New wiring to planer, Talk me down from the ledge.

[Tom Gerken]

I purchased a new planer 220V 18 amp single phase. I need to get power to it. Almost right above the planer is a J-box that connects to our oven 220v 30 amp single phase.

We hardly ever use our oven. And when we do it is for pizza or something like that and I am not in the shop when that happens, just my wife and I in our house. We have a separate cook top, which is used 99% of the time and is on a totally separate circuit.

Here is the part that will have some people freaking out. You know where I am going with this. I plan to wire from the J box to the new planer. The cables into and out of the j-box are both 4 wire. Black, red, white, and green. The new planer diagram shows (in) as a black, white, and green. So I am 95% sure that the correct thing to do is black to black, red (into j-box) to white (out to planer) and green to green. The white on the incoming feed is not needed for the planer or the stove. According to the product data for the oven, the white is only needed in some jurisdictions, which tell me its not all that important. If I understand this correctly the cable from the J box to the planer could be 12 gauge 3 wire.

So, are my assumptions correct and is there any reason why I should not do this?

The only thing keeping me from running a new cable / breaker is the cost. I can do it, but why?

Thanks for your help

[Ole Anderson]

I am quite sure the oven is required to be on a dedicated circuit, so putting your planer on the same circuit is a bad idea. Now that is not to say I haven't done a few things that made sense to me but weren't exactly up to code.

If the white wire from your planer is your second hot wire, I would suggest painting it with a magic marker or taping it so it is red or black. White usually signifies a neutral, not a hot wire.

[glenn bradley]

I would run a new circuit. You won't be sorry for doing it right.

[Scott T Smith]

. If I understand this correctly the cable from the J box to the planer could be 12 gauge 3 wire.

Thanks for your help

re 12 guage wire - WRONG. In this instance, the wire needs to be sized based upon the circuit breaker - not the machine. For a 30 amp breaker you need 10 guage wire.

[Bruce Wrenn]

re 12 guage wire - WRONG. In this instance, the wire needs to be sized based upon the circuit breaker - not the machine. For a 30 amp breaker you need 10 guage wire.

You could set a fused disconnect with 20 amp fuses in it and use the #12. But the wire between the j box and disconnect would still have to be #10

[Ken Deckelman]

BAD IDEA. Just based on the questions you asked...your in over your head.

[Scott T Smith]

You could set a fused disconnect with 20 amp fuses in it and use the #12. But the wire between the j box and disconnect would still have to be #10

True, but for a short drop (the j-box is above the equipment) it would be more cost effective to use 10/3.

[Ken Deckelman]

You could set a fused disconnect with 20 amp fuses in it and use the #12. But the wire between the j box and disconnect would still have to be #10

True, but for a short drop (the j-box is above the equipment) it would be more cost effective to use 10/3.

The OP NEVER once mentioned what wire or breaker size is on the "oven" circuit he wants to tap into...so you guys are giving bad advice based on bad/missing information. Most "oven" circuits are 40 amp anyway.

[Norman Hitt]

The OP NEVER once mentioned what wire or breaker size is on the "oven" circuit he wants to tap into...so you guys are giving bad advice based on bad/missing information. Most "oven" circuits are 40 amp anyway.

Although the sentence WAS a little ambiguous, he did state in the first sentence that the oven was a 30 amp, 220V single phase. Now whether he got that information from the oven data sheet, OR physically looked at the ckt breaker, I'm not sure, but it did sound like he was talking about the circuit itself, in which case the above advise was good.

[Bob Murphy]

Why take a chance? Spend a couple of hundred and have a licensed electrician do it the right way.

[Curt Harms]

I'm not an electrician. I wonder there's a way to do this safely. If it were an expensive proposition to run another circuit, could the O.P. could use a DPDT like a generator transfer switch or heavy duty relay? Run the existing circuit to the center terminals. Hook the oven up to one set of terminals, hook the machine outlet up to the other set of terminals. The 240 volt circuit could energize either the oven or planer outlet, never both. There's probably flaws with this, what are they?

[shane lyall]

I've been an electrician by trade for 20+ years so im speaking from actual hands on and all I can say is STOP! What you are doing might work for you but will not pass code where I am and I doubt there either. if you ever have the planner running and the oven is energized you will ,at best, pop a breaker due to overcurent. At worst the breaker fails, it happens more than you may think, the power stays on and your wire gos up in smoke, along with everything else!

Bite the bullet and run a dedicated branch for your tools. You will hate the cost once but if the worst happens it wont be because you scrimped on a feet of wire. Have it inspected for your homeowners insurance. Some policys wont cover uninspected work. If you dont want to pay an electrician an instal, wich I would recomend you don't for a small job like this, sounds odd coming from one I guess, pay for a consult and let him/her show you exactly what you need. Just my opinion. Please be careful. PM me if I can help talk you thru it in any way but be advised I can't help pigtail off oven branch.

[Scott T Smith]

I've been an electrician by trade for 20+ years so im speaking from actual hands on and all I can say is STOP! What you are doing might work for you but will not pass code where I am and I doubt there either. if you ever have the planner running and the oven is energized you will ,at best, pop a breaker due to overcurent. At worst the breaker fails, it happens more than you may think, the power stays on and your wire gos up in smoke, along with everything else!

Bite the bullet and run a dedicated branch for your tools. You will hate the cost once but if the worst happens it wont be because you scrimped on a feet of wire. Have it inspected for your homeowners insurance. Some policys wont cover uninspected work. If you dont want to pay an electrician an instal, wich I would recomend you don't for a small job like this, sounds odd coming from one I guess, pay for a consult and let him/her show you exactly what you need. Just my opinion. Please be careful. PM me if I can help talk you thru it in any way but be advised I can't help pigtail off oven branch.

Shane, thanks for chiming in. It's always nice to learn from the pro's and your advice is very sound - especially the insurance requirements.

I'm curious as to what code requires with respect to 240VAC circuits - do they all have to be dedicated branch circuits or are there times that it is acceptable to group multiple 240V items on a single circuit?

[George Bregar]

Shane, thanks for chiming in. It's always nice to learn from the pro's and your advice is very sound - especially the insurance requirements.

I'm curious as to what code requires with respect to 240VAC circuits - do they all have to be dedicated branch circuits or are there times that it is acceptable to group multiple 240V items on a single circuit?

Actually, he is wrong about the insurance thing. Insurance companies have to accept that risk.

[Don Buck]

I am in process of wiring power for a 5 hp, 1 phase, 220v Delta planer that is rated at 22 amps. I contacted Delta concerning power draw upon startup and they recommended a minimimal 40 amp circuit, preferably 50 amp to handle the surge upon start-up. Unlike your situation I have a open walls and a 100 amp sub panel just 10' from where I will be wiring the planer so it isn't a big cost to run the 6 gauge wire for a 50 amp circuit. Perhaps the 50 amp circuit is an overkill but I want to be safe.

Get a dedicated wire run and if you use #10 wire by all means put in a fused disconnect with 20 amp fuses.