Shop power estimate

[mark mcfarlane]

I have gas in my house. You did not say whether you are all electric or not....

We have gas heat and gas water heater. Clothes dryer is plumbed/wired for both, and we are currently running an electric dryer since it was <1 year old when we moved into the house.

[Phillip Gregory]

How could I find out what my transformer capacity is? All I know is it has 7200 volts on a single underground cable about 600 ft from the pole, sits on a concrete pad about 50 ft from the house.

Twice in 20 years the end of the cable exploded right at the transformer when some termites crawled in there to keep warm in the winter.

JKJ

Pretty well all of the residential transformers in my area have the kVA rating painted on them or on a large sticker that is clearly visible. Mine have all had a "25" on them. I looked at the specification label on the last few to see the model number, then looked that up online on the manufacturer's website to confirm the rating.

Squirrels and delivery trucks are the biggest reasons that transformers in my area bite the dust. A 25 kVA pad transformer is no match for a speeding FedEx truck that fails to negotiate a curve, and squirrels have a big predilection to mess with electrical equipment. I saw one get roasted a few years ago. It ran up the pylon for a line junction, and then there was a huge bang and an orange-green flash.

[John K Jordan]

Pretty well all of the residential transformers in my area have the kVA rating painted on them or on a large sticker that is clearly visible. Mine have all had a "25" on them. I looked at the specification label on the last few to see the model number, then looked that up online on the manufacturer's website to confirm the rating.

Squirrels and delivery trucks are the biggest reasons that transformers in my area bite the dust. A 25 kVA pad transformer is no match for a speeding FedEx truck that fails to negotiate a curve, and squirrels have a big predilection to mess with electrical equipment. I saw one get roasted a few years ago. It ran up the pylon for a line junction, and then there was a huge bang and an orange-green flash.

Ah, I went out with a flashlight last night and did find a 25 kva stencil near the bottom.

Fortunately my transformer is between my dog lot and a holly tree in the middle of my 27 acres. Three times in 14 years I've had squirrels disrupt my power when I am negligent in keeping the vines cut back around the pole a 1/4 mile down the hill. I'll hear an explosion loud enough to wake the dead when the fuse blows and always find a nicely roasted squirrel on the ground. Fortunately the neighbors work for the utility company and have always had a pole and spare fuses on hand.

JKJ

[mark mcfarlane]

xformer.jpg

The transformer feeding my house is appears to be shared by 5-6 homes. The 'sticker' that probably had some specs on it on it is bleached white by the sun.

[Phillip Gregory]

Looks like probably 75 kVA- look at the bottom near the grass. That would fit with it being used to supply several houses.

[Kelly Craig]

I can see asking a woodworkers forum for input. Over on another site, a fellow hired and electrician, to make sure it was all done right. The electrician installed fourteen gauge lines and outlets.

As to a hundred amp panel working for a one man shop, maybe. I'm upgrading mine from a hundred to a two hundred. The reason is simple:

1) twenty four foot LED'S @ 40 watts each, for a total of 1000 watts, or 9 amps
2) a Unisaw with a run amperage of 7 amps
3) a three horse collector with a run amperage of 15 amps
4) an HVAC system that demands a 40 and a 60 amp breaker
5) a 5 amp radio system
6) computer @ about 5 amps

At this point, that pushes too near the hundred amp limit, since it comes to about 101 amps and we never want to push the capacity to near max.

Now come my friends who:

6) fire up the band saw, jointer, edge sander or ..... at about 7 amps.
7) fire up the other collector at about 7 amps.

Now I am, definitely pushing the limit.

Many of us do have friends who like to drop by and fire up the pin router, or whatever.

Better safe than sorry. Having too much capacity only hurts once, when you pay for it.