New House - New Shop - Electric and DC question

[Fred Floyd]

I have found a house with a 5-car garage. The house has a 200 amp service with a 100-amp subpanel in the garage. There are two 30-amp 220 circuits and about 3 other 110 circuits (15-20amp). The garage is divided into a 2-car and a 3-car, which means that I can stake claim to the 3-car area as the shop as that's where the 220 lines are.

I am not much of an electrician, but wanted to hear thoughts on what I can do. My existing shop has 3 or 4 220-circuits. 2 are 20 amp and the other two are 30 amps.

I use one of the 30 amp for the Oneida dust collector and the other for the tablesaw. The two remaining circuits are for the lathe, planer and Radial arm saw.

Anyone see a problem with the capacity of the new 100 amp subpanel to handle these along with lighting and misc small power tools. This is a one-man shop where I would not be running more than the dust collector and one other tool.

While I'm at it, the ceiling in the garage is 8-foot. Is that going to be a problem with the Oneida DC along with the smaller 35-gal chip container?

[Milind Patil]

If this is one man shop, I do not believe you need more than 60amps in your sub-panel.

I did similar thing recently in my two car garage. Installed a subpanel with 4x220V and 4x110V (total 8 circuits 20amps breaker each, 8 outlets) with 60 amp main breaker. The subpanel fed by 4AWG wire. At any given time, I can have one tool (1 to 3 HP), one dust collector (2 HP), air filter (1/5 HP) and lighting (300watts) on.

[Chris Damm]

I have a one man shop with 60 amp service and I have never had any problems. I have a 3 HP DC and a 3HP tablesaw running at the same time as 9 8' 2 bulb lights, radio, and electric space heater or window AC.

[Prashun Patel]

You'll be fine on the electrical. The hard part will be convincing yr family why you need all 5 bays for your shop...

The smaller chip collector won't be a problem. However, if you're building out other stuff, consider putting the DC in a small outbuilding, or exhausting it outside. This will improve sound, cleanliness, and will give you more height options.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Fred, I have a one man shop and only have 2 circuits that are 240 volts.

One is for the cyclone (15A), the other (20A) supplies all the other 240 volt machines, and all the 120 volt receptacles.

I don't have an air compressor in the shop, it's in the garage so it's on another circuit.

You would also need one or two circuits for lighting, and maybe one for HVAC.

I have a planer/jointer and a saw/shaper both 4HP, and a 2 HP bandsaw. The remainder of the machines are 1/2 HP or similar for the drill press, mortiser etc.

Regards, Rod.

[Fred Floyd]

Thank you for the input.

To clarify: The garage is a detached building with a full divider wall so that three bays are in one "room" and two bays in the other. I will graciously give the two-bay over to being the home for a car and a truck -- as well as an area for my wife's lampwork beading and stained glass interest.

The real shop part will be the 3-car part, which is roughly 24 x 36, giving me close to 890 sq ft which should be fine for all my equipment.

The idea about putting the Cyclone outside is a good idea and would save about 5 square feet of floor space.

The subpanel can probably be reworked to give enough 220 circuits as well as separate circuits for lighting and other smaller power tools. It appears that the previous owner had a large compressor and a welding setup, but he wasn't into woodworking.

[Van Huskey]

Fred I think you should be fine on the electrical, I am doing a ground up shop and have decided on a 100A panel. The most I can use for machines at any one time is 60 and that is being liberal with 40 left over I can't see needing more.

As an aside is your wife a member of the LE (Lampwork Etc) forum? My wife is a soft and boro torch worker as well.

[Jay Radke]

not sure why you would have any problems. i dont think you will be running the TS, planer, DC and lathe all at the same time. just one tool and DC. so you should be covered. same for the 110's. other than the lights you wont be running more than one other tool on those at a time correct. about the only thing else that would be on at the same time would be a battery charger and a radio. i am sure you dont leave your drill press and router running while you are using your circular saw.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Fred,

One thing I would consider is 2 separate circuits for lighting. You can work on one while using the other to see.

[Van Huskey]

Fred,

One thing I would consider is 2 separate circuits for lighting. You can work on one while using the other to see.

I prefer 2 lighting circuits and stagger the fixtures that are on them. In the off chance the breaker is thrown on one the rest are likely to still be on, very scary to have the TS running and no light to see the blade...

[John Coloccia]

I'll go one better. If you can, bring a lighting circuit in from the main panel. When you're working in the sub panel, you can kill the whole thing at the breaker and still have lighting.

100 amps is PLENTY, by the way. There's no way you'll ever have 100 amps through that panel unless you're running a welder and maybe your dust collector at the same time. My mains is 200A. That includes 100A for the shop sub panel, plus a hot tub, electric dryer, electric oven (my range is propane), air conditioner and well pump. So 100A is okey dokey