I need to install some outlets in my garage. What do I need to worry about as far as code? I plan on installing at least two 120v outlets, probably on the same circuit. I'll be running a miter saw, a drill press (eventually), a bench grinder, and who knows what else. Do you think a 20 amp breaker and 12 guage wire will be enough? If I run them on the same circuit, do they all have to be GFCI? How far from the floor do they have to be?

Any suggestions?

 

I would advise at least 2 110V, 20A GFCI circuits for recepticles and at least 1 110V, 15A circuit for lighting for ANY shop, no matter how small.

I would use 12 gauge wire for all. There is no need for 10 gauge, and I personally never use 14.

 

GotLift,
The way I read your post you are planning to instal two duplex recepticals. Meaning a total of four "plugs" total. If you are running a new circuit from your panel to your garage you might want to think about putting a bunch of outlets in still on the same circuit. As I understand, in a residential setting, you can have an unlimited number of outlets on the circuit. Naturally you can not be using them all at the same time. Why limit your options on where you can plugs stuff in. Space them out every 2, 4, 6 feet, whatever is easy to do. Having extentions cords running everywhere is ugly, dangerous, and a hassle.
With a few exceptions a 20amp/12 gauge setup is the biggest you will see unless your hooking up welders or electric heaters and then they should have a dedicated circuit. That will certainly run what you have listed and more. An air compressor on this circuit used at the same time with another tool might trip the circuit when it cycles on.
As for the other questions I'm not sure. I think garages now have to be on a GFCI and the recepticals may have to be 4 feet high. That may be local code though. I don't profess to be an expert but I'm sure others will chime in.
If you have the space in your breaker box follow kindstranger's advise and use a circuit for lights, and the garage door openers, on one circuit. That way when it night and you do trip the breaker you can still see.

Good luck!

 

Thanks guys,
I ran the lights on the original light circuit. My house was definitly built cheap. It had one 40W bulb for lighting, plus the garage door light. What a sin. I think it actually got darker when I turned the lights on... LOL. I needed a flashlight to find my Bronco in there...LOL.
I ran 4 double bulb florescent fixtures off the original circuit and I'm not even sure if the garage door is piggybacked off the lighting or not, but I've never tripped a breaker so I'm not worried.
250- I see your point about running multiple outlets. My only problem is that it is an outside wall and a pitched roof, so it will be difficult to run even one. I guess I should just tackle it and do it up right. I could cut the dry wall in a few places and run them every few feet. It would give me practice on repairing and taping drywall, which I've never done. If I had the cash i would rip all the drywall out and run the wiring and then insulate the garage too, but I'm not that ambitious yet. Maybe my next house, which will hopefully have a three car garage.

 

There is no real limit on height other than 18 inches from the floor if there are not gas appliances but up off the floor is good just in case of any vapors down near the floor. Most residential garages are required to be gfci anymore and it certainly wont hurt anything. The instructions come with the units and one protects the rest of the outlets running downstream from it. Here is a thought. Run a cable to the first box and get some steel boxes and mount them on the surface using conduit between them. Would save big on the drywall work. If you could find a little help or get it explained you could run a multi wire circuit, get 2 circuits with one wire. You would use a 12/3 with ground instead of a 12/2 It would take a 20A double pole breaker but give twice the available power. You would need 2 gfci units to do it though. You could even use wire-mold raceway to surface mount the wire too, I think they have it at Home Depot.

 

For future reference you can go purchase a CABO-R-4 or a BOCA-R-3 which should list all of the building codes. If your going to do a lot of major repairs or add on's without permit's (like most people) it helps if you at least do it up to code. In the event you go to sell your home, everything you have done meets code and you won't have a list a mile long of things to fix. Some home inspectors are real good these day's. Just a thought.

 

You could use 12/2 or 12/3 amored (BX) cable to run your plugs on the drywall surface and screw surfaced mounted boxes to the studs. Use steel covers instead of the plastic type, more durable in a workshop enviorment. You can also run receptical strip and add 4 or 5 'convenience outlets' to your workshop branch circuit. The strips come in one foot increments starting at 2 feet up to 6". Outlets are single receptical and are totally moveable anywhere along the strip, come in white or ivory.

