Garage 220v advice needed

[1981K20]

Figure at least one of you would know this so I'm asking here because the home dept/ lowes staff are useless.

Garage at a property I just bought has a 220v plug that was used for a garage heater. The home inspector said it was odd that it had a 15amp breaker since the garage has 30amp service and the wiring for the plug can handle way more. Not sure if he's right, but would rather not light the place up. Also not sure if we're moving there or renting it, if we move then all I would need it for would be an old tombstone Lincoln welder.

What 30amp breaker do I buy and is it easy to install?

 

[JunkCJ6]

I see the one marked for the heater (5/7) being 10 amp and looks like (8/10) 15 amp breakers are feeding a 220 outlet with the 12/3 wire hooked to it which is not safe being individual breakers without a tie bar between the two levers

edit: looks like the double is a 15 amp breaker

 

[bad zuki]

Figure at least one of you would know this so I'm asking here because the home dept/ lowes staff are useless.

Garage at a property I just bought has a 220v plug that was used for a garage heater. The home inspector said it was odd that it had a 15amp breaker since the garage has 30amp service and the wiring for the plug can handle way more. Not sure if he's right, but would rather not light the place up. Also not sure if we're moving there or renting it, if we move then all I would need it for would be an old tombstone Lincoln welder.

What 30amp breaker do I buy and is it easy to install?

1. what size is the breaker that feeds this panel? 30a from the house?
2. is there anything else major in the garage? Ref, Lots of outlets, etc.
3. are you trying to run a larger heater or welder?

Looks like 12/3 for supplys the heater circuit. That is only rated for 20A. If you wanted to upgrade to a 20A breaker, you would need a QO 20A 2 Pole breaker. If you want to upgrade to a 30A breaker, I'd recommend you put 10/3 wire in as well. The plug is probably an oven plug or something similar and those are rated to 250v-50 amp.

 

[grumpy356]

It's weird the front plate looks like you have room for 11 more single pole breakers, but the back panel is almost full. It looks like the wrong cover to me.

I don't get what going on with the 12-3 on the right side of the photo going to 2 single pole breakers.. That is odd as well.

And last.. I don't think I have ever seen that style breaker in a 10 amp.... (It's just small)

 

[1981K20]

1. what size is the breaker that feeds this panel? 30a from the house?
2. is there anything else major in the garage? Ref, Lots of outlets, etc.
3. are you trying to run a larger heater or welder?

Looks like 12/3 for supplys the heater circuit. That is only rated for 20A. If you wanted to upgrade to a 20A breaker, you would need a QO 20A 2 Pole breaker. If you want to upgrade to a 30A breaker, I'd recommend you put 10/3 wire in as well. The plug is probably an oven plug or something similar and those are rated to 250v-50 amp.

30a from house. Just running a welder off if it, there's 8 outlets total

Should I be replacing the 12/3 wire? It's only 3ft long

 

[1981K20]

It's weird the front plate looks like you have room for 11 more single pole breakers, but the back panel is almost full. It looks like the wrong cover to me.

I don't get what going on with the 12-3 on the right side of the photo going to 2 single pole breakers.. That is odd as well.

And last.. I don't think I have ever seen that style breaker in a 10 amp.... (It's just small)

I'm confused

Perhaps I'll have electrician come have a look, I'm too dumb for this shit

 

[Tin Roof]

It’s a 10k aic rating of the breaker. Not 10 amps. The amperage is on the end of the handle.

 

[bad zuki]

30a from house. Just running a welder off if it, there's 8 outlets total

Should I be replacing the 12/3 wire? It's only 3ft long

IDK pricing in AL, that's pretty cheap insurance to have the wire rated the same as the breaker that supply's it. maybe $10?

I think they did this "one piece at a time". Cover from one panel, box from anther. Leftover breakers from takeout's. etc.

It’s a 10k aic rating of the breaker. Not 10 amps. The amperage is on the end of the handle.

It's a 15A.

 

[grumpy356]

It’s a 10k aic rating of the breaker. Not 10 amps. The amperage is on the end of the handle.

That makes a TON more sense.

I know they are now coming out with a 10 Amp breaker, (with LED's in mind). I just never have seen one. (and with this information... I still haven't)

 

[1981K20]

IDK pricing in AL, that's pretty cheap insurance to have the wire rated the same as the breaker that supply's it. maybe $10?

I think they did this "one piece at a time". Cover from one panel, box from anther. Leftover breakers from takeout's. etc.


It's a 15A.

Agree, it looks questionable for sure.

What size wire do I need for a 30a breaker? I'll google it but not sure what's true or not on Google

 

[bad zuki]

What size wire do I need for a 30a breaker? I'll google it but not sure what's true or not on Google

If you want to upgrade to a 30A breaker, I'd recommend you put 10/3 wire in as well. The plug is probably an oven plug or something similar and those are rated to 250v-50 amp.

I'd also verify the plug is rated for 30-50 amps. Just feel safe knowing the 30a breaker in the shop is your safety when you draw too much power on the tombstone.

Breaker is QO 2p 30a. You can do all of this yourself.

 

[korda]

It's weird the front plate looks like you have room for 11 more single pole breakers, but the back panel is almost full. It looks like the wrong cover to me.

I don't get what going on with the 12-3 on the right side of the photo going to 2 single pole breakers.. That is odd as well.

And last.. I don't think I have ever seen that style breaker in a 10 amp.... (It's just small)

I got fucked once thinking I could add to my panel because there were 2 more rows of knockouts on the face panel. Opened it up and the buss bars didn't extend down to those rows. I was not happy.

 

[u2slow]

Hard to say if that is #10/3c or #12/3c on that circuit. Figure it out. 30A breaker (max) for the former, and 20A breaker (max) for the latter. That's standard stuff for receptacle circuits.

The curveball is a welding circuit. You can set the breaker higher for a given wire, based on the welding section of the CEC/NEC, per the machine's rating. The machine's operators manual is a good reference too.


I see the red & black on the right side with single pole breakers. This is common for MWBC's in Canada. (No tie-bar required, which is the norm).

 

[Chevy_man]

I got fucked once thinking I could add to my panel because there were 2 more rows of knockouts on the face panel. Opened it up and the buss bars didn't extend down to those rows. I was not happy.

Breaker blanks are cheap. It's just that you have to go find them.

 

[TheLivingBubba]

Canada

Can't be, the panel isn't horizontal and I don't see it full of teck-90

 

[u2slow]

Can't be, the panel isn't horizontal and I don't see it full of teck-90

Horizontal panels are for those who don't have the balls to surface-mount a panel properly.

Teck is $$$...we'll use just about anything else inside a building (where our panels are).