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Wiring temporary 240V plug. Townhouse rental

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Hello all! First off thank you to whoever has any info for me.

Here's a picture in my Townhouse garage. I'm wanting to wire a 240V plug myself. I'm planning on buying a house by end of year so trying to avoid paying for an electrician to come out since I'm renting.

Imgur

Looks pretty straight forward correct? Can I use this pre existing box that just had a blank cover on it? I've wired a breaker and a few regular plugs before. I'm only wondering once I pull the breaker box cover off will it be simple to get a wire behind the drywall down to the hole? Thanks guys!
 

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Hello all! First off thank you to whoever has any info for me.

Here's a picture in my Townhouse garage. I'm wanting to wire a 240V plug myself. I'm planning on buying a house by end of year so trying to avoid paying for an electrician to come out since I'm renting.

Imgur

Looks pretty straight forward correct? Can I use this pre existing box that just had a blank cover on it? I've wired a breaker and a few regular plugs before. I'm only wondering once I pull the breaker box cover off will it be simple to get a wire behind the drywall down to the hole? Thanks guys!

That hole is for low voltage. Don’t try to co-mingle high voltage in there.

Easiest will be to add a receptacle right below the panel in the same stud cavity.

Can you post more detailed pictures of the panel and door of panel? Probably plenty of space in there. Likely plenty of capacity too, but should verify. It is possible that it does not have enough capacity for a 14-50 (32a draw on UMC gen 2) but that is unlikely.

For super short term I have been known to do super hackish things, but I would not recommend them. :) (I have a temporary Tesla charging station with SOOW cable that I just run out the front of the panel with the screws not all the way down, but that is for ultra short term use and is certainly not safe or to code - it has an outdoor 14-50 box on the end with the receptacle)
 
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That hole is for low voltage. Don’t try to co-mingle high voltage in there.

Easiest will be to add a receptacle right below the panel in the same stud cavity.

Can you post more detailed pictures of the panel and door of panel? Probably plenty of space in there. Likely plenty of capacity too, but should verify. It is possible that it does not have enough capacity for a 14-50 (32a draw on UMC gen 2) but that is unlikely.

For super short term I have been known to do super hackish things, but I would not recommend them. :) (I have a temporary Tesla charging station with SOOW cable that I just run out the front of the panel with the screws not all the way down, but that is for ultra short term use and is certainly not safe or to code - it has an outdoor 14-50 box on the end with the receptacle)

Thanks for the info. I opened it up and it's a little more closed off than I expected. It would seem without cutting drywall this isn't a quick job. Could you post a picture of your temporary setup? I have a 200amp main breaker and plenty of space for a 50amp breaker.
 

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You're going to end up behind the drywall anywhere you exit the panel (unless "super hackish" means running the wires out the front, i.e. popping out an empty space in the cover). As @eprosenx said, the easiest way is to run the wires straight down, and cut out a square in the drywall directly under the panel. You can mount an "old work" two gang electrical box and put in a 14-50 outlet. This is very minimally invasive and easy to do to code. Then if you move out and want to undo it, all you need to do is pull out the wires and put a cover plate over the box (or have the owners pull a permit and keep it in as it increases the value of their property).

On the plus side, that is an extremely clean panel - adding a new circuit would be trivial.
 
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Actually looks like a pretty easy job.

I'm not an electrician. I would not take my advice. I'd just listen to what @eprosenx says - ignore me.

Personally, if it's a short term thing, I'd try this:

1) Unless there are open slots I'm missing in your pictures (really can't see the bottom of the bus bars), you need to do something like this: Replace 4 of those wide breakers with 2 tandem breakers (convert 4 breaker slots to two slots with 4 breakers - this does mean moving some circuits to the opposite 120V phase so just be aware if anything is using powerline communication...can cause problems) to make room for a 50A 2-pole breaker (double the width of a single breaker). Sounds like you're already familiar with this since you said there was plenty of room. I guess you have to lose your AFCI breakers (looks like that is what they are) if you go with tandem (my understanding is this is no great loss...though totally not to code)?

