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Thread: Shop Outlet question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Chatsworth, GA
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    2,064

    Shop Outlet question

    I'm about to start putting outlets in my shop and was wondering how many to have. My old shop had about 15. My new shop is a 24x30 and the elec. will be run through conduit around the walls. I was looking at about 15 for this shop too. I was going to run 5 per 20 amp breaker. Right now it's all only 110. I may add some 220 outlets later.Comments?????????
    Donny

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
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    28,504
    Donny,

    My shop is 24x30.

    I have 5 120vac circuits and breakers for outlets. 1 circuit is for ceiling receptacles.

    My wall outlets are spaced so the bottom of each box is 52" above the floor. I can lean a sheet of plywood against a wall and it doesn't block the outlet. It also places the outlets a reasonable height above the bench tops and below upper cabinets. I have a box about every 48" and no two adjoining boxes are on the same circuit. so....the first box is on circuit #1, the 2nd box on circiut #2, the 3rd box is on circuit #1, the 4th box is on circuit #2.

    Thus 2 circuits feed 2 walls (a long and a short wall) and the other two circuits feed the remaining walls.

    Doing this, if I am using more than one tool at a time, it spreads the load between two circuits and is less likely to trip a breaker.

    It has worked well for me.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    449
    I have 10 110 volt outlets in my 14x19 shop. Like Ken, I have them in two circuits, alternating every other outlet on each circuits.

    To help me remember which outlets are on which circuit breaker, I used ivory colored outlets for one circuit and grey colored outlets for the other. Then I know where I can plug in a router and a shop vac if I need to put them on different circuits to run at the same time.

    I also have a dedicated 220 volt outlet in each corner of the shop.

    Roger

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Posts
    1,378
    It sounds like you are running the conduit on the interior of the wall sheathing, correct? In that case, you can easily grow as you need to. I like Ken's suggesting of mounting one set 52" or so to the bottom of the box. I mounted mine 48", and placed 110v duplexes about 4' apart on three walls. I also ran another row 18" off the floor. Added to this 220v outlets approximately every 6' foot on three walls. The fourth wall has a 36" service door and a 8' overhead door. It has a few 110v duplexes and two 220. Each wall has two 110v circuits and one 220. Three separate circuits for three banks of outlets in the ceiling. I have more outlets than will ever be needed in this 20x20 i.d. shop.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
    Posts
    11,247
    Hi, I would use a multi-wire branch circuit fed from a 2 pole 20 ampere breaker.

    Install 4" deep square boxes spaced around your shop where you think you'll need them.

    In each box install a 5-20R and 6-20R receptacle, wiring the 5-20R as a split.

    This gives you 2 X 20A 120V receptacles in each box, and one 20A 240V receptacle, all using one piece of 12/3 wire and one double pole breaker.

    Ken's suggestion of mounting the receptacle boxes about 52" above the floor sounds like a great idea.

    The above wiring method is the most cost effective for wiring a single user shop.

    Add a separate circuit for a dust collector and you're ready to go.

    Regards, Rod.

    P.S. It's how I wired my shop as most of my machines are 4 HP 240V(saw, shaper, planer and jointer). I also have a 2HP 240V band saw and a 120V drill press and scroll saw.

    My 1.5HP cyclone is on a separate 15A 240V circuit.
    Last edited by Rod Sheridan; 11-30-2010 at 7:04 PM. Reason: added Post Script

  6. #6
    Lots of good suggestions, once I get my new elec service I plan on putting a run in at 52" high. Also make sure that you have GFCI protection on your circuits as its required for garages per code. I would put a GFCI receptacle on the first outlet of every circuit then your downstream outlets are protected and you don't have to buy lots of the $10 to $15 dollar 20 amp GFCI receptacles.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Chatsworth, GA
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    2,064
    Thanks for the suggestions. The height of the outlets at 52" is something I would not of thought of. Great idea.
    Donny

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    South Central Pennsylvania, USA
    Posts
    761
    My woodshop has 110V outlets every four feet around three sides on four circuits - two circuits for each half that alternate with each receptacle. The fourth side is mainly for storage, so they are eight feet apart. I also have two 220V circuits - again, one circuit for each half of the shop.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    93
    I have 4 120V circuits. Each outlet location left of the breaker panel is a quad box, duplex receptacle on the left is circuit A, duplex on the right is circuit B. For the outlets to the right of the panel I use circuits C+D in the same configuration.

    This lets me load balance power no matter where I am in the shop, and the position of the outlet is an easy way to determine which circuit I'm using.

    Rod's idea is a creative way to get basically 3 circuits out of one wire, at the cost of less simultaneous power capabilty compared to independent circuits.

    I did it the "hard way" with separate wiring for each circuit (no multi-wiring) and separate wiring for 240V circuits (10ga and 8ga). Though the conventional way costs more, it allows more simultaneous use of power. Even with just me working, it's possible to have the DC, air compressor, and a large tool all running at the same time. When someone else comes in to work with me, a second heavy tool may also be running plus a shop vac.

    This is a very minor issue, but multiwiring is a little bit of a moving target with NEC interpretation. I chose to avoid it so that I would be less at risk of future NEC changes if I had to update something.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    central PA
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    1,774
    Mine is very much like Tom's, with left and right circuits. I have a seperate circuit for the air compressor and a seperate 220 for the DC, as well as two other 220 circuits, too. even as many as I put in I still need another somewhere from time to time as I move stuff around.

  11. I just finished the electrical in my 24x32 garage/shop. I ran in conduit every 4 feet along the walls with 110, with each wall having it's own 20A circuit, and separate circuits for lights, garage door, and the heating system. I ran it at 48" since that is where the blocking in the wall is. I really really wish I'd read the idea about doing them at 52" earlier... it would be very nice to be able to lean plywood up below the outlets.

    For the pair of 220 circuits I ran the conduit after the 110 was done, but I planned where the 220 was going to go and made sure I had junction boxes with the right sized holes in the right places during the 110 installation. There was still some odd bends and tweaking required, but nothing as ugly as would have been required if I hadn't pre-planned where the 220 was going to go and made arrangements for it.

    One thing I did that I think will be a good thing later is put outlets on the ceiling in the corners for future installation of hanging dust filters.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Lubbock Texas
    Posts
    931
    When I built my workshop inside my garage I installed duplex outlets every 4 feet. A year later when building one, like mine , for a friend, I installed 4 plex outlets. A much better set up.
    No PHD, but I have a DD 214

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Central Square, NY
    Posts
    243
    I divided my walls into 10-12' sections, then each section has 5 outlets (spaced about 2-3' apart) on a 20 amp breaker. I have found that this works great. Outlets are always available, even when dedicated items are left plugged in. Also I have a few on the ceiling just incase. 220 outlets are both on the ceiling and walls depending on the equipment & location.

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