 

GotLift,
I certainly understand your hesitance in running the wire through outside walls. I recently installed a 240 volt heater. About 80 feet of stiff 10/2 wire from the circuit panel and up an interior wall and down an exterior wall. The exterior wall was O.K., only one hole to patch. But the interior wall was another story. Four separate holes in varying sizes. A lot of bracing behind the drywall for the kitchen cabinets on the other side. They are not yet patched yet. I'm planning on doing my suggestion of adding a bunch of outlets and have considered the rip it all out and replace it method but just can't justify it. But then I always seem to do thing the hard way.
I never thought of the conduit. I have a coworker, also a part time electician, who had done this in his garage. A sweet garage. Not better than some of the pics I've seen on this site but would probably out do about 95 percent of us. Everything in cabinets, painted floor, TV/stereo. yeah I'm kind of jealous. But he had everything in metal conduit and it looked really good. Not my stye but something for you to consider.
Don't knock your house based on the garage. Brand new upscale homes only have one light per bay and a few outlets. The majority of people don't need anymore than that.

 

Conduit is the way to go on this kind of install, and it's not very expensive (less than $2 per 10 foot section). If you do use conduit make sure you use the proper wire. You can't put the NM sheathed cable in conduit, you need the individual wires.

All you need for tools is a bender ($15-20) and a way to cut it (hacksaw, recip saw, cutoff tool, etc).

 

I'm thinking this is the easiest and cheapest way to go. So I can get a box extender for my existing outlet and run the entire circuit from that outlet? I figure I'll put 3 or 4 boxes with 4 outlets each (double gang), including my existing outlet for a total of 16-18 outlets. Is this safe and up to code?

Thanks for all the advice. I knew I could count on the experts here for direction.

 

Yes, it is legal but for a garage it is limiting your power severly. I would want another couple of circuits, you can get 2 circuits with one cable. As was mentioned its nice to keep tools and lights on seperate circuits. http://forum.doityourself.com/forumd....php?forumid=9 http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/
http://www.handymanwire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php
Here is 3 wiring forums similar to this one.

 

I got it done! It looks great. I added 8 outlets. The only problem I ran into was the extension box on the original outlet. The GFCI is a tight fit so the cover doesn't fit flush to the box. The GFCI is so wide that it hits the conduit end (coupler??) on the inside of the box. It's safe, no shorting, but I'm worried about what an inspector may say when I sell the house. Is that normal? seems like it should have fit.

 

Yes the GFCI not quite fitting is a "normal" problem. Not correct but common. The inspector will not be happy with it. I suggest a short run of conduit to a double box and mount the GFCI in that box and put a blank cover on the original extended box. The code contains maximum fill allowances for boxes that take into account the number of wires, devices, entrances into the box and connections. I suspect that your installation, with the GFCI in the extended box will not meet that max fill requirement.

 

I'm not an electrician, but I did just wire my new shop with a 100A service. I went through all of the code and inspection hoops (of course). The inspector said I did a really good job, but I got dinged on several items.

I had two GFCI recpticles that over crowded the 3.25" deep boxes. So, I installed 3.25" deep 2 gang boxes with a single outlet cover. That took care of that.

The inspector looked to see that .25 to 1.0 inches of romex sheath extended into the boxes. He was particular about that.

The inspector liked that I taped all the switches, recepticles and wire nuts. An electrician could get away without doing this, but it gave him confidence in me to see that I went through the effort. But of course, he untaped a bunch to see that they were wired corectly, neatly, and safely. Incidently, he said that using the quick connect holes in recpticles would not pass his inspection.

The inspector liked that all of the stud holes had nail guards already up.

The inspector liked that I used 12/2 or 12/3 wire on all 15 and 20 amp circuits. It isn't necessary for 15 amp circuits, but he liked it anyway.

The outlets along the sides were mounted at 30" off the ground. He said they were a "little low" for his prefrence, but he ok'd it. He was super nice, but is known by the builders in my neighborhood (lots of new construction) as a "hard butt". I have no problem with that.

 

As long as we're on the subject...does anyone know of a good online reference that shows how to add circuits to a panel? I'm reasonably proficient with wiring (45 years old and still alive) but the breaker panel is something I've avoided. Now I'd like to add some wiring to the garage. I'll probably have to run surface conduit, since the garage is sheet-rocked, and the panel is next to a stud, so access might be a little tough. Any help?

Thanks...