My garage doesn't have enough outlets

I have way too much shit plugged in out in the garage and I need some help. It would be fun to complete a project without tripping the breaker and residential electricity is way outside my wheel house.

Does anybody here do this for a living? The house is in Roseville.

 

Very basic to run a dedicated line from your breaker, almost any electrician or decent handyman/neighbor could do in an about an hour.

 

I electrocuted myself putting up Christmas lights one year. Is it really that easy?

 

Ask away.

A simple version will be to run a new cable from the panel to where you want the receptacles. You should have gfi protection for them.

Is the garage finished or unfinished? What do you need the receptacles to power?

 

Don't mean to laugh at your misfortune but I could not help myself when I read that

 

My panel is right over my work bench. I'd like some outlets close to the panel to run a Dewalt DW871 14" chop saw and a Lincoln 125HD that I use for smaller welding jobs.

 

Oh I still roast my dad about to this day. I was helping him put up Christmas lights and it started raining his "come on we're almost done" turned into me getting zapped.

 

Are there any empty/blank slots in your panel?

Is it a 100, 125, or 200 amp main breaker?

 

Those are empty slots towards the top, correct?

 

OMG!

Electrocuted yourself?

That's why I did not want to install my light sensor of the outside garage door!

We had our kitchen remodeled and when the electrician was here adding all new connections, I hit him up to install our motion detector light.

He gave me an under-the-table price less than $60...I just bought the smart motion detector unit from Lowe's (which I sent him a text of the box) and he hooked it up!

I definitely would contract out an electrician...but that's me. You go do whatever you feel confident doing.

 

Those are spaces for additional breakers.

 

Yep... looks like a minimum of a 125 amp panel, probably a 200. You've got lots of room. Each one of those empty slots at the top can be a 110v circuit. If you want 220v service, you will need two of them. You could comfortably install one 240v circuit and several 110v circuits. You can have up to nine* outlets on a circuit. For a shop, I would recommend using 20 amp outlets vice the 15 amp used in the interior of your home, and limiting the number of outlets on a circuit to 5*.

*Verify with local electrical code requirements.

 

As others said it's pretty straight forward especially since you have spots open. The VERY shortened version of this would be:
- Shut off main breaker. Look outside your house there should be a main breaker
- Remove the cover of the panel
- pop in a new breaker that matches the style of current ones and rated for what you want ie - 20amp breaker. Make sure it's seated properly
- route the proper gauge wiring (for 20a it's 12/2 I believe) from outlet location all the way into the box
- install outlet
- secure the ground (bare copper) and neutral (white) to their respective bars inside the breaker box
- secure the hot (black) to the breaker
- cross your fingers and turn everything back on


I quickly looked up the welder and looks like it's 20amps alone so you'd want to have a bit of a buffer. Maybe a 40a breaker just to be safe.

 

Breaker just protects the wire, bigger breaker means you need bigger wire. Don’t burn your house down.

 

People forget not everyone can do what some of us do all the time.

It is a simple thing but not if you have never done it before

I hope someone local sees your post that can help you.

If I was not just west of New York City I would be glad to help.

**** I would say run a dedicated 20amp outlet. just for your welder and a grinder because unless your real good it is a little difficult to use both at once.

 

@916TacoTruck
He is close to you

 

Good point - that said, it is not hard to teach yourself the basics. In BC, we have a book called 'The Electrical Code Simplified' which is available at building stores, and similar for ~$30 which takes you through in very clear steps, how to do most basic electrical work (and this is VERY basic). I'm sure that your region has something similar, and likely the clerk in the electrical section of your local Home Depot, Lowes, etc can point you in the right direction. There are also very good tutorials on YouTube.

I missed the bit about a welder, but if you're going to be using something with a 20 amp load, than wire a minimum of a 30 amp circuit.

 

Where you located in Roseville? I can swing by after work and take a look.

 

Breaker sizes for welders do not follow the same sizing rules.

The NEC does not limit the number of receptacles on standard circuits.