A 240 volts outlet comes with two 120 volts wires and a neutral wire for a single powerful appliance that needs 240 volts to operate.
If you have a dryer, washer, and other laundry appliances in your home, you must need a separate outlet for these powerful electric appliances.
Considering your garage, you will still net 240 volts to operate your electrical machinery safely. If your garage is large, and you make some tools there, you need a separate 240 volts outlet to run your electric tools safely.
Cost to install a 240v outlet in garage
If you hire an electrician, it will cost you around $300 to install a 240 volts outlet in your garage. You should count your outlet price of 10-20 bucks and a circuit breaker for each outlet in that cost. Sometimes, the electrician may charge more than 300 bucks if your electric line is longer.
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You should consult your electrician about the outlet, breaker, labor, or total installation costs. If you have any known professional who works as an expert electrician may offer you a package of $250, including everything. So, you should consult your electrician for that cost.
$350 is approximate if you hire a professional and install the outlet in your garage in the U.S.A. You can save 90% of this cost by following some guidelines on installing your outlet in your garage. We will install a new outlet of the same voltages in the following section.
To follow that guideline, you must have some DIY skills in working or installing other outlets or related experience.
We don’t encourage people who don’t have much experience to establish a powerful 240v outlet. You are good to go if you know the basics of electric works and how to deal with them.
You will find step-by-step guidelines in the following section to install your 240v outlet safely in your garage.
Before that, you should consider some safety measures to avoid unwanted electricity-related accidents since they will be dangerous. You must wear plastic or rubber gloves while dealing with electric wires.
Apart from that, your garage must have enough space to move safely and to work with long electrical wires. You must turn off the main switch in your garage and use other lights to work there. You must have a helping hand who can give you all the tools.
These are the primary concern if you want to install the outlet yourself, but if you hire the electrician, you only need to pay that amount.
Now, the choice is yours; if you have previous experience working with electric wires, and related stuff, you may follow our guidelines to install your outlet to save $300 bucks.
Once you get the experience of installing the 240v outlet in your garage, you can do pretty much everything yourself.
You don’t need to hire any more professionals to sort out the electrical issues in your garage. It will save you cost in every way possible, and you can install other outlets easily.
3 factors that affect the cost of 240v outlet installation the garage
There are mainly three factors that will affect the cost of 240v outlet installation in your garage. You must ignore the labor cost here since it is already mentioned above.
We will go in-depth and show you some hidden fees that you must do while installing the outlet for the first time in your garage.
Circuit Length:
The circuit length is the primary element in the total cost, and the installation cost increases proportionately with the size of the circuit.
The distance in feet traveled by electrical cabling between the primary electrical panel and the position of the outlet is referred to as the “circuit length.” Around 30 feet of wiring is considered to be the standard circuit length for a dryer.
Accessibility:
Accessibility is the second component of the cost, and the circuit’s level of accessibility directly correlates to the installation cost.
To install a 220-volt outlet for your dryer, as was indicated previously, you will need to run a wire from your main electrical panel to the spot where the dryer will be placed.
When referring to the wire, “accessibility” refers to how simple it is for your electrician to hide the wire in a spot that is also secure.
Primary Panel Upgradation:
The third element of the cost is determining whether or not you need to upgrade your primary panel.
If you need to improve the main electrical panel in your home, the cost of the entire project will increase by between $3,000 and $7,000, depending on how extensive the change is.
How many 240v outlets are required in a garage?
The number of outlets required in a garage varies depending on the garage size and the number of vehicle bays. Typically, 2 to 3 240v outlets are required in a garage if it has 2 to 3 vehicle bays.
It’s a general role to ensure one separate 240v outlet for every vehicle parking bay so your mechanic can work separately.
You can start with 2 240v outlets for two parking bays if you have a starter garage. When you increase the size and add more parking space, you can install more 240v outlets accordingly.
In that case, you must follow the rule of thumb to use one separate outlet for your parking vehicle bay.
You can install one extra 240v outlet in your main garage to work there separately. Sometimes, it will help you to work during rush hour, and your mechanic or other people can work with other garage tools if other outlets are busy.
How do you install 240 volts outlet in a garage?
You must follow these three simple steps to install a 240 volts outlet in your garage to save a $300 installation charge. Let’s see how you can install the outlet safely.
Turn Off Circuit Breaker:
Put in the 240-volt circuit breaker in the panel that controls the electrical system. Put the main circuit breaker into the off position. Take off the panel cover and look for two open positions that are adjacent to each other.
Put in place the brand-new double breaker with a snap. After inserting the new cable encased in sheathing into the panel, remove the sheathing and strip the insulation wires down to a depth of three-quarters of an inch.
Make Connections:
Before connecting the two hot wires to the new breaker, you must first connect to the ground and neutral bus bars on the circuit.
Replace the panel cover in its place. Before turning on the main breaker, you must ensure that the new double breaker has been switched off.
Check Voltage:
Perform a voltage check on the outlet using the neon tester. It is recommended that 240 volts be maintained between the two hot poles.
It is recommended that there be a voltage of 120 volts between one of the hot poles and the neutral pole if there is one.
Where should I put my 240v in my garage?
You should put your 240v outlet in every vehicle parking bay to charge any electric car or work separately with each car in the garage.
If you have three parking slots, keep three 240v outlets in each parking bay to ensure a secure servicing point for every vehicle. You may also put an extra outlet inside your garage.
It will help you use other appliances or powerful tools separately when the other outlets are busy with separate vehicles.
Remember, you cannot use the same outlets for more than two appliances or cars, and it will be overloaded and may fail to give you the best electrical support.
So, choose the parking slots separately, and install one outlet in every bay. Apart from that, don’t forget to install one more outlet in your main garage area to use in an emergency. It will be your backup outlet which you can use if any of the parking outlets is not working.
Final Thoughts
Although installing a 240v outlet depends on various factors, you can expect to invest $300 for a single 240v installation cost in your garage. It’s an approximate cost that could be less if you know how to install 240v in the garage. If you have DIY skills, you can follow our guidelines.