I am installing electrical wiring to an 8x12 portable building. I would like to have about five 110 outlets. One outlet will run a 5,000 btu ac. The other will run a small refrigerator. Can I run all this will a single 110 breaker?
This is a job for an electrician. You must tie into the main breaker box and its dangerous if you dont know what you're doing you can get hurt. You can help reduce your cost by doing some of the work yourself if you do some research first. When selecting contractors, ask them what you can do to reduce costs on the project and they'll tell you what to do. For example, in Michigan, code says you need an outlet for every six feet of wall a minimum of 8 off the floor, you have to secure the boxes to the studs and have staples in certain places. The wiring must run a certain way, and you can only have 11 plugs per run(wiring arrangement). Then you need to attach them a certain way with a minimum amount of wire left. So you see, if you dont do your research, you wont pass your open (rough) inspection.
Add up the estimated wattage you will most likely draw through the line and if it's well under a 15 amp breaker then yes, otherwise install two. (Note it is a 15 amp breaker not a 110 breaker.) One 15 amp breaker for the a/c unit the other 15 amp breaker for the outlets. If it's going to be a work shop with motors that draw a slug of start-up current then it would pay to have each outlet on it's own breaker. Home Depot and/or Lowe's sell books on how to do things like this. Even have the lights on it's own breaker. Again, all of this has to add up to less current draw than the supply line you are running out to the shed. Learn before hand and know the building/electrical codes for your state/area or you may be tearing it all out. Insurance companies love diy's that mess up as they don't have to pay.
Wiring A Shed For Electricity
I recommend that you run 10/3 to the shed. Install a small sub panel and use 20 amp circuits to dedicate for the a/c and the fridge, and perhaps one more for each of the additional outlets so they can adequately handle any power equipment you might use. You would feed this with a 2 pole 30 amp breaker in your main panel. Keep grounds and neutrals separate in the sub panel. If you don't want to go this route, then run a 12/3 wire from a 2 pole 20 amp breaker and put the a/c and fridge together on one leg, and use the other leg to feed your other outlets. Other option there is to use 2 lengths of 12/2 and 2 single pole 20 amp breakers. Having the 30 amp sub panel will guarantee your future needs. 20 amp circuits will guarantee you no lag and no tripping of circuits if you ever use a space heater, an air compressor and saw at the same time, etc. 15 amp circuits will make it a stretch to put the fridge and a/c together on one circuit and generally don't handle power tools/equipment well.
1. You're not gonna be happy with the results you get from that AC unit. Without insulation, you'll basically be trying to cool the 'Great Outdoors. 2. Those two appliances will just about 'Max out' a single 20A. circuit. You'll be better off with a twp pole service. 3. Done right, electric service to a separate building requires a grounded service panel with it's own 'Main' and ground rod. 4 Out-door wiring needs special cable and protection. (Direct burial or UV rated if overhead.) 5. Convenience circuits will need to be GFI protected. 6. That's not all you need to know by any means. Get some advice from someone who knows what he's doing before you even start.
