how do i run electric from my house to my shop building?

Answer 1

You need to start at your local building codes department to determine if you are able to do this work legally or not. Most areas do not allow homeowners to install their own electrical services or sub-panels.

You should also consult with a local licensed electrician or get a book on wiring.

The answer here that gives you the step by step instructions is wrong. NEVER, EVER remove your electrical meter as this answer states. Most utility companies will fine you atleast $10,000 for just cutting the seal. There is a main disconnect somewhere.

This answer is having you terminate your neutrals and grounds together. This is a NEC violation. The neutrals and grounds only terminate together at the first point of disconnect and nowhere else.

This answer also recommends installing a conduit between the two buildings without any electrical boxes and installing 12/2 romex in this conduit. This is several NEC violations.

This answer is also recommending a 20 amp circuit @ 120 volts to your shop. This is not enough power. I recommend atleast 100 amps @ 240 volts.

I have learned that there a lot of self-proclaimed experts that answer questions here on Yahoo! answers. The problem with these self-proclaimed experts is they do not know what they are doing and they offer very bad advice.

Improperly wired electrical circuits results in fires or electrocution. If you are going to do the wiring yourself, you need to educate yourself on the proper way of doing this. Yahoo! answers is not the place for this type of education.

If you need further assistance, please visit:
http://electricalblog.gilchrist-electric.com

Answer 2

The best way would be to run a new circuit from your house box that you'll run to the shop. You'll have to have an open circuit available and will want to run 20 amp minimum on your breaker with 12-2 romex electrical wire. Refer to this page for guage recommendations for higher amperage:

http://www.greatinspector.com/faq-elec-wiresize.html

If you haven't worked with your breaker box before, you may want to consider having a professional do it for you. Otherwise, its a matter of following these steps:

1) TURN OFF THE MASTER SWITCH TO YOUR BOX!! AND IF YOUR BOX DOESN'T HAVE ONE, THEN YOU NEED TO PULL YOUR METER OFF THE OUTSIDE WALL TO DISCONNECT POWER TO THE BOX...NOTE THAT EVEN THROWING THE MASTER SWITCH DOES NOT CUT POWER TO THE LARGE HOT LEADS COMING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE AT THE TOP OF THE BOX!

2) Find a spot where you want to run the new wires to the shop from outside of the house. You will be running this wire from your box, so it will need to go outside from the stud space the box is in, a crawl space below that space, or an attic space above that space. Where you run it to get to the closest point on the outside of the house to the shop is up to you. (you'll want to figure out if you are going to bury the line or run it from roof to room before planning this)

3) connect your hot lead (black wire) to the outside screw of your new breaker (after running the romex up into the box...leaving plenty of room to run the black wire to the breaker and the neutral & ground to the bus bar on the bottom). Run the white (neutral) and bare lead (ground) to the bus bar on the bottom of the box (any spot will do and it can share with other wires). Pop in your circuit breaker into the open spot.

4)MAKE SURE THE BREAKER YOU JUST INSTALLED IS OFF AND TURN THE MAIN POWER BACK ON (OR PUT METER BACK)

5) Run the other end of the wire out of the house toward the shop. whether you bury it or run it from roof top to roof top, it will be best to place it in some sort of protective conduit (gavanized flexible conduit at Lowes or could even go with some PVC in ground ...seal the ends to keep water out).

6) Inside the shop (depending on the size and complexity). you could run an additional breaker box for the shop or simply start an outlet and junction additional outlets and lighting from there. Remember that the total amperage load is still going to be completely limited by the guage of your wire and the size of the original breaker in the house. Again, run the junctioned wires through walls or if you must run them visibly on the walls cover them with some sort of protective conduit (would want to cut into one with a stray saw).

7) Turn the circuit on and test it for polarity correctness with a tester from hardware store.

8) On a side note, you can spend a lot of time up front getting all the wiring done in the shop so that it will be ready by the time that you get the wiring from the house to the shop.


Happy Wiring!

Answer 3

Call BI see whats code for your town/county

Answer 4

call a contractor