Electrical Power setup questions

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Crashmph

Crashmph

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South Riding, VA
I am looking to set up my new shop in my new house this fall. I am seeking advice about the electrical situation and how I should proceed.

I will have the following tools in my new shop:

  • ShopFox 3hp dust collector 220v
  • SawStop table saw 3HP 220v
  • Jet floor stand drill press 110/220v (would like to run at 220V)
  • 6" Craftsman Jointer 110/220v (would like to run at 220V)
  • (future) upright 2hp air compressor 220v (forgot to add this one)
  • (future) Jet 1642 2HP 220v
  • 13" Rigid Planer 110v
  • 10" Ryobi compound slide miter 110v
  • Rikon Midi lathe 110v
  • Delta/Milwaukee 14" bandsaw 110v
  • Jet Benchtop Spindle sander 110v
  • Rikon 6x48 belt/10" disc sander 110v
I am a one man show so there will not be more than one tool plus the dust collector running at any given time. My house will have a 200 amp service to the house with the power panel in the basement. I will have about 12-16 open breakers left in the panel. I was thinking of creating a 100 amp subpanel off of the main to the garage. I was then planning to create a standalone circuit for each of the 220v tools. And several single outlet 110v circuits. Does anyone see a problem with my plan? Am I going to have to have another 200 amp service installed to the house?

I realize that I need an electrician to do this for me, but I am just getting feelers out for information on what others have done so that I can make an informed decision. Thanks for you input.

UPDATES:
The Garage is attached to the house on the rear of the house. I have attached a picture clarification. My wife will be parking on the non-window side and my shop will be the windowed side. Windows in the garage were the best $600 upgrade in the entire house! Slight change to the picture, the steps down in the garage are not down to the windowed wall. They go the other way to the wife's parking spot.

I guess on further review you guys I would only need three 220v breakers (one for the DC, one for the air compressor for when it pseudo randomly kicks on, and one for the the other 220v tools) and half a dozen or so 110v breakers (one for the 10 4' shop lights, two for the center of the shop, and the other 3 or 4 along the walls). Tell me if I am wrong here... but those are my plans.
 

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Michael, you should be fine with the 100amp service to your garage. Keeping in mind you will not be running several of these at the same time.
 
im a electrician in pa here first is your shop going to be attched to the house? if u put in a sub u have to split everything up . please give me more info on the shop , near the house ;in the house ect
 
Plan is fine. I have a 70 amp subpanel in my shop with 200 amp main service. Make sure you put several 110 circuits in the shop and plenty of outlets. Figure out how many you think you will need and triple it. If you run most of your tools at 220V, the current requirement is 1/2.
 
Since you mentioned getting an electrician to do the work I will not mention the mechanics of how to go about doing it. But here is what I hae in my 16X20 shop
1- 30 amp 220 volt circuit dedicated to the dust collector. I also have room to ad another 220 circuit if needed in the future.

5- 110volt 15 amp circuits. one for each of 3 walls, one for the center of the shop (2 duplex outlets) and one for the overhead lights)

I have duplex outlets in each of the three wired walls every 32 inches.

I plan to add another 110 circuit that is dedicated to my electric heaters. as it is they are connected to one or another of the wall circuits and will at times cause a breaker to trip. it is that or replace the wiring in my shop to 12 gauge and bump the amps per circuit to 20.

I highly recomend you have any 110 circuits 20 amp rather than the 15 I have.
 
Although you're a one-man operation, consider that you might someday add an air compressor which could come on while you're running a machine and your DC. Even a small upright compressor ought to be on 220.

I think a separate circuit for each 220 tool might be overkill. I have a single 220 20A circuit running the entire perimeter of the shop with outlets about every 5 feet. Off that I run my 2HP DC and 3HP tools with no problem. I've even started the DC and a 3HP saw simultaneously with no problem. I plan to upgrade my small compressor to an upright soon and I have a separate 220 circuit at that location ready to go.

For 110 I do as Daniel does, with a separate 20A circuit along each wall feeding multiple outlets. There is a single conduit running the entire perimeter and all the 110 circuits run through that. There are 3 4" boxes along each wall and each has 2 duplex outlets in it. Everything is surface mount on the cinder block walls.
 
If I turn on the compressor the lights go out.
Click to expand...

That's the way my dad's garage is. If the overhead lights were on then you couldn't run a band saw or table saw without blowing a circuit. It was funny really.

