, just need to find where it's fed from.

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I rewired multiple houses without calling to have the meter pulled. Didn't feel like waiting around for their 7-10 day window to cut, then another 7-10 days to restore service. Insulated ladder, electrician gloves and common sense FTW.
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I rewired multiple houses without calling to have the meter pulled. Didn't feel like waiting around for their 7-10 day window to cut, then another 7-10 days to restore service. Insulated ladder, electrician gloves and common sense FTW.

 

My dad (a journeyman electrican at one time, now in sales) pulled the meter himself when wiring my uncle's generator. He had full arc flash gear on, but no issues :fuckyeah:

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My dad (a journeyman electrican at one time, now in sales) pulled the meter himself when wiring my uncle's generator. He had full arc flash gear on, but no issues :fuckyeah:

 

Yeah, if you know what you are doing and have the proper gear, its no big deal.

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This thread is full of win/lols. :lol:

 

RIP everlight44 - we hardly knew ye. Tombstone will read "novice shadetree electrician"

 

Indeed, negating the possibility of shocking myself would be ideal.

 

I searched nearby rooms looking for a main box but did not locate any. We are in a condo so perhaps it is shared somewhere... quite inconvenient.

 

My other option is to borrow the dryer outlet that is just inside the door to the house, but the type of outlet is different (angled plugs vs. horizontal)

 

 

Thanks for the replies. My little welder won't show up for a little while so I have some time to wire in the outlet.

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.........

 

My other option is to borrow the dryer outlet that is just inside the door to the house, but the type of outlet is different (angled plugs vs. horizontal).......

 

You can just make an extension cord with the two different plugs if you want to go that route. Or cut the plug off the welder and put on an angled one if the cord is long enough.

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Explain this to me a little more...... your in a condo right? It has a detached garage that goes with this condo? And the garage has its own electrical panel in it? Is there multiple garages attached to yours or is it stand alone?

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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You can just make an extension cord with the two different plugs if you want to go that route. Or cut the plug off the welder and put on an angled one if the cord is long enough.

 

This may be what I wind up doing. Thank you

 

Our condo has an attached garage and is connected to 3 other condos. I'm unsure where any kind of main breaker box would be, as it is not in our condo anywhere.

 

Here's a picture of the inside in case there is something I am missing.

 

http://i.imgur.com/AqmGrMq.jpg?1

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I am not an electrician, I just play one while I'm in my own house.

 

That is a main lug panel. You must have a service disconnect somewhere; most panels have the service disconnect built in i.e. main breaker. The service disconnect is probably built into the meter box. If the service line runs more than a certain distance in the building, there must be a service disconnect outside; the usually 'rule' is 5 feet.

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6147ZwXpx7L._SL1500_.jpg

 

There is probably a place the power comes to your set of condos and there is a bigger version of that with 4 meters and 4 disconnects.

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So thats the panel you are trying to shut off??? More than likely the main breaker is at the end of the building on a meter pack (a bank of meters for all the units) your number should be on one of the breakers.

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160522/419d40336e4fd1703df45dd2ce59fad1.jpg

 

Its more than likely something like above, at least thats what we used to install for our multifamily buildings.

 

Under the little black tab id a breaker, they should have labeled each one for the unit numbers, sometimes the numbers are under the lids.

 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

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