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Electricity...

1K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Dark Eternal 
#1 ·
Heres my issue. I have ONE plug in my garage that is on a already overloaded 15 amp breaker. I cant even get my compressor aired up before tripping it. There are NO open breakouts on my panel. Also remmeber im in an apartment.

Here is what I do have:
-a close 220 volt plug for the washer on dual 30 amp breakers

now what do you sugest I do? You think it would be possible to have an electrician somehow add a breaker - say a 20 amp just for the garage? How much would this cost me, you think thats a good idea in an apartment?You think I would be better off buying a 220 volt compressor? You think it would run on dual 30 amp breakers ok? I HAVE to have my compressor and also some electricity for other things like lights, grinder etc...
 
#3 ·
AFAIK an electrician would have to make a box separate from your main panel to add more circuits to, and it would probably have its own breaker in the main panel. This is where you would run everything in your garage off of. Thats how we have it in iowa. I don't know how many amps the service to your apartment is, it might be maxed out already, in which case you'd have to really be nice to your landlord to get that upgraded.
 
#4 ·
Whifflebat said:
AFAIK an electrician would have to make a box separate from your main panel to add more circuits to, and it would probably have its own breaker in the main panel. This is where you would run everything in your garage off of. Thats how we have it in iowa. I don't know how many amps the service to your apartment is, it might be maxed out already, in which case you'd have to really be nice to your landlord to get that upgraded.
yup, called a "sub-panel"

Dark - What I'd do based on what I know of your setup at this point is upgrade the dual 30A breakers in the main panel to something like dual 50's, then run a new length of 4 conductor 6ga out to the garage (I think thats what you'd need on a 50A breaker - going from memory here). Needs to be 4 cond. because there will be 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground.
This new cable would feed a small sub panel, you can get sub panels with various numbers of breaker capacitys. Out of this sub panel you can have a couple of 120v outlet and/or light circuits, a 240v circuit for the wash/dryer, and you could even have another 240v circuit for a compressor.

Certainly would be a nice upgrade and maybe the landlord would foot the bill (providing they approve of it), but it is for the betterment of the dwelling so I dont know why they wouldnt.
 
#6 ·
I think you're going to need an electrician to do an eval and sign off on the plan. If I remember right, electricity to multi-family buildings is based on a peak demand algorithm and budgeted for all units. If more of a fixed amount of power is diverted to your unit it has impacts on the remaining tenants. In addition, your landlord will want a bonded electricition to sign off on the work so that he has a place to go should any liabilities arise with electrical problems as the cause.
 
#7 ·
cbrxx said:
I think you're going to need an electrician to do an eval and sign off on the plan. If I remember right, electricity to multi-family buildings is based on a peak demand algorithm and budgeted for all units. If more of a fixed amount of power is diverted to your unit it has impacts on the remaining tenants. In addition, your landlord will want a bonded electricition to sign off on the work so that he has a place to go should any liabilities arise with electrical problems as the cause.
probably right. I asked about adding a 220 plug for a welder and thgey said no prob as long as someone who knows what they are doing will do it, so im hoping its ok.
 
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