I am lucky in that I do not have any 220 items but if I ever get around to building my shop I will be sure to include some.
 
electricalme said:
im a electrician in pa here first is your shop going to be attched to the house? if u put in a sub u have to split everything up . please give me more info on the shop , near the house ;in the house ect
Click to expand...


What do you mean "split everything up?" And I updated the main post for you. Let me know if you need more info.
 
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If you are having an electrician do the work then let him tell you what you need. Remember if you can still park a car in there it is still a garage and you need to follow those codes too. Be careful with finishing fumes also. No 15 amp receptacles. All 20 amp. Lights seperate from all power outlets. plan for the future.
 
As John T. says, "Plan for the future." It is definitely far, far easier to set the outlets now than at any time in the future. You may have a couple that hardly ever get used, but they are already in place in case you do need them.

And since you already have stated you are going to use an electrician, have this discussion with him as he should be able to best inform you of your states coding requirements.
 
My new shop in being built as we speak so this topic interests me. Is there a number of 220 breakers that is not enough? enough? or Too many?
 
hunter-27 said:
My new shop in being built as we speak so this topic interests me. Is there a number of 220 breakers that is not enough? enough? or Too many?
Click to expand...


If you are buiding your shop it pays to run 12/3 to every outlet and from there you can do alot of different things. Do not use any #14 wire in a shop and that includes lights. Now if you have heavy machinery that requires #10 wire make sure you place this in the area that piece of equipment is needed. If you are using a conduit of some sort than all this is moot and you can always make changes later. Providing the conduit is large enough.

You ask about how many 220 breakers. No one can answer that because we do not know what your equipment is. The only thing in my shop on a 220 breaker is my shaper. No need to put equipment on 220 breakers unless you have them wired for that already. If you have a cabinet tablesaw then that would be a tool I would hook 220.
 
220 Circuit ?

jeff said:
I think a separate circuit for each 220 tool might be overkill. I have a single 220 20A circuit running the entire perimeter of the shop with outlets about every 5 feet. Off that I run my 2HP DC and 3HP tools with no problem. I've even started the DC and a 3HP saw simultaneously with no problem. I plan to upgrade my small compressor to an upright soon and I have a separate 220 circuit at that location ready to go.
Click to expand...

I read this is great interest. I have in the past had a separate breaker for all 220 appliances, and never thought I could get away with more than one plug or socket on a 220 line.

In my new house, before I build an official shop I was going to share the dryer line, for a welder, plasma cutter and compressor. (Sorry all my wood tools are 110) I am debating a sub panel with 4 (3 tools, and dryer) breakers and room for expansion v.s two additional plugs and sharing the plug so only one tool and the compressor can run a any one time.

Which way do you think would be the best and safest way to go? running new wires is not so easy all the walls(basement and garage) are finished painted
Thanks
Ian
 
Electricity in the shop is like money in the bank. I've never met anyone who has too much of either. The answer is to put in all the 110 AND 220 circuits that you can afford or that your panel will hold. If you don't need them, nobody will make you use them. Also, making 20 amp 110 circuits only requires 12 guage wire and better outlets. That seemed to be a wise investment to me.
 
Suggest you not think hp (many tall tales told in the name of horse power) and think amperes -- a nominal 1.5 hp dust collector or lathes draws about 7 amps running at 220 volts. A nominal 3 amp dust collector is twice that -- 15 amps or so. Starting draw is about 10-15 percent higher -

If you are going to have 220 around the shop (really good idea for voltage drop, but does not make a difference at the meter or the bill) you can make the loads work better on most of the motors. If they are dual voltage, run them on the 220 settings and the starting is smoother and better --

If you have 220 volt single phase, you can start using VFD for variable speed and take advantage of that technology. Great reason to have 220 volt motors on lathes, bandsaws, and big time sanders.

To address an extension cord note above -- be sure you think about clear separation of plugs for the 220 volt if you use extension cords. I just like to avoid them entirely.
 
wdcav1952 said:
Extension cords, lots and lots and lots of extension cords!!!! :eek:
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I agree with Cav on this one. With enough extension cords and splitters, you can probably get away with using only one wall outlet for everything. Your electrician will probably agree with me on this, but ask him anyways. I have also found that if I have my bandsaw set up for 110 it acts as a whole house dimmer when I turn it on. Cool effect.
 
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