This step might be totally unnecessary - you said there was plenty of room so maybe you can just add the 50A breaker somewhere to the bus bars which is hidden in your last couple pictures.

2) Cut a small exploratory hole in the drywall below the panel near one of the studs. I'd aim to make the hole relatively high; you don't want the outlet too close to the floor - ideally the UMC will be able to hang down without touching the ground - you have the UMC so you can test fit the height.
3) Make sure it is free and clear run up to the breaker box. If obstructed, evaluate whether to continue (drill hole through offending cross-brace 2x4 or whatever - technically if you go through a 2x4 you have to have a nail guard plate installed on the 2x4 behind the drywall though I think - so hopefully no drilling needed). I'm concerned because I see that join in the drywall going horizontally; not sure what that join in the drywall is for...
4) If all is well, make the appropriate larger sized hole in the drywall and add a decent depth metal 2-gang junction box (have to make sure it can fit the 14-50 depth) somehow without making a mess of it, and attach it firmly to the stud. Some drywall repair might be required depending on how much you can fit through the hole. There's a lot of details here I am glossing over; there are a dizzying array of options as far as junction boxes go - I have no idea what might be best. Wear robust gloves around these boxes, to avoid slicing your hands open. They're so sharp, don't ask how I know.
5) Remove an appropriate size (3/4"?) knockout (those perforated circles - they will knockout quite easily) from the bottom of the panel. (You could also do this first instead of making holes in the drywall...but then you have a hole in the bottom of the panel if you can't proceed.) Get the appropriate clamps and such (you'll need two of appropriate diameter - 3/4"? - they're threaded to allow clamping to the knockout hole and the junction box, and then have screws and a clamp to clamp the wire) to secure the Romex cable out of the panel and into the new junction box, and run a short run of 6/3 Romex (maybe you can get some brand new scrap from somewhere/someone on eBay, or buy it by the foot somewhere) from your new breaker to the box. Make sure to ground the junction box with a grounding screw and a little piece of the grounding copper wire from the Romex - really probably unnecessary, since it will be grounded by the outlet, but is required by code.
6) Get a Hubbell or Bryant 14-50 outlet (they're better & safer than the Leviton ones), connect to the Romex using the appropriate torque, and install along with a matching plate. Be sure to properly strip the wires and don't clamp insulation by mistake. Be sure that all wires are connected appropriately and securely both in the panel and in the outlet box. Be sure to make the ground pin on the top. That way the UMC will just hang.

Then use your UMC with a 14-50 adapter (if you didn't get one from Tesla you have to buy it from them). You might want to rig up something so the cable is off the floor so you don't run it over by mistake.

I don't recommend the above. I'm not an electrician. I could be wrong, I might have forgotten something. It might not be to code. You could start a fire if you do it wrong. You have to know what you're doing and you have to make everything properly tight, to avoid fires. But it's what I would try, if I wasn't installing a Wall Connector.

I think the total costs should be max $100 with the breakers (depends how many you need), outlet, bits and pieces, and a short piece of 6/3 Romex from somewhere for cheap.


Or you could get an electrician to do the same...which has its own risks. Or just take advice from @eprosenx - he probably has better ideas with a better handle on the terminology and the best way to do this.
 
Wow thank you very much! Such a detailed reply. I've been studying all day about breakers, wiring and Nema diagrams. There are more snap points for more breakers below the current ones. I do have a Nema 14-50 and 10-30(parents washer dryer is close in garage for when I drive across state to see them).

I was able to remove one of the round hole punchouts from the buttom of the box. I plan on pushing down a coat hanger to see if there is a cross beam or anything obstructing a path below the box.

Planning on using
14-50
6/3 wire with a ground inside jacketed in plastic
Stud finder to make sure I don't start sawing into a stud
Electrical box meant to clamp down on drywall
Volt meter for obvious reasons

Seems like it will be about 50 bucks for the supplies.
 
Seems like a good plan.

