HI...I want to run a temporary outlet to my garage while it's under construction. I have 10/2 wire ran from the house to the garage in conduit underground.
Can I simply add a plug-in to the end that is inside the house and plug it directly into an outlet in my basement? The other end I will tie into a temporary outlet in my garage. I just want it for lighting and maybe the occasional power tool - but mostly lighting. The house is a 200 amp service if that matters.
Thanks!
Course it should work and can be safe. The problem is that "temporary" setups are used as if they are permanent. A better idea is to run a heavy duty extension to the garage for the work day, disconnecting it and storing it away at the end of the day. An extension cord should not be a permanent hookup, yet many homes have this arrangement! If you have a lamp plugged into an extension cord, an electrical outlet should be installed near the lamp and extension cord removed. An electrical outlet without a cover plate is a hazard and out of code, whether there is current or not. Practicing safety is very inexpensive insurance.
I totally agree. Safety is a concern. The outlet in the garage will be affixed to a stud and a plate will be over the box. The outlet is remaining in place forever. My garage is 410 feet away from my house. When I am finished the shed and ready to get it all tied in to the electrical box, I then just have to remove the plug from the end of the wire in the house and have a n electrician tie it into the panel box for me.
Any special type of plug required, or can a basic Heavy-duty male plug such as the Nema 5-15P do?
I'd prefer to make the connection to a (new) breaker in the box in the basement rather than the wall outlet, but there's no reason the latter wouldn't work. And, despite phisherman's concern, the 10/2 is far heavier than any extension cord even construction is likely to be and being underground and connected to the outlet in the garage much less prone to both damage as well as trip hazards, etc., not to mention simply the pita of stringing it out and putting it up. That's just too silly to even consider...
The only real rub in using the outlet I see is twofold -- first, what else is on the circuit as it is likely only a 15A circuit so you might end up w/ annoying circuit trips if you're using something heavy in the shop and the washer or some other load in the house is on at the same time. Secondly, you'll have to find a standard plug w/ sufficient clearance on lugs for the 10 ga wire to make it up.
Since this is going to be a feeder, I'd just go ahead and hook it up now and be done w/ it.
You _did_ pull UF-rated cable, right??? :)
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Assuming you have 10/2 G, you cannot install a male plug on it because a male plug is not designed to be installed on it. Run the cable into your panel and connect it to a 20 amp dedicated circuit breaker. At the garage run the cable into a junction box and pigtail your outlet and whatever using #12 wire, and be sure to use GFCI protection at the garage
If the box carrying the receptacle is not in a finished wall, you can open the box and make the connection there. You should install a junction box, and receptacle in the garage, and make it a permanent connection. Make sure to use a GFCI in the garage.
Also 400 ft is pushing the voltage drop limits. Good thing you are using # 10. That was a smart move.
I agree it is all good advice. If an electrical inspector is likely the advice is especially good. If I wanted to kludge the connection I could figure how to connect the 10/2 to a plug.
But I would repeat - "use GFCI protection at the garage."
While a grounding electrode is not required, with the building 400 feet from the house I would recommend one - typically 1 or 2 ground rods.
metspitzer wrote: ...
Yeah, wouldn't hurt to use the 10/2 for a 240 feed and pull off the 120 in the outbuilding--plus, will have it when the inevitable time comes wants it. :)
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Why not? It isn't four-wire, but we went 100 yrs or so before anybody thought that was some sort of a problem... :)
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120/240 volt circuits always required an insulated neutral, even before grounding . The only exceptions were for specific appliances, and they required specific types of cable
Oh, yeah, he just had 10/2, didn't he...wasn't thinking was I??? :)
The distance thing and long term sorta' makes me think OP otta' perhaps do that before finishing the project.
Sidebar question - when tying ground rods to a subpanel, you still leave the ground connected to the main panel, yes?
nate
Hmmm Ideally I'd install a sub panel for temporary and thru a breaker from there you create few outlets you need.
On 1/27/2009 7:29 AM snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com spake thus:
That *should* do, but you ought to be aware of capacity limitations.
10-gauge wire will safely handle up to 20 amps (at 120 volts), but the plug may not, nor the outlet. So long as you limit your loads on the outlets to about 15 amps, you should be fine.Speaking of limits, what's the breaker size on the circuit you're planning on plugging your "extension cord" into? If it's 15 amps, that's good.
Since it's a garage with construction going on, I'd get a GFCI in the circuit too.
*Yes you do. The ground rods at a remote building are for lightning protection. The grounding conductor back to the main panel is for ground faults.
And exactly how do you get 120/240 volts with two current carrying conductors?
-- Tom Horne
Plus the earth at 2 points is not necessarily the same potential. And ground fault currents (which must return to the house as John said, to get to the service neutral) can put the "ground" at the garage at a rather different potential than the earth at the garage. IMHO it would be good to connect the rebar or mesh in the garage floor to the garage "ground". It is done in livestock buildings and swimming pools.
re: "The other end I will tie into a temporary outlet in my garage."
Let's see...what's that old saying? Oh yeah:
It's only temporary...unless it works.
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