Best way to add more outlets in the garage?

[A930Rocket]

I have one GFI in the garage near the door to the house and want to add more along one wall for now. The current outlet is on a 15 amp breaker.

I don’t want to cut drywall add the wiring/boxes, repair and paint (too impatient &#129322, so my plan was to run grey 1/2” conduit to surface mount boxes and run individual 12/2 wires, as needed to daisy chain them. The existing outlet is flush to the drywall, so I’ll have to extend it out and then start the chain.

The obstacles are the panel box pop out, two outside and three inside corners from the GFI to where I’ll stop. I’ll run short 90* sweepers in the inside corners and LB boxes on the outside corners. The panel box is up high, so I can drill two holes below it and run the conduit through it.

With a 15 amp breaker, how many outlets can I add? None will be in constant use, but I want enough of them spaced along one wall so I always have one as needed (I was thinking five or so).

Any other ideas how to add the outlets, besides calling the electrician?

Here’s a rough drawing of the layout.

[chrismorse]

The number of outlets is not a significant factor. The convenience of having an outlet where you want it is. The critical factor is the wattage used, at one time.
If you have 12-2 wire going to the box, you can up the breaker to 20 amps from 15. The wire size dictates the breaker size, to prevent overheating the wire.

Canyou dodge around, over, under the box to avoid going through it??? I;m not sure i followed your planned installation correctly.

Surface 1/2 emt, conduit is fine for a garage,
Rather than pulling 12-2 romex, i would recommend running #12 THHN, stranded wire, which is a lot easier to pull.
I would recommend using an industrial grade receptacle because the construction is more durable, particularly in areas of high use. The household 15 or 20 amp units are built for price not serious use. If you move to a 20 amp breaker, upgrade the GFCI to 20 amp rating.
While you are "in there :-), consider lighting, possible running 4 foot LED fluorescents, for better lighting and lower wattage use.

Since the panel is right there, can you use a "piggyback" breaker to add another circuit for any future high wattage uses, like a compressor,welder, or lift?? That way, you could pul all the wire at one time.

I like electrical :-) just spent my sunday doing the wiring in my step son's first home.

good luck, You can do this,
chris

[greglepore]

Yea, that's what I'm wondering, why 12 when you're limiting yourself to 15 amps. If its because of the run to the first outlet, I'd do some research-I might be short enough that its not a factor. Why not eliminate the first gfci, put a surface mount box on the wall in its place, replace the breaker with a 20 amp gfci, and daisy from there. No need then for gfci outlets, which suck. And run 12 to the first outlet.

[dad911]

Depending on when your house was built(the code has changed over the years), that garage GFI may legally feed other outside outlets, basement or bathroom GFI receptacles, or even the garage door opener receptacles.

If it is the only thing on that circuit, I see no reason why you couldn't extend the box, and add additional receptacles fed through conduit. If it is fed with 14 gauge wire (15 amp breaker) you should probably use the same.

However, if you have space for more breakers in the panel, why not leave the existing outlet alone and add another circuit?

[Superman]

If the wires to the existing GFCI are too short, then extending them out to a surface-mounted box might be challenging or unlawful/unwise. All electrical connections have to be in a box. I would not use wire, from the GFCI to the downstream new boxes, which is larger than the wire feeding the GFCI. Overkill and unnecessary. If that wire is 14 ga, then you are likely limited to 15A. I am not an electrician. If I were installing conduit against the outside of a wall, I would greatly prefer to use metal conduit. Pulling cable shouldn't be that difficult because you can likely install the wire as you are assembling the conduit.

The outlet closest to the work bench in my garage is too far away to be useful, and has only one available plug (the other runs the furnace condensate pump). So I just attached a power strip to the wall next to my work bench and plugged that into the outlet. Easy peesy.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

The number of outlets is not a significant factor. The convenience of having an outlet where you want it is. The critical factor is the wattage used, at one time.
If you have 12-2 wire going to the box, you can up the breaker to 20 amps from 15. The wire size dictates the breaker size, to prevent overheating the wire.

