Need to re-wire!

[Anvil14]

We just bought a house(circa 1923) with a 11'x21' single car garage.Pictures later! I've been investigating the wiring. The house has a 200 amp panel and a 100(?)amp sub-panel beside it.The garage has what appears to be a 60amp panel.There are some unused breakers on the 200 amp panel ,but all the breakers are used on the 100 amp sub.Here's the curious(dangerous?) part! The entire garage(including a 240v plug) is wired through four 15 amp breakers in the garage then through a single 30 amp breaker on the 100amp sub-panel. Huh?! I'm not exactly sure what the previous homeowner was trying to do. This doesn't seem right.
I think I will be running new wire to the garage to the panel,using all the breakers on the 200 amp panel and relocating the 100 amp panel to the garage.

 

[havasu]

Welcome Anvil14!

The previous owner obviously did not use the 240v plug. If he did, he would have realized how underrated that breaker was.

Are you sure the 100 amp panel is a sub-panel? To me it sounds like the house originally had the 100 amp panel and when it ran out of room, they legged it to a more suitable 200 amp sub panel. I did the same thing, except I ripped out the 100 amp panel and started over with the 200 amp panel as my one and only panel. I then legged off of this and installed a 60 amp sub in the garage, which was sufficient for me.

Good luck with this and please post pics for all of us to drool at!

 

[Anvil14]

I was just following the power into the house. Big on/off main,then the 200 amp,then a MUCH smaller 100 amp . But you are probably right,the 100 was probably the initial panel-no A/C,heat pump,furnace,water softener,dish washer,washer/dryer back then to worry about! Two wire,maybe even knob and tube!

 

[havasu]

Ahh, the simpler times in life. I did some attic work with that knob and tube stuff. That was downright scary but they say if it is not touched, it's fine. Not with me though! Don't forget your new Cat 5 cable as well!

 

[thomask]

ANVIL:

Post up some pics for us to see.

If not real skilled at electric find a friend who is. These old houses pose a lot of serious questions and being extra careful around wiring is nothing to guess at. Sounds like you have at least three different installations in your house to be concerned with. I agree the best direction is to get everything working from the 200 amp box and remove that old garage box and move a new sub panel to your garage. That 240 is really a red flag.

Lucky, I have a good friend who knows electric and is always willing to answer questions to help.

Fixing up old houses and garages is very rewarding and takes a special person.

Good luck to you and again please share with us some pics of electric and garage.