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Electricity Suggestions for Shop

ok the ask an electrician is the best answer but i need to know who got shoved out in your shop to have to sleep on the cot???:rofl::rofl: what did they do wrong or do you take naps while out there from all the work yu have done proir:rofl::rofl: check with drew he is in the construction business and should be able to get yu a recommendation..
 
From what you listed I would think you currently need 4 seperate 15-20a 120V circuits to make sure nothing trips at any point. 1 for each heater, 1 for vac, 1 for saw. If there's any way to limit the heater draw a little, you could double up two items on two 20a circuits. Might have to turn the heaters off briefly when you're planing or sawing something really thick.

Most tools don't draw full power all the time. I have a 15A table saw motor and I think 8A dust collector both 120v that I can run on the same 20a circuit without trouble usually. But it does trip occasionally. I can't operate my 15A planer and 8A dust collector together at all because the planer runs closer to full load.

The # of 220V circuits does depend on how many tools you plan on buying that operate on 220. For the most part, 20a for 3hp tools and 30a for 5hp tools. I'd suggest a couple on different walls while you're getting them installed. If you want a central dust collection system eventually or large air compressor, that could need 220V too.
 
Cynthia White said:
Okay, the vacuum is 11 Amps and where it's plugged in there's tape over the other plug in to indicate I assume not to use it. Don't know if that's a dedicated circuit.

The heater book says that with the lamp and heating element on, the heater uses 1500W.

When that one breaker was thrown, I had on the
a) overhead lights, i.e. 2 light bulbs,
b) 2 Makita battery chargers on side of the room and
c) some small portable flood lights in the same outlet as b),
d) 2 heaters, one plugged into one overhead outlet alone and the other, alone in another wall outlet.

Everything went off as soon as I started the second heater.
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Cynthia,
You're getting some good advice, but I think that one thing has been overlooked. You commented above that you don't know if the vacuum is on a dedicated circuit, and there was also no mention of the ceiling outlets for the garage door openers.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that makes me suspect that you don't have a map of your circuits. IMHO, that is what you should do first: map your breakers. It's a bit tedious, flip off each breaker one at a time, and run around and find out which outlets/switches are dead. Works quicker with two people doing it. Then make yourself a spreadsheet or list and tape it up beside the panel, or on the inside of the panel door.
 
Art Mulder said:
Cynthia,
...map your breakers. It's a bit tedious, flip off each breaker one at a time, and run around and find out which outlets/switches are dead. Works quicker with two people doing it. Then make yourself a spreadsheet or list and tape it up beside the panel, or on the inside of the panel door.
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That is great advise Art. It will be essential information now, and useful in the future when things change (they always do).;)
 
larry merlau said:
ok the ask an electrician is the best answer but i need to know who got shoved out in your shop to have to sleep on the cot???:rofl::rofl: what did they do wrong or do you take naps while out there from all the work yu have done proir:rofl::rofl: check with drew he is in the construction business and should be able to get yu a recommendation..
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You funny man. That cot is for you when you come to visit. Notice I put it right under the heater! No, it's for me when I get a headache after doing a lot of voltage and amperage calculations. No, it's actually for my bodyguard. He goes with me everywhere. Fortunately he's functionally deaf so he doesn't mind the loud machines. In the avatar he's wearing his Great White Shark Halloween costume. ;o)

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Great White Shark? I thought he was a medieval dragon of some type. A small dragon, low to the ground, but a dragon nonetheless.
 
Vaughn McMillan said:
Great White Shark? I thought he was a medieval dragon of some type. A small dragon, low to the ground, but a dragon nonetheless.
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When my kids were in high school, they used to beg me, "please mom, don't take the dog out for Halloween. Everyone will think you're the crazy lady up the street who dresses up her dog."

Needless to say, I always ignored them and took him out anyway. :rofl: :rofl:
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cynthia, I just got that heater, lee Valley? My wife saw it in the catalog and knows the 2 small crappy heaters I have only work to keep my glueups warm.
I actually hung it today, so shes happy.(now that I have new wood floors, I dont want to schlep the glueups inside anymore)
Its time to go out and get serious and look into a good radiant heat supply.
My plumber just installed a propane radiant heat in his garage in a new house he bought in PA, he told me this is the way to go since Im not going to get much more power out to the garage, and propane is a cheap source for 2 months a year.
IM not suggesting you get propane radiant heat, but that lee valley isnt a primary source of heat, nor does it claim to be.
I aimed it on my work bench so I can glue up in the colder weather and keep the glueups warm enough for 4-6 hours.
My only fear is that if I go for a real heat source, maybe insulate a little better, I might never come into my home again, cause then Ill be looking to install plumbing and a fridge, maybe a flatscreen.
 
Yeah, Allen, those are the LV ones. And you're right about getting serious, and you're right about making it *too* comfortable in there.....I'm already planning a couch in there. :rofl: The weather is usually mild here, so I expect those will get me through this winter, and then I'd really like to put in a wood heater. I live on an acreage so wood is plentiful. I don't think it will be more or much more $$ than a good propane heater. I discussed propane heat with a good friend who has it in his shop nearby. Everyone's advice has been wonderful, and yes, I better sit down and write down a list of amperage for each machine.

So do I understand correctly that it's cheaper to run a machine on 220 than the same machine on 110 because the amps are reduced?

I love this place. :thumb:
 
Cynthia White said:
So do I understand correctly that it's cheaper to run a machine on 220 than the same machine on 110 because the amps are reduced?
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Well, no. The power company charges by watts (over time), not amps.

Watts = Volts x Amps

For example, 12 amps x 110 volts comes out the same as 6 amps x 220 volts, so the cost of electricity is about the same (with possible small variation because of efficiencies, etc)
 
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