Canyou dodge around, over, under the box to avoid going through it??? I;m not sure i followed your planned installation correctly.

Surface 1/2 emt, conduit is fine for a garage,
Rather than pulling 12-2 romex, i would recommend running #12 THHN, stranded wire, which is a lot easier to pull.
I would recommend using an industrial grade receptacle because the construction is more durable, particularly in areas of high use. The household 15 or 20 amp units are built for price not serious use. If you move to a 20 amp breaker, upgrade the GFCI to 20 amp rating.
While you are "in there :-), consider lighting, possible running 4 foot LED fluorescents, for better lighting and lower wattage use.

Since the panel is right there, can you use a "piggyback" breaker to add another circuit for any future high wattage uses, like a compressor,welder, or lift?? That way, you could pul all the wire at one time.

I like electrical :-) just spent my sunday doing the wiring in my step son's first home.

good luck, You can do this,
chris

I’ll look at the breaker and wires at the GFI again to verify size. It’s been awhile.

I would say 99% of the wires to the panel go up. Below the panel would be hollow and I can drill a hole on both sides, run the conduit through the pop out and below the panel, vs around it, etc. Keep it simple.

I’m not savvy enough to add a circuit to the panel. 😳

This is phase one. No plans for anything bigger than my existing pancake compressor and 120 mig welder.

Originally Posted by dad911

Depending on when your house was built(the code has changed over the years), that garage GFI may legally feed other outside outlets, basement or bathroom GFI receptacles, or even the garage door opener receptacles.

If it is the only thing on that circuit, I see no reason why you couldn't extend the box, and add additional receptacles fed through conduit. If it is fed with 14 gauge wire (15 amp breaker) you should probably use the same.

However, if you have space for more breakers in the panel, why not leave the existing outlet alone and add another circuit?

Good question on what the GFI feeds, if anything. I know the breaker is labeled garage GFI.

These are the surface mount boxes I was going to use with solid 12/2 wire. I’m thinking the 14/2 wire was not much less. By not pulling long distances, I thought the solid wire would be better. The outlets I bought only have screw connections, so I don’t know how stranded wire would work.

[cstreit]

If you’re going to use plastic surface mount boxes, be sure to include a ground wire (separate from neutral). Inside the wall systems use the metal conduit and boxes as the ground. You won’t have that.

Number of outlets is irrelevant. Power draw at any given time is the factor.

Solid is always better. Stranded works until things get hot, it corrodes much easier. I’ve seen more issues with stranded than solid.

[1990C4S]

At five outlets you will be fine, NEC code is ten I think.

Don't make the wire oversize, there is zero benefit, and it's harder to work with.

If it were me I would run EMT or plastic tube on the surface and pull THHN wire like Chris said above. I would also avoid the GFI unless it was code. They frequently cause more problems than they solve.

[A930Rocket]

^^^ I was going to delete the GFI and use a normal outlet for now. I can replace if it’s needed.

The only reason I chose gray plastic was it’s easy and quick installation. The boxes are expensive though.

[A930Rocket]

Cstreit... I bought ground wire to use if needed.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

^^^ I was going to delete the GFI and use a normal outlet for now. I can replace if it’s needed.

The only reason I chose gray plastic was it’s easy and quick installation. The boxes are expensive though.

EMT, metal boxes, 90 degree pull elbows. That's the cheapest way I think.

Buy metal covers for the outlets.

[MBAtarga]

GFI protected outlets are code in garages - google fu:

Yes, all garage outlets must be GFCI-protected-no exceptions. Since 2008, GFCI outlets have been required for “all 125-volt, single-phase, 15 and 20-amp outlets” in the garage. In fact, both the NEC (National Electric Code) and the IRC (International Residential Code) require this.