power connect question

[Sean Benz]

Hey all,

I should be getting my G0766 in the next few weeks, but I'm having some issue with power connection. Basically, my shop is a basement complete with washer and dryer...i.e.: a 10-30 female receptacle. The G0766 (among many other machines) uses a 6-15 male plug. Is there a safe way to make this connection without killing myself or causing a fire. I have a few electrician friends where a couple say it can be done safely while the others say no. What say you? How are you few guys who have 220 machines dealing with this issue?

[Roger Chandler]

Hey all,

I should be getting my G0766 in the next few weeks, but I'm having some issue with power connection. Basically, my shop is a basement complete with washer and dryer...i.e.: a 10-30 female receptacle. The G0766 (among many other machines) uses a 6-15 male plug. Is there a safe way to make this connection without killing myself or causing a fire. I have a few electrician friends where a couple say it can be done safely while the others say no. What say you? How are you few guys who have 220 machines dealing with this issue?

I would run a dedicated circuit from the breaker box........20 amp. That will be all you could need, but it can be done with a 15 amp circuit as well. The Nema 15 plug will still fit in a 20 amp receptacle.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Married? I would run a dedicated circuit. Avoid the turmoil when the boss wants to dry some clothes and finds the dryer unplugged.
IF you turn the circuit off when unplugging the lathe, I can't see how you could get hurt. That's what I do. If you run a dedicated circuit, you can use whatever pug/receptacle combo you feel comfortable with. Properly rated of course.

[Jeff Walters]

Lime the others have stated, run a separate circuit. However, if you are in any way nervous about doing the work, don't do it. Have one of your electrician friends do the hook ups. That way you're sure to be around for many years of turning.

Jeff

[david privett]

If you can get your electrical buddies over you can have them use their inductive amp meters and determine how many amps the dryer(there is quite a spread of amp draws with dryers ,but the standard dryer circuit is 30 amps) is running at and them determine the amp draw of the lathe then you will know if you can use the dryer circuit for both by adding another receptacle off the dryer circuit. But if it is close amp wise add another circuit.

[Sean Benz]

Thank guys, I took a look at my breaker box last night after work, and low and behold, I have two spaces next to each other. So, long story short I will be running a new line from the breaker to the shop, romex 10-2 I assume, and I will have my electrician do the actual hook up. I find it weird that up until now, I've never had to worry about a 220v tool in my shop. They're all 110.

[Mark Greenbaum]

I sort of lucked out. The house we just moved into had a 220v circuit for an upstairs window AC unit (no longer used because of central HVAC). We disconnected the romex (old cloth insulated stuff), and replaced the breakers with new ones (for safety reasons), put in a new 10-3 romex 25 ft. long, and I made up a single outlet box for the NEMA 6-15 outlet. I still want to made a backing plate for the box to lay on the floor safely, with a wall bracket to hang it into when not in use, but my HDL (Honey-Do List) keeps growing instead of shrinking.

[Thom Sturgill]

Check with your electrician before you buy the cable. I think you want 12-2 for a 15A 220v circuit to a 6-15 receptacle, but you could use 14-2 if the run is not too long. Quite a bit of difference in price.

[Paul Gilbert]

I think that you need 3 wires, two hots and a neutral. I installed a sub panel in my shop and ran 220 to all my machines using conduit and 10 gauge wire. I did like was suggested above and called an electrician to do the final hookup. The electrician wouldn't let me use the conduit as a ground. Not code. So I had to pull a green fourth wire. If you are using romex I would recommend 10-3 with a ground.

[david privett]

since you ran # 10 wire which is good for 30 amps I would convert what ever I could to 220-240 volt , I think you will like the difference in start up speed. and ability to maintain blade speed under load.

[Bevan Beames]

Hey Sean

I live in Australia and the whole country is 240 V. I am also a sparky by trade.

Bottom line is

Run another circuit, you will need three core (active neutral and earth). I always put in a circuit greater than needed, you never know what you will add down the track. Nothing worse than doing all the work only to have to do it again. Ends up twice as expensive. I would run 30 amp (breaker - MCB RCD) with associated cabling.

Best of all you will now have a his and hers power supply and never the twain shall meet.

Cheers
Bevo

[David C. Roseman]

Bevo, Sean can confirm this with his electrician friends, but I'm quite certain that here in the States he does not need three conductors for his 220/240v dedicated circuit for that lathe. He only needs two conductors plus a copper ground (which need not be separately insulated). The only time he would need a third conductor would be if he were planning also to tap 110/120v off that circuit (e.g., a 110/120v receptacle alongside the 220/240v receptacle for a worklight), in which case he would need a neutral as the "return" wire for one of his hots. It does not sound like he is doing that, nor would he need to if he already has enough 110/120v duplex receptacles in place.

Assuming the cable run from his panel to his lathe is just across his basement, 12-2 cable will be more than adequate for either 15a or 20a, as Thom noted. He should plan on using a NEMA 6-20R single receptacle for his lathe, as that will accommodate both a 20a and 15a male plug for future flexibility.

[David C. Roseman]

Sean, coincidentally, here's a useful thread from the Workshops sub-forum that you may find helpful. It's an old one, but was recently bumped by some fellow Creekers. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...p-socket/page2