I'm needing an outlet put in my garage..nothing fancy just a 120 V 20 amp to run a freezer. I'd like to give my money to someone local. Check I had Aired out to give me an estimate on a whole home generator and the wouldn't even talk about putting in an outlet unless I wanted to pay 19000.00 for the generator and all associated work. No thanks! So..who do you use?
Harp electric did my outlet for 300 bucks flat rate back when I paid someone for it. Ran the line from the breaker box and everything.
All their pricing is flat rate so I might go with them again if I didn't do it myself. You can run it yourself for about $50 in materials.
All their pricing is flat rate so I might go with them again if I didn't do it myself. You can run it yourself for about $50 in materials.
You could buy a book on basic wiring and do it yourself.
It is not hard to do depending on where you want the outlet. Is it on the same wall as the panel and can the outlet be placed below the panel. or does the wire need to be run through the attic and dropped down the wall? Do you have the space in the panel?
1. Go to some hardware store and buy your 20 Amp breaker based on the name of your control panel (cost-effective around $8.00 pre-Biden)
2. Then you buy your wire 3-way 14 gauge you've already measured
3. Turn off at the main switch on your breaker box
4. move the 8 screws or so and pull off the panel cover
5. When you look at the panel cover, you'll see metal tags where a circuit breaker could go.
6. You determine which space you pull the tag off
7. Go in your attic and use a spade bit and drill a hole (may one already be there from previous work.) Above the panel you'll see wires leading down to the panel.
8. At this point you can run your 3 way 14 GA wire to the breaker giving approx 6-8 inches of extra wire to loop later.
9. Again, get up in that attic and drill another hole with the spade bit where you want to p!ace your freezer
10. Grab that 3 way wire again that you ran into the panel box and push it down through the hole you just drilled giving a littler extra wire just in case
11. Cut a square hole a little smaller than a receptacle box and if you're lucky you can see the wire you just pushed down
12. Sometimes I use a coat hanger formed like a "hook" in grabbing the wire.
13. Now is the time to install the receptacle box (you bought it and the receptacle and receptacle cover at the same time you went to the hardware store)
14. Go back to your panel and connect your breaker and push it into the determined slot you chose, the bare wire is the grounds usually wrapped with a paper like wrapping that will go where the others bare wires are attached. Black is positive and white is neutral black connects to your breaker and white usually goes where the other white wires are secured
15. Now the finish... Wire the the receptacle into the receptacle box and screw on the cover
16. Now go back to the panel box, turn the main back on and your installed breaker
17. You should have electrical power to your new receptacle
18. If yo do have power, you've done everything right and you can replace the panel cover.
19. You can congratulate yourself at this point and take the $300 or more you've saved by doing it yourself and buy some ammo and have money left over!
Actually it is pretty simple and those more up on wiring can add to this because I'm not always right but I do all my own wiring and I learned from doing my own work and a few decades ago ok bought the Reader's Digest Home Repair book which has all the simple stuff laid out for the novice. So it is best if you search the internet (YouTube maybe) and they'll show you how to wire a simple receptacle. Now, electricians, please add to this or make suggestions that would help this OSA member do it all by himself!
If I lived near you I'd come over and help you.
2. Then you buy your wire 3-way 14 gauge you've already measured
3. Turn off at the main switch on your breaker box
4. move the 8 screws or so and pull off the panel cover
5. When you look at the panel cover, you'll see metal tags where a circuit breaker could go.
6. You determine which space you pull the tag off
7. Go in your attic and use a spade bit and drill a hole (may one already be there from previous work.) Above the panel you'll see wires leading down to the panel.
8. At this point you can run your 3 way 14 GA wire to the breaker giving approx 6-8 inches of extra wire to loop later.
9. Again, get up in that attic and drill another hole with the spade bit where you want to p!ace your freezer
10. Grab that 3 way wire again that you ran into the panel box and push it down through the hole you just drilled giving a littler extra wire just in case
11. Cut a square hole a little smaller than a receptacle box and if you're lucky you can see the wire you just pushed down
12. Sometimes I use a coat hanger formed like a "hook" in grabbing the wire.
13. Now is the time to install the receptacle box (you bought it and the receptacle and receptacle cover at the same time you went to the hardware store)
14. Go back to your panel and connect your breaker and push it into the determined slot you chose, the bare wire is the grounds usually wrapped with a paper like wrapping that will go where the others bare wires are attached. Black is positive and white is neutral black connects to your breaker and white usually goes where the other white wires are secured
15. Now the finish... Wire the the receptacle into the receptacle box and screw on the cover
16. Now go back to the panel box, turn the main back on and your installed breaker
17. You should have electrical power to your new receptacle
18. If yo do have power, you've done everything right and you can replace the panel cover.
19. You can congratulate yourself at this point and take the $300 or more you've saved by doing it yourself and buy some ammo and have money left over!
Actually it is pretty simple and those more up on wiring can add to this because I'm not always right but I do all my own wiring and I learned from doing my own work and a few decades ago ok bought the Reader's Digest Home Repair book which has all the simple stuff laid out for the novice. So it is best if you search the internet (YouTube maybe) and they'll show you how to wire a simple receptacle. Now, electricians, please add to this or make suggestions that would help this OSA member do it all by himself!
If I lived near you I'd come over and help you.
Make sure the box you bought is a "cut-in" box. It will have tabs on the side that spread as you tighten the screws. If it has nails you bought the wrong box unless you do not have sheetrock on that wall. I also recommend 12ga wire in case you ever want a heavier load on that circuit. It was back in the 70s and 80s when I did electrical work but we always ran 12ga because you never know what someone is going to plug in.
The box you want looks like this one
https://www.acehardware.com/departm...V22xvBB1uJAC5EAQYCiABEgK7qvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I'm a diy type but I live in the country, meaning no code laws or permits. Sorry, can't help with a local recommendation but it's fairly easy/straight forward. 12/2 romex for 20 amp, a tandem breaker if the panel is full or a single if there's room. An old style work box for the outlet or if it's applicable you could use an outdoor metal box. Routing the wire would probably be the most work. Top, bottom or side of the existing panel isn't going to be easy to access if sheetrock is around it. It's doable but 2 people would be a great help. Hooking up the outlet is the easy part. White goes on the silver screw, black goes to the gold screw and bare on the green screw. In the panel just to be safe shut off the power/ trip the main breaker. black goes to the breaker, white to the neutral and bare to the ground. Flip on the breaker and plug in the freezer.
That being said $300 wouldn't be out of line for a contractor to do the job in my opinion. Last week I bought 50ft of 12/2 to finish a project and it was $65.00. The tandem breaker was $25.00 vs $8.00 for a single and $20 for an outdoor box and cover. My how times have changed. I remember when I was a kid my dad would buy a roll of romex for $20. That was in the late 70's.
That being said $300 wouldn't be out of line for a contractor to do the job in my opinion. Last week I bought 50ft of 12/2 to finish a project and it was $65.00. The tandem breaker was $25.00 vs $8.00 for a single and $20 for an outdoor box and cover. My how times have changed. I remember when I was a kid my dad would buy a roll of romex for $20. That was in the late 70's.
In my minds eye I was thinking the easiest would be to just mount the outlet box on the wall. Its not needing to be fancy because its just in the garage. I think I have a few blanks spots on my main panel but I don't think I have ever messed with electricity past replacing a light switch or bad outlet..with the power off! Might look into doing this myself.
That is a very good detailed write up. That should help him should he choose to.
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