Need 240V in the shop, is it already in this OLD panel box?
Hey guys...
I hope everyone is staying healthy in these trying times. here's the scene:
I have a detached metal shop building that is supplied with electrical power from the house about 50ft away through an underground conduit. The house was rewired with a new 200 amp service about 10 years ago(before I got here). I initially assumed the shop had only 110V going to it because there is only a small breaker panel in there supplying one outlet and one 4ft fluorescent overhead. However, I took a closer look at the main panel and sure enough there is a double breaker for the garage, just like the oven and dryer.
I cut the power to the garage and pulled the cover off this old box to see what was in there. This is an old GE "load center". There is indeed two hots coming in to the box, which unless I'm mistaken means 220/240v available. However, I'm a little lost on how to do that with this box. The 2 black wires run directly into the main breaker as you can see, then underneath there are four 120v breakers. The wiring into the garage is 10 gauge wire.
1. Do I want to even fool with this box?
2. Is getting 240V out of this box simply a matter of pulling 2 of the single breakers and installing a double, then wiring as appropriate?
3. The breaker for the garage in the main panel in the house is a 30 amp and so is the breaker on the subpanel in the garage. What dictates how "large" of a breaker you use on a branch like this?
This is what I want to do:
1. Install a 240V circuit for a compressor. I HAVE to have shop air going forward. I have 3 vehicles that need paint and body this year.
2. Add at least 2 more 110V outlets and relocate the existing outlet somewhere other than right next to the man door.
Here are some pictures. Thanks!
Hey guys...
I hope everyone is staying healthy in these trying times. here's the scene:
I have a detached metal shop building that is supplied with electrical power from the house about 50ft away through an underground conduit. The house was rewired with a new 200 amp service about 10 years ago(before I got here). I initially assumed the shop had only 110V going to it because there is only a small breaker panel in there supplying one outlet and one 4ft fluorescent overhead. However, I took a closer look at the main panel and sure enough there is a double breaker for the garage, just like the oven and dryer.
I cut the power to the garage and pulled the cover off this old box to see what was in there. This is an old GE "load center". There is indeed two hots coming in to the box, which unless I'm mistaken means 220/240v available. However, I'm a little lost on how to do that with this box. The 2 black wires run directly into the main breaker as you can see, then underneath there are four 120v breakers. The wiring into the garage is 10 gauge wire.
1. Do I want to even fool with this box?
2. Is getting 240V out of this box simply a matter of pulling 2 of the single breakers and installing a double, then wiring as appropriate?
3. The breaker for the garage in the main panel in the house is a 30 amp and so is the breaker on the subpanel in the garage. What dictates how "large" of a breaker you use on a branch like this?
This is what I want to do:
1. Install a 240V circuit for a compressor. I HAVE to have shop air going forward. I have 3 vehicles that need paint and body this year.
2. Add at least 2 more 110V outlets and relocate the existing outlet somewhere other than right next to the man door.
Here are some pictures. Thanks!