Electrical box meant to clamp down on drywall

Seems fine. For whatever reason, I prefer the metal boxes but I would think something like this would be fine as long as it is deep enough, and cleaner/less work. I have no idea whether there are code issues with the old work drywall clamping boxes.

Stud finder to make sure I don't start sawing into a stud

Hopefully won't have a problem. Also hopefully you can see after you removed one of the punchouts. The studs vertically are clearly on either side of the panel, it's just a question of what is immediately under it, if anything. You can also use that low voltage hole to take a look up and see what is up with that horizontal seam.

I'm sure after you're done if you take plenty of pictures, people here can make sure it's good.

One thing is when stripping the wires, you should be very careful not to "score" the copper conductors. If you score them, they can break off quite easily. Having the properly sized wire stripping tools for this is easiest, though with great care it's possible to do it without the right tools. It's probably the part of the job that requires the most finesse. With the right tools is is easy and quick, without them it requires time and care.

Having a very robust set of lineman's pliers is also helpful for bending the 6AWG stuff. It can be done by hand, but it's nice to have some leverage.

Also, be sure not to compromise the insulation on the wires inadvertently. You have a short enough run you can always start over with a new piece of 6/3 if you make a mistake, but that would add time.
 
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I don't think your approach unsafe, but as a landlord I'd be really unhappy with a tenant modifying my panel.

Unless you buy a bunch of double breakers and rewire several circuits you are going to leave panel with blank plates where you knocked out for the new breaker and plug in the bottom of the panel where you ran into the box.

I consider patches drywall to be part of the whole having tenants experience, but modifying my panel like that would get me upset.
 
I don't think your approach unsafe, but as a landlord I'd be really unhappy with a tenant modifying my panel.

Unless you buy a bunch of double breakers and rewire several circuits you are going to leave panel with blank plates where you knocked out for the new breaker and plug in the bottom of the panel where you ran into the box.

I consider patches drywall to be part of the whole having tenants experience, but modifying my panel like that would get me upset.


Hm I didn't even think about this. Figured if it was clean he'd be OK with it. I'll text him to be sure it's alright. I've been a good tenant for a long time so I doubt he's going to care.
 
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Thanks for the info. I opened it up and it's a little more closed off than I expected. It would seem without cutting drywall this isn't a quick job. Could you post a picture of your temporary setup? I have a 200amp main breaker and plenty of space for a 50amp breaker.

I don't have a great pic of my temporary setup, but it is in this picture:

Picture of just about every charging adapter I could find

But yeah, I do just run it out the front of the panel with the panel not screwed all the way down. Not super safe, but in controlled conditions it has worked OK. It has helped several new Tesla owners bridge to their permanent solution. ;-)

On the plus side, that is an extremely clean panel - adding a new circuit would be trivial.

Yeah, seriously, that is one of the nicest panels I have ever seen. Also, I am curious what size the feeders into that panel are. They look like they are larger than 4/0 which is crazy. 4/0 is generally what is required for a 200a residential service. I don't see capacity being any remote kind of issue. ;-) Is that a sub-panel or something?


Actually looks like a pretty easy job.

I'm not an electrician. I would not take my advice. I'd just listen to what @eprosenx says - ignore me.

Personally, if it's a short term thing, I'd try this:

1) Unless there are open slots I'm missing in your pictures (really can't see the bottom of the bus bars), you need to do something like this: Replace 4 of those wide breakers with 2 tandem breakers (convert 4 breaker slots to two slots with 4 breakers - this does mean moving some circuits to the opposite 120V phase so just be aware if anything is using powerline communication...can cause problems) to make room for a 50A 2-pole breaker (double the width of a single breaker). Sounds like you're already familiar with this since you said there was plenty of room. I guess you have to lose your AFCI breakers (looks like that is what they are) if you go with tandem (my understanding is this is no great loss...though totally not to code)?

This step might be totally unnecessary - you said there was plenty of room so maybe you can just add the 50A breaker somewhere to the bus bars which is hidden in your last couple pictures.

