220V required for residential garage?

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dhalleron

dhalleron

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, KY
Occupation
Master Electrician/Senior Fire Alarm Technician
A potential customer told me something yesterday that I thought was bogus.

She was having a large storage shed moved and a 2 car garage built in it's place. The shed was already fed with a small 4 circuit panel fed with a multiwire circuit. The owner didn't know much about it and told the garage builder the shed just had 110V to it. She wanted to know if she could use that feed for the garage. The builder told her there was a "New Law" that went in effect June 1 of this year that required 220V to the garage and he would have to install new.

Was he just throwing around big words (220V) to the customer? Or is there an electrical code or building code I haven't heard about that just went into effect? Does the garage actually require more than 1 circuit for lighting and receptacles? It will get more than 1 circuit anyway, but I thought his comment was weird.
 
dhalleron said:
The builder told her there was a "New Law" that went in effect June 1 of this year that required 220V to the garage and he would have to install new.
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I would call the local building department and see if there are any local ordinances that would require this. It doesn't sound right but never hurts to check.

Then if you find out this is not required have the homeowner report this builder to the local authorities.

Some people just assume that you can use any type of sales tatics you wish to but when you make up rules and lie to a customer you are breaking the law. Nothing serious they will probably just tell him to stop but customers shouldn't get jacked around like this.
 
480sparky said:
At least until the '14 is adopted.
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210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.
....
(G) Basements, Garages, and Accessory Buildings. For a one-family dwelling, at least one receptacle outlet shall be
installed in the areas specified in 210.52(G)(1) through (3). These receptacles shall be in addition to receptacles required
for specific equipment.

(1) Garages. In each attached garage and in each detached garage with electric power. The branch circuit supplying this receptacle(s) shall not supply outlets outside of the garage. At least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for each car space.

I read this to mean that an attached garage must meet the receptacle outlet requirement, and that a detached garage, only if there is power in the garage.
 
Yes it is a detached garage.

It will have an outside receptacle, so that would mean it needs at least 2 circuits. Then maybe the "220 volt" requirement might make sense if running a multiwire circuit to the garage.

I still don't know of any new law that took effect June 1. I have not checked with the building department yet though.

I think the builder was just blowing smoke and thinks new circuits should be 220 as in the Mr Mom quote: You gonna make it all 220? Yeah, 220, 221. Whatever it takes.
 
In some areas (Califonia, for example) there may be energy or building codes that require the presence of a 240V circuit in any garage suitable for running an electric vehicle charger.
The charger does not need to be there, of course, just the circuit and receptacle or disconnect.
 
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