# 100, or 200 amp service, to Garage



## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

Plan to run 220V to 3 car detached garage, from 200 amp home service, about 65 feet or so, indirectly.

I'll be running fairly large garage air compressor, stick welder, lights, maybe electric heat and A/C. Garage door openers. 

First off, do I even need 200 amp, or is there any advantage to spending the additional money?

Is there any ball park price between the two? What is the best wire to use?

Also, is it at all, unheard of, to have an electrician just do the hookup, while I do the drilling, running of wires and burial?


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

You'd need to talk to someone about your local codes. Here, the most I could feed out of a 200 amp home service without upgrading was 40 amps. My actual shop is 200 amps and that's minimal for me with wood heat


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Working on the same here. Electrician willing to do all the hook up and I can do the wire runs, conduit, etc. Granted, I have used him on other projects and have gotten to know him. My run is about 100' and only shooting for 50 amps...I'll only run certain things at the same time.

Matt


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

plowjockey said:


> Plan to run 220V to 3 car detached garage, from 200 amp home service, about 65 feet or so, indirectly.
> 
> I'll be running fairly large garage air compressor, stick welder, lights, maybe electric heat and A/C. Garage door openers.
> 
> ...


First if you have a 200amp at the house you can't run 200amp off it to a shop. 

Me if I had the room I would snap me in a 100 amp breaker and run #4 USE or larger wire to a sub panel in the shop . Most modern air compressors now will take a double pole 30 amp breaker . Put florescent lights up not many amps for a whole bunch of them . The biggest draw will be that buzz box welder when you first strike an ark ,after the rod is burning not many amps are pulled . I put a Amp Probe on mine to see what it pulled on start once . 

Keep it simple .I guarantee you this will not meet code because they have to maintain a max possible load of 80% with 20% in reserve . But I don't know many people that run a constant 180 amp load nor many that can afford it . But codes work from the worst angle and outlook .


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Roadking said:


> Working on the same here. Electrician willing to do all the hook up and I can do the wire runs, conduit, etc. Granted, I have used him on other projects and have gotten to know him. My run is about 100' and only shooting for 50 amps...I'll only run certain things at the same time.
> 
> Matt


I figured you would do the whole thing . :shrug: For your next lesson I'll walk you threw how to build your very own phase converter on the cheap .:icecream:


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Electricity is not my forte...the wiring in this old place was a nightmare...jumped wires in the breaker box, no grounds in many occasions, knob and tube and daisy chain circuits.
Had him replace entire box and hook up the wiring I ran. And I'm going to have him hook up the whole house genny when the time comes. I've been bitten by 110, 220 and 440...no likey.

Matt


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If it was me, I'd go ahead and pay to have another drop put in from the pole, and run a completely separate 200 amp service in the shop. yes, it will cost you more monthly for the added meter and account, but in the long run, if you use your shop a lot, you know you'll have plenty of power to do what you need.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

I have one meter feeding 2 buildings. 200 amp at the house, and 100 at the barn. Use the same weatherhead at the pole.


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## andyd2023 (Jan 13, 2012)

Just put power to the barn last summer. Had to use a new drop/meter because it's over 500 feet from the barn to the house. Co-op came out and measured the distance from the existing line to the barn at about 250 feet. We get the first 200 feet free so it cost me for 50 feet, one pole and the underground feeder to the service panel. The bill runs about $20 a month but I have full 200 amp service so can run pretty much whatever I want.
Andrew


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

andyd2023 said:


> Just put power to the barn last summer. Had to use a new drop/meter because it's over 500 feet from the barn to the house. Co-op came out and measured the distance from the existing line to the barn at about 250 feet. We get the first 200 feet free so it cost me for 50 feet, one pole and the underground feeder to the service panel. The bill runs about $20 a month but I have full 200 amp service so can run pretty much whatever I want.
> Andrew


I have one meter for the house, another for everything else (it was that way when we bought the property, so I don't know what the initial cost was). I DO know that I agree with Andy 100%. My shop bill is $12/month when I'm not out there much, and $20-25/month when I'm out there a lot, with the air conditioner set cold, referigerator running, power tools, welder, etc. It's a 200 amp service, I can run anything I need safely, and have spun off subpanels to the barn, garage, etc. to make running power easier for those buildings. If you can afford the initial cost, it's definitely the way to go. A whole lot safer, too! Curt


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Have 100 amp service to the shop and it handles my welder air compressor and vacuum pump water trough heaters etc.
Since we claim being a farm having a meter just for farm use gets us a small break on the bill, no tax.


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## chuckhole (Mar 2, 2006)

Three meters on my place. One 200A for the shop but it is a 40x60x16.

Air conditioner? What size. Most 1 ton (12,000 btu) window type units will run on a dedicated 15A/120V breaker. For heat, I would definitely consider using propane. It is much more efficient when it compared to the cost of $/btu electric heat. You can use a pair of 40lb outdoor propane tanks and a 30,000 btu heater for a 3 car garage/shop.

You will likely be just fine with 100A service to your garage. The welder (assuming it is stick) will use up to about 50A/220V depending on the thickness of the metal you are welding and what rod you are using. For example, a 1/8" 7018 uses significantly more amperage than a 3/32" 6011. If it is MIG, then it depends on the wire size, gas you are using and metal thickness but typically does not require quite as much juice as stick unless you have a 210A or higher MIG.

Most compressors up to 5HP/60 gal tank/150 PSI will not use more than 30A/240V there are many that will run on a 20A/120V breaker (like the 2HP/25 gal tank/125 PSI homeowner models).

Running 100A/240V service means that you have TWO separate 120V legs so you can balance your 15A/120V outlets across the two legs and save the majority of your load for the big stuff. And just don't run the welder and compressor at the same time unless you must. Now if you have a 40A Plasma Cutter (green with envy) then you have to run the compressor.


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