2) Cut a small exploratory hole in the drywall below the panel near one of the studs. I'd aim to make the hole relatively high; you don't want the outlet too close to the floor - ideally the UMC will be able to hang down without touching the ground - you have the UMC so you can test fit the height.
3) Make sure it is free and clear run up to the breaker box. If obstructed, evaluate whether to continue (drill hole through offending cross-brace 2x4 or whatever - technically if you go through a 2x4 you have to have a nail guard plate installed on the 2x4 behind the drywall though I think - so hopefully no drilling needed). I'm concerned because I see that join in the drywall going horizontally; not sure what that join in the drywall is for...
4) If all is well, make the appropriate larger sized hole in the drywall and add a decent depth metal 2-gang junction box (have to make sure it can fit the 14-50 depth) somehow without making a mess of it, and attach it firmly to the stud. Some drywall repair might be required depending on how much you can fit through the hole. There's a lot of details here I am glossing over; there are a dizzying array of options as far as junction boxes go - I have no idea what might be best. Wear robust gloves around these boxes, to avoid slicing your hands open. They're so sharp, don't ask how I know.
5) Remove an appropriate size (3/4"?) knockout (those perforated circles - they will knockout quite easily) from the bottom of the panel. (You could also do this first instead of making holes in the drywall...but then you have a hole in the bottom of the panel if you can't proceed.) Get the appropriate clamps and such (you'll need two of appropriate diameter - 3/4"? - they're threaded to allow clamping to the knockout hole and the junction box, and then have screws and a clamp to clamp the wire) to secure the Romex cable out of the panel and into the new junction box, and run a short run of 6/3 Romex (maybe you can get some brand new scrap from somewhere/someone on eBay, or buy it by the foot somewhere) from your new breaker to the box. Make sure to ground the junction box with a grounding screw and a little piece of the grounding copper wire from the Romex - really probably unnecessary, since it will be grounded by the outlet, but is required by code.
6) Get a Hubbell or Bryant 14-50 outlet (they're better & safer than the Leviton ones), connect to the Romex using the appropriate torque, and install along with a matching plate. Be sure to properly strip the wires and don't clamp insulation by mistake. Be sure that all wires are connected appropriately and securely both in the panel and in the outlet box. Be sure to make the ground pin on the top. That way the UMC will just hang.

Then use your UMC with a 14-50 adapter (if you didn't get one from Tesla you have to buy it from them). You might want to rig up something so the cable is off the floor so you don't run it over by mistake.

I don't recommend the above. I'm not an electrician. I could be wrong, I might have forgotten something. It might not be to code. You could start a fire if you do it wrong. You have to know what you're doing and you have to make everything properly tight, to avoid fires. But it's what I would try, if I wasn't installing a Wall Connector.

I think the total costs should be max $100 with the breakers (depends how many you need), outlet, bits and pieces, and a short piece of 6/3 Romex from somewhere for cheap.


Or you could get an electrician to do the same...which has its own risks. Or just take advice from @eprosenx - he probably has better ideas with a better handle on the terminology and the best way to do this.

Fantastic advice here. Just one affirmation and one comment: If you do a metal junction box you need to ground it to the ground wire. The reason is that if a "hot" wire were to overheat and have its insulation melt, it could come in contact with the box and provide a shock hazard. You want it to hit the metal box and solidly short to ground, blowing the breaker. While I like metal ones, a plastic box is also fine in this situation and may be easier to deal with so you don't need to "pigtail" the ground wire. And my only actual comment is that I absolutely would never use a receptacle box that is held in by the sheetrock for a NEMA 14-50. Just too much insertion force to be good for the sheetrock. They make boxes you can cut a hole right next to the stud and shove in and then put a screw in at an angle. I think I have one in the garage I may try to take a picture of tomorrow. I bought it at Home Depot. Make sure to get the largest box you can find and one that has a knockout for 6/3 Romex (NM cable) with a proper clamping mechanism.

I suspect you can buy 6/3 romex (NM cable) by the foot at Home Depot. Be sure to get copper wire of course (not aluminum). You will need more feet of it than you think since you will strip it back quite a ways in the panel and you need some small amount of slack in the receptacle box.

