# Positioning elletrical panel in a garage



## swimmer_spe (Jun 12, 2017)

I am going to be wiring my garage myself, except for the final connections to the panel.
The picture is the wall I want it on. There will also be a bench there as well as a tool box. The black pipe on the floor is where the cable from the house will come in.

Where would you put the panel?


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## nealtw (Jun 12, 2017)

I would put it close to the door where you won't build anything in front of it.


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## joecaption (Jun 12, 2017)

Panel should have been as close as possible to where the power came in.
What's up with the doubled up wall studs?


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## bud16415 (Jun 12, 2017)

I would mount it right above where the power enters. In our industrial wiring there need to be clear access and nothing in front of it for 36&#8221;. That&#8217;s not a bad idea at home as well. 

About 4&#8217;-5&#8217; from the floor to the bottom of the panel is where I see them. 

I don&#8217;t like seeing the conduit coming up out on the clear space on the floor like that. I would rather see it back in the wall but with a couple LB elbows you can run it back in the studs from there.


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## nealtw (Jun 12, 2017)

It will be a fused cables,it is not required to stay close to the entry point.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 13, 2017)

joecaption said:


> Panel should have been as close as possible to where the power came in.
> What's up with the doubled up wall studs?



The double stud is where 2 top plates meet.


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## Sparky617 (Jun 13, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> The double stud is where 2 top plates meet.



Didn't you put a second plate on top that overlapped the joint?


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## nealtw (Jun 13, 2017)

Sparky617 said:


> Didn't you put a second plate on top that overlapped the joint?



They built the wall in sections and placed them, lots of people add those studs whether needed or not, they allow you to nail the sections together before climbing the ladder.


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## afjes_2016 (Jun 14, 2017)

> I am going to be wiring my garage myself, except for the final connections to the panel


Just two little things I would like to comment on.

One is you are wiring except for final connections to the panel. Did you find an electrician who is willing to do this for you and he/she has agreed that you can do the wiring and they will only do the final connections? The reason why I ask is very few electricians will agree to do this. Reason is it means they have to take on the entire liability of the project. So if you have not made specifics arrangements with an electrician to do this I would not proceed until you do. You may end up paying for an electrician to re-do a lot of the work you did already because it may not meet code etc.

Second - where the main power will be coming out of the floor where you are placing the panel have you considered "bumping" (chase) that section out from the wall so the power can come right up from under the panel and into it. The "bump-out" should protect it and will also give you a bit more room to run your circuits out of the panel. It may take up a bit more floor space but i think it may make the job easier and better. Also then the conduit will not be subjected to possible damage in the future such as being hit by something large and cracking and breaking apart. Replacing that could get very expensive.


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## bud16415 (Jun 14, 2017)

I was thinking something similar to afjes_2016 above. 

Depending on the location you live in there are a lot of different restrictions on what you can legitimately do yourself. Where I live given what you feel comfortable doing I think I would hire the pro first and tell him I want power run from the house to the garage and a sub panel placed all done to code. He may be required to have something wired into the panel and if that&#8217;s the case tell him you want one GFCI outlet placed next to the box. 

Then you can do what you want to expand the circuits from there. When he leaves he isn&#8217;t responsible for your work as it wasn&#8217;t there and he has no control over what a homeowner might do.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 14, 2017)

I have already talked to a local electrician. They will allow me to do all the wiring. They will then check it out, replace anything that is not code, install the panel, and make the connections.

The wiring will come straight up to the panel.


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## nealtw (Jun 14, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> I have already talked to a local electrician. They will allow me to do all the wiring. They will then check it out, replace anything that is not code, install the panel, and make the connections.
> 
> The wiring will come straight up to the panel.



Not sure what you plan is for the pipe. I would put a cap on in and drill a hole for a smaller conduit that can get you in the wall to the panel.
That will keep dirt and stuff out of the pipe,


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## afjes_2016 (Jun 14, 2017)

> I have already talked to a local electrician. They will allow me to do all the wiring.


