ITT: BCM installs 220v in my garage. Electricians GTFIH!!!!

[The Shaolin]

So, I just moved into a single story house and I want to run a 220v, 30a circuit to my garage for a heater and welder (one at a time).

The garage is attached, but there is a breezeway between the garage and house (with no basement under it).

Here's what the wiring looks like.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/Wiring1.jpg

Main feed from outside feeds a 100a box.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxA1.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxA2.jpg

Which feeds a 60a sub panel, through the basement.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxB1.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxB2.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxB3.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxB4.jpg

Some wires run up, into the floor, through the attic, and down to a few different places in the garage. There's this box thing...
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxC1.jpg
F-Feed from Subpanel B
1 - runs to an outlet
2 - ceiling light, two garage door openers, ceiling outlet
3 - runs to an outlet
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/BoxC2.jpg

One corner of the garage (Designated G1 in the first picture) used to have a bathroom installed. They ripped the wall out and just left the outlet dangling.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/Garage1.jpg
And the back wall of the garage has a few outlets. (G2)
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/schlawin/Garage%20Project/Garage2.jpg






Now, for the fun part.

I bought 25 feet of 10-4 armored cable, a 30a 220v breaker, and a 30a 220v outlet and box. I just got out of the attic and it's a fucking mess up there. After that, I'd much rather try to use some of the existing wiring, rather than try to pull wire vertically through the whole house. That would really not be fun.




So, what do you think? What information do you need to walk me through this? What's my best option from here?

[-stew-]

ITT someone gives their insurance adjuster a chance to type up this letter:



Dear Mr. the Shaolin,


We are sorry for your recent structure fire, and the resulting loses. Unfortunately we are unable to cover these loses do to you choosing to ask random strangers on the interwebs how to do electrical work on your home instead of having a trained and licensed professional make upgrades to your home in a safe, and code compliant manner.


Signed,

Mayhem, Flo, the gecko, and the black dude with the cool voice.

[The Shaolin]

That was helpful. Thanks.

[-stew-]

That was helpful. Thanks.


http://www.brandstoke.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/allstate-mayhem.jpg

You're welcome.

[The Shaolin]

Hahahahaa

[brotherbenn83]

Makes me feel lucky that my house came with a 200A panel and a 60A sub in the garage with 220v. Sorry, I have nothing constructive to add.

[BoosTT]

Awesome.

[WickedSix]

Ask Nismodave (Electrician) to come over and help you out.... any advice I give would likely be not code compliant... ponykillr (elec enginerd) could point you in the right direction as well

[PonyKiller87]

I think you were on the right track, run the armored cable from a 30A circuit breaker in the sub panel, up the wall, over the breezeway and into the garage. Once your in the garage I would switch to conduit and drop down to an outlet on the wall. Make sure you anchor everything well enough.

I wouldn't attempt to use the existing wire to the garage because its most likely only #12s rated for 20A.

Your other option would be to run 60A wire from the sub panel, to a new sub panel in the garage, then refeed all of the garage stuff from there rather than the box that you currently have. This would give you more flexiblity down the road.

[LIL EVO]

I thought armored cable was only for commercial? Its always romex or conduit for resi stuff

[PonyKiller87]

Generally commercial wiring products are acceptable in residential but residential usually isn't allowed in commercial. AC (arrmored cable) is ok in resi, but romex is not ok in comm.

The nice part about the AC is you can fish it up through a wall and you don't have to rip the wall open to put in supports. Just make sure you strap / staple / something to support it within 12" of every elec box and every 4.5' after that. And if the cable runs within 6' of the entrance to the attic i needs to have guard strips installed over the cable where ever it goes over a joist within that 6'

Personally I would get some 60A AC, disconnect the existing garage wires and use them to pull the new AC through. Then drop in a new 60A panel in the garage and refeed the existing junk and connect your new outlets. Then you could even run your heater and welder at the same time.

[nismodave]

Throw me a PM if you like, but I would not be able to go look at it until Next week THU. Going out of town.

[Reverend Cooper]

Gotta be honest Stew is fuckin funny

[PonyKiller87]

Gotta be honest Stew is fuckin funny

He is right though, lol. If your not an electrican or at least have a decent knowledge of electrical installation you should have someone that knows what there doing tackle this. Even if you know what your doing, I would still have an electrican look it over once your done just to make sure you didn't screw anything up. Thats one that an insurance company would easily catch in a fire investigation and turn down a claim.

[The Shaolin]

Thanks guys. PM'ed Nismodave.

[wrath]

String new conductor (preferably #6 through conduit in the attic) to the garage.

Don't daisy-chain panels. It's a Bad Idea (TM) especially since you don't know if some HVAC guy pretending to be a perfeshional put it together. It's pretty obvious that the first round was either done by someone with a license or was original. The rest was done by at least one other person, maybe two.

When was the house re-wired?

[The Shaolin]

No idea. I moved in 3 weeks ago. Renting from someone who bought it 2 years ago.

[MyP71Vic]

I am in the process of replacing lines as well cause half the outlets in our house are all on 1 breaker. Don't you love it when things are built wrong and you get to fix it! I second running an all new line to it then adding another box to run from for everything else. It is better to do it right the first time and not have to worry about it then to do it the easy way.
-Nick