So yeah, not really much for me to comment on! This one is really cut and dry. ;-) Would be nice to have another closer picture so we can see what all the amperage of existing breakers is and what they are used for (labels) and also what the empty bus positions look like, but based on the gauge of the main feed, the fact that it is 200a, the quality of the install, and the very limited number of existing breakers, I really am not concerned.

Sticking a coat hanger down into the wall may help identify if there are any horizontal blockers, but that would be very dangerous to do with a live panel bus. If you do that, probably best to turn off the mains while you do it. ;-) (I also find it amazing that there are covers over the main feed terminals - that is like the nicest residential panel I have ever seen)

This thread might give you some idea of what to expect under the breaker:
Wall Connector Installation Report - 60a using EMT - Parts List

And this is not to scare you at all, but this thread may help underscore the necessity to be careful and pay attention to your terminations on both ends. Be careful stripping the wire, make sure to tighten it to proper specs (honestly most don't use torque screwdrivers even though we should), and make sure not to pinch any insulation in the terminals.
NEMA 14-50 Plug Meltdown / Near Fire

I have been buying these as a good balance between cost and quality:
Bryant 50A 4W Single Receptacle 125/250VAC 14-50R BK 9450FR | Zoro.com

Obviously you should have your landlords permission to do this and have it inspected. In most jurisdictions you likely are not supposed to do it without a license. Homeowners are generally allowed to do their own work, but often NOT when it is a rental unit.

Good luck! Welcome to ownership!
 
I'd be ok with our tenant doing that. More likely, I would pull a permit and do it myself, and charge them actual cost.

If it was done properly I'd be OK with it too. I think it adds real value.

In NJ for multi-family you need a licensed electrician - full stop. For your own single family you can pull a permit and do it yourself.
 
In NJ for multi-family you need a licensed electrician - full stop. For your own single family you can pull a permit and do it yourself.
I put in a generator hookup at that house - pulled the permit and did it myself. That was when I lived there - now that it is a rental, you make a good point. Probably need to have an electrician do it. Besides, I'm getting older and lazier, and when the government will pay half may as well spend the few dollars for a job like that and just have an electrician do it. $500 max, and the government kicks in half.
 
And my only actual comment is that I absolutely would never use a receptacle box that is held in by the sheetrock for a NEMA 14-50. Just too much insertion force to be good for the sheetrock.

Agree with that for sure. I like the idea of the box being attached to a stud. It is solidly fixed in place, minimal flex and no stress on any wires. The 14-50 plugs take a lot of force and I could see just punching through the drywall eventually.
 
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not in new jersey, but as a landlord my lease agreements forbid tenants from doing anything like this. You don't want the liability if you screw it up and there are problems, and I don't want the hassle of suing you. get an electrician, pull a permit. trivial compared to the cost of the car and infinitely trivial compared to your exposure if you do it without and burn the place down.
 
Got it finished! About 3 hrs including 2 runs to Lowes (got the wrong type of breaker initially). Thanks to everybody in this thread! Charging at 29 MPH

Total cost was just under 100 bucks. Including a 40 dollar volt meter.

Nice! Pretty amazing what you can do cost effectively when you do the research. :)

I should have mentioned before: There are often height requirements for receptacles, especially in garages where they don’t want you creating a spark near the floor where flammable vapors may hang out that are heavier than air.

I don’t have a code reference handy. It may not be an issue (I remember my inspector saying something about maybe there not being a spec for height of 240v receptacles in garages).
 
Nice! Pretty amazing what you can do cost effectively when you do the research. :)

I should have mentioned before: There are often height requirements for receptacles, especially in garages where they don’t want you creating a spark near the floor where flammable vapors may hang out that are heavier than air.

I don’t have a code reference handy. It may not be an issue (I remember my inspector saying something about maybe there not being a spec for height of 240v receptacles in garages).


I'll be covering it with a blank plate when I move out so no worries. This thread was a huge help!