Great, glad to hear that. Some homeowners looking to save some money (which I don't blame them at all) end up falling into a major problem of finding an electrician who is willing to finish the home owner's work. I had a customer exactly like that. I was trying to help him save some money. He had a dis-connected garage (actually the bottom floor of a large barn). I went over to give him a quote on replacing his panel in the barn (what a mess that was-which he knew he could not do) and while I was there he was explaining his expansion projects to me. I gave him recommendations for running circuits etc because he was going to be using power thursty tools in his workshop in the barn. Good thing I did not agree to just do hook ups on that part of it. Wow, he messed the entire wiring job up. I hate to say it but most of the mess-up was from the advice he received from some ding-dong in the electrical department at the home depot. He ran 10/2 thru his entire workshop, used handy boxes and regular duplex receptacles; all of them all on the same circuit. Wow what a mess!! Perfect example of why I don't make it a point to advise someone and say I will make final connections. I would have lost my shirt on that job. The guy at the home depot told him 10/2 would hold more volts and he could run more on one circuit. Not only that he wanted me to hook that circuit up to a 50amp breaker which that guy at the home depot told him would keep the breaker from "popping" as much so he would not need so many circuits. Really??!!

Anyway, off on a tangent. Glad you got it squared away. Are you doing a chase so the power comes up under the panel and into the panel directly without conduit being exposed. Just curious.


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## afjes_2016 (Jun 14, 2017)

Just noticed your other thread about your garage. Why are you asking in this thread where the placement of the panel should be? The electrician you originally spoke to and who agreed to do this should have instructed you in detail as to where to place the panel etc. I don't mind giving advise on this at all believe me, but my concern is that the electrician doing your job may have his/her own line of thought as to how they want it laid out and why. I was never there, they were, you would be surprised as to how quickly I could change my mind in how it should be done if I were there and happened to see something else you have yet to bring up or I happen to notice with my eyes. Also you ask about lighting and number of circuits. This should have all been laid out by the electrician who agreed to do the final hook ups. If I were hooking up a panel as an electrician I would want to know what circuits are going where before hooking them up.

Were you instructed as to what panel to purchase (pending how many circuits you will need to have according to your load calculation) or did you just buy one on your own without their guidance? Although a garage the way you describe it won't have that many power hungry devices but if you are putting in a 100amp panel you must be preparing in advance (which is good) for expansion; meaning maybe down the line you want a compressor, vehicle charger station, other power hungry tools. When you don't have the power available in the garage you tend to limit what you want to have or do in it; once you have the power there you tend to add more power hungry devices since you have the room.

Sorry just a bit confused as to why you are asking us when he/she should have told you this and made it quite clear to you where that panel should be and how it should be mounted. Again, we don't mind helping and that is what we are here for I just don't want you to find yourself putting out a lot of extra money because you went with our course of action instead of the electricians and then he/she says they have to change what we advised you to do even if our advice is still code. I am sure in your conversations with the electrician it would have been brought up where the power was coming up from the floor etc and then he/she should have told you the placement of the panel. 

In your other thread you said you would be running 100amps out to the garage. May I please ask what size, type and number of conductors you ran to the garage and how? I certainly hope this was dictated by the electrical company that agreed to do this final "hook up". The company that agreed to do this final hook up, did you check to see if they are licensed? It seems to me that they may have given you a bit too much lead-way in making the decisions. I hope this does not cost you far more than you anticipated. Again, just trying to protect your investment. Please don't take it the wrong way. I am more than willing to help where ever I can.

Didn't mean to go off on a few tangents; again only to help you did I say these things. In no way am I trying to "tear apart" your plans or criticize your choices here; not my intention.


