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Duplex Garage wiring

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
so he does not see the new circuit in his panel???
He may or may not.
Could be the place isn't even occupied right now.
Either way, by the next tenant nobody knows.

Even if they know and ask, you could literally open and close the door 6 times a day for a whole month before you'd use one kilowatt hour and cost a whopping 20 cents.

Split in half would be 10 cents a month to open and close 3 times a day.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
He may or may not.
Could be the place isn't even occupied right now.
Either way, by the next tenant nobody knows.

Even if they know and ask, you could literally open and close the door 6 times a day for a whole month before you'd use one kilowatt hour and cost a whopping 20 cents.

Split in half would be 10 cents a month to open and close 3 times a day.
even if it is 1 cent a year, I would object...
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
I starts with the openers. Then they want lighting, then receptacles. All on one guys meter. Isn't there a law forbidding common areas on a tenant's meter?

-Hal
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
I starts with the openers. Then they want lighting, then receptacles. All on one guys meter. Isn't there a law forbidding common areas on a tenant's meter?

-Hal
A law would be subject to each governing authority.

Around here it's very common to have an up/down duplex with basement wired off lower level apartment
 

PaulMmn

Senior Member
Location
Union, KY, USA
Occupation
EIT - Engineer in Training, Lafayette College
I starts with the openers. Then they want lighting, then receptacles. All on one guys meter. Isn't there a law forbidding common areas on a tenant's meter?

-Hal
...and an outlet for the ElectroCar! (I'll go quietly)
 

packersparky

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Inspector
I starts with the openers. Then they want lighting, then receptacles. All on one guys meter. Isn't there a law forbidding common areas on a tenant's meter?

-Hal


If both tenants have access to the garage, I would consider that a common area. 210.25(B) would prohibit branch circuits supplying that space to come from and individual tenants equipment.


210.25(B)
Branch circuits installed for lighting, central alarm, signal, communications, or other purposes for public or common areas of a two-family dwelling, a multifamily dwelling, or a multi-occupancy building shall not be supplied from equipment that supplies an individual dwelling unit or tenant space.
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
If both tenants have access to the garage, I would consider that a common area. 210.25(B) would prohibit branch circuits supplying that space to come from and individual tenants equipment.


210.25(B)
Branch circuits installed for lighting, central alarm, signal, communications, or other purposes for public or common areas of a two-family dwelling, a multifamily dwelling, or a multi-occupancy building shall not be supplied from equipment that supplies an individual dwelling unit or tenant space.


I would agree this is the correct answer.
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician
There's no reason a tenant needs to know he might be on the hook for 8 cents

He may or may not.
Could be the place isn't even occupied right now.
Either way, by the next tenant nobody knows.

Even if they know and ask, you could literally open and close the door 6 times a day for a whole month before you'd use one kilowatt hour and cost a whopping 20 cents.

Split in half would be 10 cents a month to open and close 3 times a day.
Around here it would go back to the owner
That’s a dishonest and unfair treatment of tenants, plain and simple.
It’s also going to cause issues between tenants and owners.
As far as going back to the owner, I’m quite sure there is no law making an owner pay a tenants unpaid bills.
I own a rental property. I have to have a “landlords agreement” to have the power automatically put in my name when a tenant leaves. Their bill is not my bill.
Our utility also has a similar agreement for this type of dwelling.
What if the owner doesn’t have this agreement and the tenant supplying the garage leaves? Now there is no power to open the garage unless someone puts the power in their name and accepts responsibility for the monthly bill.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Install a transfer switch with digital read out which will open the garage thru facial recognition of the tenant. The transfer switch will be activated and power from that tenants panel will be used. When the other tenant arrives it switches to that panel power. Of course there will need to be a center off position also.

This is written in jest. Get a house panel that the owner pays for or put it on one panel with the landlord telling the tenant there will be a $20 discount on rent.
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
That’s a dishonest and unfair treatment of tenants, plain and simple.
It’s also going to cause issues between tenants and owners.
As far as going back to the owner, I’m quite sure there is no law making an owner pay a tenants unpaid bills.
I own a rental property. I have to have a “landlords agreement” to have the power automatically put in my name when a tenant leaves. Their bill is not my bill.
Our utility also has a similar agreement for this type of dwelling.
What if the owner doesn’t have this agreement and the tenant supplying the garage leaves? Now there is no power to open the garage unless someone puts the power in their name and accepts responsibility for the monthly bill.
You guys with all of your what-ifs 😅😅

What if the owner decides to have that service upgraded to get a third meter with a house panel and the extra cost makes him add $50 per month to the rent for both sides? I'd rather be on the hook for $0.08

What if the owner has the upgrade done and he's the one paying the bill for the house panel and he forgets to pay it? Then the electricity gets turned off to the house panel and now both sides are out of the garage? Wouldn't that be awesome

What If he has that third panel put in, and the landlord is the only one who has access to it, the breaker trips at night with both tenant cars inside the garage, and the landlord is in Hawaii for 6 weeks? Wouldn't that be awesome If you woke up in the morning and couldn't get your car to go to work

What if the landlord hires some clown with a backhoe to dig a ditch for a pipe, and the guy tears up the corner of the garage and the whole thing falls down? Then the landlord doesn't have the money to put a new garage and now nobody can use one?

You can what if all you want.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
You guys with all of your what-ifs 😅😅

What if the owner decides to have that service upgraded to get a third meter with a house panel and the extra cost makes him add $50 per month to the rent for both sides? I'd rather be on the hook for $0.08

What if the owner has the upgrade done and he's the one paying the bill for the house panel and he forgets to pay it? Then the electricity gets turned off to the house panel and now both sides are out of the garage? Wouldn't that be awesome

What If he has that third panel put in, and the landlord is the only one who has access to it, the breaker trips at night with both tenant cars inside the garage, and the landlord is in Hawaii for 6 weeks? Wouldn't that be awesome If you woke up in the morning and couldn't get your car to go to work

What if the landlord hires some clown with a backhoe to dig a ditch for a pipe, and the guy tears up the corner of the garage and the whole thing falls down? Then the landlord doesn't have the money to put a new garage and now nobody can use one?

You can what if all you want.
Have never seen a dwelling garage door that could not be opened when the power is off.
I know that if I was the tenant and found such a circuit, that circuit would no longer function.
 
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