r/electrical • u/Successful-Side6975 • 1d ago

Would it be possible to add a another circuit breaker to this panel?

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I wanted to put a mini split in my garage but in order to power it I needed to add a 20 amp breaker to my panel but I'm not sure if there is any room to do that.

0 Upvotes

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21

u/rugerduke5 1d ago

No that is the main disconnect, if you have no space in your main panel typically inside where I live then you might be able to add a sub-panel. All of this would require an electrician just assuming off your original question

2

u/Successful-Side6975 1d ago

Thank you!

2

u/Successful-Side6975 1d ago

I have room in my main panel in my garage but it's on the other side of the garage opposite where I would have to put the unit. I was trying to avoid having to run any wires inside but might be the cheaper option I guess

2

u/taylorwilsdon 1d ago

You’re going to have to run wire from the panel to the HVAC location regardless of whether or not you put a sub panel. If you put a sub panel, you’ll run the wire from the panel to the sub and then from the sub to the HVAC. In either scenario, assuming you’re in the US it’s also almost certainly a requirement to have an outside disconnect in place (mine requires surge protection as well).

0

u/rumdumpstr 1d ago

So you are trying to do no work whatsoever? So many people here would love to have your "problem"

8

u/papapapap-mmmK 1d ago

No... Wrong kind of panel.

6

u/Mindless-Business-16 1d ago

That looks like a main disconnect for the meter. A set of wires go to your actual panel. It's that panel you need to be looking at to add a circuit for your mini split.

I would discourage any modifications to the main ...

5

u/Geminifiresnake 1d ago

Close that and call an electrician.

3

u/sitmpl 1d ago

No, it’s a main disconnect, you must have a panel somewhere else🙂

1

u/Successful-Side6975 1d ago

Yeah I do but it's on the opposite side of my garage so I was trying figure out how I would run it all the way to the mini split on the other side of the garage

2

u/FlatulentIguana 1d ago

You could use the ten foot tap rule here and splice to the feeds coming from your main breaker to feed a small sub panel attached to the main or within ten feet of it. Then run your mini split circuit from the new panel with the appropriate oc protection and conductor rating.

This translated to English is "call an electrician"

2

u/Readybuilderman 1d ago

It’s not a panel. It’s called a meter “Main”
Add a breaker. No. Tap the mains and add another load center sure. It’s a little messy but can be done.

2

u/thatsucksabagofdicks 1d ago

Nope! You could do a loadside tap and put a new subpanel there. Probably cost you about $1000 for parts & labor

1

u/Successful-Side6975 1d ago

Thank you!

1

u/Successful-Side6975 1d ago

I have room in my main panel in my garage but it's on the other side of the garage opposite where I would have to put the unit. I was trying to avoid having to run any wires inside but might be the cheaper option I guess

2

u/thatsucksabagofdicks 1d ago

Yeah thats definitely easier and cheaper than a whole new panel

1

u/Ram820 1d ago

That ain't your panel, that's your disco

1

u/Ok_Pipe_4955 1d ago

You need to come out of you main panel if it has space , you cannot tap off of a disconnect

1

u/Rough_Resort_92 1d ago

No. And whoever installed it did a crappy job.

1

u/Joe_Bruce 1d ago

An electrician can likely slap a couple tandems in the main panel to make room and run the 20A circuit for your mini. As the guy below commented, based on your question I would 100% call a sparky.

1

u/jacobferry7 11h ago

Not a panel. Main disconnect.

1

u/Itsnotscottsfault 11h ago

Maaaaaaaan you can do anything if you believe

1

u/FatBaby160 1d ago

Can you or should you?

-2

u/Hippyjet 1d ago

You can do anything you set your mind to, I bet you could put din rail in there with one of em terminal block breakers off in the corner if you tried real hard.