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 16, 2017)

afjes_2016 said:


> Just noticed your other thread about your garage. Why are you asking in this thread where the placement of the panel should be? The electrician you originally spoke to and who agreed to do this should have instructed you in detail as to where to place the panel etc. I don't mind giving advise on this at all believe me, but my concern is that the electrician doing your job may have his/her own line of thought as to how they want it laid out and why. I was never there, they were, you would be surprised as to how quickly I could change my mind in how it should be done if I were there and happened to see something else you have yet to bring up or I happen to notice with my eyes. Also you ask about lighting and number of circuits. This should have all been laid out by the electrician who agreed to do the final hook ups. If I were hooking up a panel as an electrician I would want to know what circuits are going where before hooking them up.
> 
> Were you instructed as to what panel to purchase (pending how many circuits you will need to have according to your load calculation) or did you just buy one on your own without their guidance? Although a garage the way you describe it won't have that many power hungry devices but if you are putting in a 100amp panel you must be preparing in advance (which is good) for expansion; meaning maybe down the line you want a compressor, vehicle charger station, other power hungry tools. When you don't have the power available in the garage you tend to limit what you want to have or do in it; once you have the power there you tend to add more power hungry devices since you have the room.
> 
> ...




I will clarify a few things, because I think you are assuming I am further than I am right now.

In the house is a 100A panel. I need that upgraded. When that is upgraded to 200A, then the line to the garage will be run. At that time, I want everything ready for them to do the garage panel.

I am not going to run any of the wires from my house panel to the garage. I am only running the wires in the garage.

I have not bought a panel for the garage. I am going to let the electrician supply one.

I do plan on contacting them, but I am trying to see if there is a electrical code that requires it in a specific spot. If there is, I have no choice in the matter. If there isn't, then I know.


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## nealtw (Jun 16, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> I will clarify a few things, because I think you are assuming I am further than I am right now.
> 
> In the house is a 100A panel. I need that upgraded. When that is upgraded to 200A, then the line to the garage will be run. At that time, I want everything ready for them to do the garage panel.
> 
> ...



I found this.
110.26(B) Clear Spaces. Working space required by this section shall not be used for storage. When normally enclosed live parts are exposed for inspection or servicing, the working space, if in a passageway or general open space, shall be suitably guarded.

Which means the equipment can be in an area used for storage, but the Working Space cannot be used for storage. The basic idea is if you draw a box on the floor in front of the equipment 30" wide and 36" deep, and then extend that box up 6 1/2', you'll have your "Working Space". As long as you keep this Working Space clear, you should have no problems. However, there are a few more things to consider.

https://diy.stackexchange.com/quest...e-a-circuit-breaker-box-within-a-storage-room


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## swimmer_spe (Jun 16, 2017)

afjes_2016 said:


> Just two little things I would like to comment on.
> 
> One is you are wiring except for final connections to the panel. Did you find an electrician who is willing to do this for you and he/she has agreed that you can do the wiring and they will only do the final connections? The reason why I ask is very few electricians will agree to do this. Reason is it means they have to take on the entire liability of the project. So if you have not made specifics arrangements with an electrician to do this I would not proceed until you do. You may end up paying for an electrician to re-do a lot of the work you did already because it may not meet code etc.
> 
> Second - where the main power will be coming out of the floor where you are placing the panel have you considered "bumping" (chase) that section out from the wall so the power can come right up from under the panel and into it. The "bump-out" should protect it and will also give you a bit more room to run your circuits out of the panel. It may take up a bit more floor space but i think it may make the job easier and better. Also then the conduit will not be subjected to possible damage in the future such as being hit by something large and cracking and breaking apart. Replacing that could get very expensive.




I have said a few times: I - have - asked -an - electrician  - if -- they - would - do - it. They - said - yes.


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## slownsteady (Jun 17, 2017)

Let's - not - get - testy. The forum serves two purposes. It answers questions for the asker AND it provides a reference for future readers. We are lucky to have pros here to give us advice. Who can blame them for asking for complete understanding of the situation?


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