Electrical service to your shop

[Ernie Nyvall]

What size do you have?

My electrical requirements are growing and I want to put a panel of breakers in the shop. I have about 40' from the service pole to the shop. I have two 30A machines that may come on at any time for a water well. Then there is the 30A dust collector, and one more 30A tool going all at the same time... and lights. This will be the most running at one time and I can split the service from one breaker that won't be running more than one machine at the same time. I guess I should go ahead and do the 200A service to keep the junction boxes down. Just trying to think it through.

Will 2/0 be big enough to run the 40' of 200A?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Ernie

[Randy Meijer]

200 amp service sounds like the way to go. Always better to have a little room for future add-ons.

Will 2/0 be big enough to run the 40' of 200A?

Don't have the book in front of me right now; but someone surely will. You talking copper or aluminum??

[Ernie Nyvall]

[FONT= You talking copper or aluminum??[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

COPPER

Thanks Randy.

Ernie

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ernie...I don't know if you in your locale are required to get an electrical inspection. We in the town where I live are. When I got ready to install the electrical service in my new shop, I called and met with the local electrical inspector. I see the guy pretty regularly, as I've done several MR and CT scanner installations that he came to inspect the work of the electrician. Rich, the electrical inspector, gave me some recommendations for the service entry and I met or exceeded the code requirements. I don't think I'll regret that. As I overwired and exceeded a normal amount of 120 and 240 outlets, I don't think I'll ever regret it. I also saved space in my breaker box for one additional 60 amp 220 breaker in case I ever decide to take up welding. I would recommend when you put the wall covering on the wall around the breaker box, do it with screws. That way you'll be able to unscrew and remove the wall covering if you need to adjust wiring in more outlets, circuits and add breakers for same. I installed 200 amp service and I don't think you'll regret it! Good luck!

[Steve Clardy]

I went with 200 amp. 2/0 copper.
Pole is ten feet away from shop.

[Jim Becker]

I will leave the wire sizing to the experts and just mention that if you are going to have your shop service combined with your home service, from a meter standpoint, you need to be sure that things are done correctly over and above the wire sizing out to the shop. The advise of a good licensed and local electrician is a good idea on that respect, especially to be sure that all local codes are attended to.

I have 200amp service to the shop and had to upgrade the whole service entrance to handle both it and the 200amps that the house requires. (Now...if the power company would only respond to what seems like the eight thousandth request to upgrade the puny wire to the pole on the street... )

[Randy Meijer]

Ernie: 2/0 copper looks about right; but I have seen a few slightly contrary figures.

http://essexep.com/electrical/techin...esidential.htm

I would check with the engineering dept. of your electric company and be sure you meet their standards as well as those of your local building inspector.

[Ken Garlock]

Ernie, when we built, I put in a separate 200 amp service and electric meter. On average, it costs about $40/mo to power the shop. The contractor had to dig a 4 ft. deep ditch for the electric company from the pole to the meter location. The electric company did the rest. An independant meter might worth considering.

[Ernie Nyvall]

(Now...if the power company would only respond to what seems like the eight thousandth request to upgrade the puny wire to the pole on the street... )

LOL. I guess we all dream from time to time.

Yea, the 200A seems to be the thing to go with. In the next year or so I will finish a house on another part of the property and the shop and house will then have separate meters and this house will be gone. This meter will then be moved next to the shop. I guess I was sort of talking through it to keep from buying 120 total feet of expensive cable that will have no use in a little while. Now that I think a little more about it though, I can recover the cable and it will make good extensions for my welding machine. The further away from the wood shop for welding the better huh.

Oh, and I've asked about inspection and the county doesn't have an electrical inspector, but I'll go way above state code on it. I will have to have a permit for one thing and that is the sewer which is now regulated to be an aeromatic system. I will be spraying my s... it the air. That sounds wonderful doesn't it.

Thanks all for the help.

Ernie

[Jim Becker]

Install the right cable for what your future intended service will be...you can always use a smaller breaker in a cut-off box to feet it from your current main for now. That becomes a moot point once the "new residence" is built! (Congrats on THAT pre-gloat!)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Install the right cable for what your future intended service will be...you can always use a smaller breaker in a cut-off box to feet it from your current main for now. That becomes a moot point once the "new residence" is built! (Congrats on THAT pre-gloat!)

Good point and thanks.

Ernie

[Jim O'Dell]

Ernie, I'm doing a 200 amp upgrade in my shop rehab. This existing building already had a separate service/meter in place. I just ran the wire from my meter base to the breaker box this morning and used 2/0 per the instructions of an electrician here on SMC. Now that I look at the existing wiring from the meter up, it looks like 1/0, so I guess I need to upgrade that (will this ever end?). Like you, I'm in the county jurisdiction, and no electrical inspection is needed. I will have an electrician come in and inspect what I've done before I have the juice turned back on. That might be a good idea for you as well. Good luck, and let us see some pictures! Jim.