Attic wiring

Hi I'm new here, but as you guess I've got a question for you. I recently bought a house and want to semi finish the attic. I need to run wiring for lights and for receptacles. I also need to have an electric baseboard heater because once I put the insulation in there is no heat up there. You probably are wondering about the heat issue. My basement is totally finished and the attic is going to become the computer area/workroom. I checked my breaker box there is only 1 available slot open, there is 1 light fixture up there already controlled by a switch at the downstaiers door. ??

 

So what is your question? Are you asking if this job is feasible?

Almost anything is feasible given enough time and money. You will likely need to open up some more space in your panel, but this is normally possible by using tandem breakers.

Here are the key questions: (1) Does your panel accept and have room for tandem breakers? This question depends on the brand and type of panel and what's already in it. (2) Does your home have sufficient service capacity? The answer is probably yes, but if you are close to the limit now, you should have this evaluated. (3) How many circuits will you need? This depends a lot on how many square feet and cubic feet you have, what you mean by "semi finish", how good the insulation will be, what climate you have, and what you mean by "workshop". You will need to figure out your power needs. Some well-insulated attics stay warm enough without supplemental heat, since the heat from below rises.

 

Yes the box accepts tandems, there are three in there already. 1- stove,2- dryer,3- a/c. I actually want to insulate the ceiling and walls, put a door up at the top of the stairs and some pegboard, not real walls some of this is done already. I live in central New Jersey and the temp isn't as cold as it can get but it still is kind of frigid up there. This is why i was looking into baseboard electric heat. as for wiring i was figuring about 4-5 outlets and a decent overhead light.

 

You may have confused "tandem" breakers with "double-pole" breakers. Tandem breakers are sometimes called skinny breakers or twin breakers. A double-pole breaker is usually two inches wide. A tandem breaker is usually one half inch wide.

 

Okay, you were right I confused the 2. The ones in the breaker box are like 2 regular breakers and have a "bar" connecting both levers. The breaker box is a Square D.

 

Where is the existing panel and how far from the attic is it? You would only need to gain one space in it if you used a sub there. Just a thought.

 

Okay the breaker box is in the basement approximately 20-25 feet straight down the front wall. how hard would it be to hook up a sub box? I know it actually all depends on the logistics of everything.

 

What are the receptacles going to be used for ?In other words,do you have any idea of what size the load might be in amperage or watts.

How much of a load is on the circuit that the light is currently on?It may be possible(and probably is)to use it for your receptacles and lights and use the 1 space that you have to run a new circuit for the heater.