I'm getting ready to start wiring the new shop and i need to wire it for 3 phase. I have a 5 HP RPC that i've been using in my basement and it's been dedicated to a single machine but i've got 2 more pieces of 3 phase equipment just sitting in storage waiting for the new shop to get completed. The RTC will be located in the room beneath the shop.
In the past i had the RPC wired directly to the breaker so to turn it on i would (1) flip the toggle switch on the RPC on 'on' (2) turn on the breaker (3) flip to toggle switch off.
I guess my biggest question is how to wire the 3+ devices together? I don't recall what gauge wire i used but i'm assuming something like 10 gauge. Anyway...I assume i'd run the wires in a daisy chain like manner just like 110V outlets that share a common breaker. If so it would seem that at each of the junctions where a machine needs to be connected i'd have to join 3 good size wires together...i don't really see wire nuts as the right approach here.
So what would you use at each of the locations where a machine needs to be located? Is it advisable to have a breaker of some type – I’m thinking like what you have on outside of a house for hvac – at each unit? Do these units allow you to connect 3 large gauge wires together…do they have lugs?