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Carol Reed

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
Messages
5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
Wow! This ain't gonna be cheap. (Or even reasonable.). The 2017 NEC code (prevailing authority) calls for ALL GFI circuits. Those breakers average $300 a pop! Or $20 a receptacle. Likely also AFIC breakers are also required. Average $45 a pop. This code now applies to garages and will be applied to my shop.

So a $45 breaker to first $20 receptacle, plus $20 each for additional receptacles plus the copper, boxes, conduit, covers, etc.

Gotta start a spreadsheet but $3-$4K for supplies would not surprise me. Plus the cost of the electrician, permit, sub-panel, etc.

Ouch! My gift certificates are woefully inadequate. Money will have to come from my Plan A resource.

The good news? More clamps.
 
Well, good thing about electrical, you can at least start with the basics and add on from there. But there is the other side of the coin and sometimes best to cry once so that you can just enjoy what comes after the sting wears off.
 
Didn't read the new code that way, Bill. But I will check further. Also discovered outlets must now also be tamper-proof. Its always something.
 
Code varies all over the place, I guess. Everywhere I've lived - Texas, Florida & Georgia - a homeowner can do their own wiring. Of course, it still has to meet local code. In the case of the shop addition I did when we moved here, I priced the materials required to run a 220V, 100A circuit from the distribution panel on the side of our house to the shop building, doing all the work myself. I also contacted two local electricians for quotes. Only one of them was interested and his quote was less than the material was going to cost me and he was doing all the labor! After he terminated the service in a 32 position panel, I did all the wiring in my shop. No inspection was necessary for any of the building or electrical since we live in the county.
 
The NEC updates every three years. The last was 2017 and the biggest changes were to GFI, AFCI, and tamper proof outlets. It still yields to local code, the nuances which I have yet to discover.

I have wired more than my share of circuits over the years. Now with insurance companies actively seeking ways out of paying claims, if you don't get a permit and pass it, you don't have the coverage you are paying for. Pretty compelling reason to comply. My brother lost his house a few years ago due to fire and he had a battle royal getting them to pay up. They did, but nowhere near the loss. And he had replacement coverage. So we do what we can.
 
2014 code at least only required the circuit to be gfci protected. That was satisfied by either a breaker or the first outlet and then subsequent outlets being wired down stream from the primary. The first outlet as the control had a bunch of exceptions I don't entirely remember (distance between, blah blah), but the breaker satisfied in all cases. There were some opt outs you may be able to qualify/justify. Fridge circuits and dedicated circuits were mostly exempted from the gfci requirement, but as usual your local inspector is the final word, it can sometimes be worth while dropping in with a proposed wiring plan and getting their blessing on the basic plan before committing to buying the material.
 
Working on it, Ryan. The 2017 code has added the arc fault breakers and the tamper proof outlets. There are exemptions but none for my shop. Now working on size of conductors, number of conductors in conduit, and number of receptacles on a circuit. There will be one light circuit at 15 amps. Separate circuits for the tablesaw/lathe (30 amp 220 volt), air compressor, welder/plasma cutter and dust collection (20 amp each 110V). That's 5 right there! Then 2 circuits for outlets, all 20 amp. If I can get that approved without changing out the main panel.
 
Carol, I'm in Pinal county as you are. I have 3 string of plug on three seperate GFI's. only the first plug on each string has a GFI, I think if you check that will be the case for your shop also. as for wire size, I ran 14 for lighting, 12 for plugs and 10 (which s over kill) for my 20 amps circuit for the TS and welder which are 220V. My shop plugs that I put in are all 20 amp breakers, 15 amp for lights and the 220V is also a 20 amps.
 
The dedicated 220 and maybe the task specific 110v circuits could plausibly count as dedicated circuits, although that may require you to actually hard wire them depending on how the inspector feels. I seem to recall there being some exceptions for 220v devices anyway, that's definitely worth checking with the inspector because 220v gfci are mega bucks

I'd run 10 gauge for the 30a and 12 gauge for the 15a and 20a runs. That's one size up from what's technically required, but IMHO it's less risky than skating the edge.

For conduit search for "conduit fill chart" but again I'd go one or two sizes bigger than code spec simply because pulling cable through small conduit is painful and going up a size or so makes life so much easier.
 
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