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After too many years in a small shop where too many tools have to be mobile (and 6'8" ceilings), we should be moving into a new house in September. My new shop space will be in a basement that is approx 17'x30' with 9' ceilings! We have our electrical walk with the builder tomorrow and I need to figure out what additional electrical outlets I need, and where. Aside from misc small power tools, I have:
1-Sawstop
2-Bandsaw
3-Planer
4-Jointer
5-Jet hanging air filtration box
6-Shop Fox dust collection system
7-Router table
There are obviously many times when one of these are running along with the air filter, and dust collector at the same time. How many outlets seems reasonable in a room such as this? Also, should I have a dedicated run for the Sawstop, Shop Fox, or the air filter box?
Thanks,
Paul
"Some glue, some brads while the glue dries, and that's not going anywhere!"
Norm
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Location: Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Congrats on the new digs! It's always fun setting up a new shop.
In regards to your electrical needs, more is better (well, maybe not always. but it sounds good!). We built a 2-car detached garage with a walk up attic. At the time my contractor said "you can't possibly need any more than a couple of 20 amp circuits". He couldn't have possibly more wrong! Since that time I've added 8 more 20 amp circuits and a 220 outlet shared by my table saw, jointer and planer. In addition, I installed 4 outlets in the ceiling. Two of those are for reel-type extension cords which hang from the ceiling. (I use those all the time!). One powers my Jet air cleaner and the other is connected to a wall switch which controls shop lighting.
You are doing the right thing by taking stock of what you have and what you'll need. I humbly suggest that you install more than "just enough". Rather, plan for future needs such as 220 volt outlets, extra wall outlets, ceiling outlets, extra lighting, etc.
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Location: Fort Worth
Line the walls with 110v outlets at no lower than 52" to the bottom of the outlet. As in no less than every 5' and all quads and then your 220 outlets where you want then add some more.
Ceiling outlets as well and more than you think you need in a grid formation. Your single air cleaner is nice but it really helps to have more than one since rhey are $115 on amazon right now...
You want power everywhere.... And i wish we had basements here... Most of the country isnt blessed with that free square footage.
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I did a similar thing last year.
There were a couple of 15A circuits and too few lights in the new basement.
I added three 120V 20A circuits for wall outlets, a fourth for lights, split it with 12-3 for switched outlets for LED lights and whatever else I wanted switched, with a second unswitched in the ceiling (8' ceilings and I'm 6'5" so reaching them is no problem). Each wall drop is 52" above the floor (or on the joists) and has two 20A duplex outlets. The reason for that height is to get above my benches and tool chests and also above a sheet of plywood, should it ever be stacked there.
I only have two 240V machines -- a Jet dust collector (on a switched circuit DPDT switch) and a Unisaw. Each have a dedicated circuit. I figure if I ever add another 240V machine, I'd never operate two at once.
At the recommendation of the electrician who put in the breakers for me, each of the 120V circuits is headed by a GFCI (may be code?) I have since learned from another electrician that I should have gone for GFCI breakers that have a longer life. GFCI outlets have a 1 year working life.
My other equipment is
- ceiling air filter
- band saw
- Shopsmith
- Drill press
- table top tools - spindle sander, router table, small belt-disk sander
- usual assortment of hand power tools - routers, sanders, drills, etc.
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Location: Orlando, Florida
Unless you plan on making your machines mobile, and you have enough space on the power panel for the breakers, I'd put a dedicated outlet for every single machine in your shop. You will very rarely need to run more than 2 machines at once, but you also won't have to keep unplugging and plugging back in every time you need to use a different machine. At a minimum, I'd have a dedicated line to the TS and dust collection / air cleaner. The best and cheapest time to run lines is now, while everything is open and accessible. Consider it part of the price of a new home. If you decide you need more outlets later, the cost will be more than 2x what you'd pay now for new construction.
BTW, if it's new construction, I'd have them install surge protection on the main power panel. It'll save you lots of $ in the case of a power surge.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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Suggest also to identify 120v circuits by using different colored receptacles, such as brown, ivory, and white. This makes it easy to divide simultaneous heavy loads such as a planer and shop vac which when used together can trip a breaker. Also more than one lighting circuit. Prevents working in dark if one circuit is off when your working on it. Roly
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Location: Clarksville, TN
I suggest getting a second 200 Amp service installed in your shop now. Run all wiring in conduit so it can easily be pulled back and replaced, (drop ceiling access). I agree that you should put 110 every 4 to 5 feet in double gang boxes but be sure that you are alternating circuits so that no two circuits are in the same box, (1&2, 3&4, 1&2, 3&4, etc). Wire everything 12 gauge so they will support up to 20 Amps regardless of whether they are 110 or 220 and put in at least a couple 10 gauge 30 Amp circuits where you think you will put in a larger planer and a cyclone DC in your future.
"Well, my time of not taking you seriously is coming to a middle."
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If I were to do my shop over again I would have put all the electrical into surface mount conduit. At this stage it is impossible to determine your needs and tools you will buy in the future. With surface mounted electrical it becomes much easier to modify/add as your needs change.
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Location: Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Have them put a 100amp sub-panel in the shop area and leave.
Run conduit as required while you set the up the shop.
Ed
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Location: NW of Fort Worth, TX
I am currently wiring my new shop which is a standalone metal building. Similar to various comments above, I have quad 120v receptacles roughly every 5 feet. The bottom is 42" from the floor due to a metal support at that height which makes for a convenient support. I am running everything in either 3/4" flexible metal conduit or EMT so that I can pull additional circuits in the future. I am also putting in some boxes and conduit interspersed for 240v circuits. I will not pull any wire in those at the moment since I do not know what it would be used for and hence what gauge wire it would need.
I am basically following the concept of put in more than I think I could possibly need. If I were paying someone to do the installation, some of it would likely get scaled back.
I had not thought about a grid of receptacles in the ceiling. I will need to keep that in mind for the other side under the loft. I also like the idea of the different colored receptacles to mark different circuits.
John
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