# Wiring up my home shop?



## HMF (Sep 20, 2011)

So I have framed out most of the basement, including my shop area, and wired the remainder with 12/2 MC (1 black, 1 white and 1 green ground) for lights and regular power for 20A circuits.

Now, I need to wire up the shop area, and I will need at least 4- 220V outlets, one for the SouthBend Heavy 10 with a 3 phase .75 HP motor, and one for the Van Norman #12, which has two motors, I think one is 2.5 HP (spindle) and the other .25 hp (table feed), and one for the Burke #4 Mill - not sure what the HP of the Master Gearhead motor is, one for an old Baldor 3 phase grinder I have. I want to put a VFD on each, two in the case of the Van Norman. I can use 125V /20A for the HF metal bandsaw I have.

How would you guys approach wiring this up (other than saying "call an electrician")?

Thanks,


Nelson


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## November X-ray (Sep 20, 2011)

Nelson, what service do you have available to you and how far away from your breaker panel is the runs? If you have space for more breakers in your existing panel you could run from there or if it is far away you may want to consider installing a "remote" panel fed from the existing for 75 to 100 amp service and then branch off with a new set of breakers. The NUMBER ONE thing to remember is to BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL when dealing with LIVE OPEN breaker panel boxes.

I actually have three panels in my house, the main with 250 amp service that feeds a 100 amp remote panel for the downstairs and a separate 50 amp for the basement. (Then I wonder why my electric bill is so high)

As mentioned below, check your local building codes too!


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## Kennyd (Sep 20, 2011)

Those are the questions I have also:

Length of the runs?
Main panel capacity-amps and spaces?

Sub-panels are a great way to add power to a shop area. Why did you use MC cable?


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## rleete (Sep 20, 2011)

Electricity can KILL you instantly. With all the talk all the time on these forums about safety, this is one case where if you aren't positive, don't try it. Not only that, but it is illegal in NYS to not have a building permit and an inspection by a licensed electrician. Over 50% of house fires are caused by wiring. Don't mess with it if you don't know.

It's not as expensive as you might think anyway; I had my garage rewired including 220V, a 50' trench from the house with conduit, all boxes, breakers and outlets and it was $650. It would have cost me over $350 in parts, and they were done in a day.


Edit: I wired my own basement, so I'm not being Mr. Safety. But I finally got smart and made someone else do all the grunting and swearing.


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

My current service (last photo) is only 100 Amps. I have the small standard box, and only a few slots are left.
I realize I should have a licensed electrician install a 200 Amp panel.

Luckily, the shop area (about 8x10) is next to the panel, so the length of the runs is short- even the one that has to go across the shop area to the other side for the VN mill, I would estimate about 10-12 feet only.


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## Kennyd (Sep 21, 2011)

Even though the runs are so short, I would absoluty consider a 60 amp sub panel to feed your new circuits. That way you will only use up two more spaces in the main panel leaving a little growing room.


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

Question: Since I only have 100 amp service, in order to have a subpanel to handle the lathe, 2 mills and grinder, I need to upgrade my main panel to 200 amp, don't I? Also, what amperage should the subpanel be?


This sounds like a job for my electrician.

Thanks,


Nelson


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## November X-ray (Sep 21, 2011)

Nelson, you can add 60 amp sub panel to what you have if you do not overload the 100 amp main with the entire load. If you upgrade to 200 amp service, you need to ensure that either the main feed wiring is capable of handling 200 amps as well as the power companies transformer or change out the wires to the meter (your responsibility typically and from the meter to the transformer is normally the power companies responsibility) to handle the 200 amp service.

From your picture it appear to have 5 spaces available for standard sized breakers (1") or ten 1/2" sized breakers. Please check with your applicable agency (city, county, whatever) codes before you get too deep into it or as you say hire a locally licensed electrician and let him handle it.


I have a question, is that your gas meter I see in the picture??? Most codes require there to be 15 feet of separation between the arc potential and a thread or flanged gas connection. Just asking??


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

I'd better let the licensed electrician handle this.

The square box that shows through a cutout in some temporary plywood is a gas meter. The round meter next to the panel is electric. They have been that way for the 60 years the house is here.


Nelson

PS I could use an industrial machinery electrician in NYC also if I can find one.


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## November X-ray (Sep 21, 2011)

Just a thought here, there are potential issues with using an electrician if they do everything by the book meaning pulling a permit, having an inspection, etc, etc. as the permitting authority may require retroactivity and make you bring your 60 year old system up to today's standards. Or perhaps it will be someone with common sense and take care of it no problems!

Looking at the breaker panel I can tell it is not 60 years old or it would most likely have screwed in fuses (still available today).


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

The breaker panel was installed about 10 years ago and the city inspected and it was fine. A licensed electrician put it in.
The house has 60 amps with fuses when I bought it in 1990

I am considering going up to 200 amps and using a smaller subpanel so there will be plenty of power in here,

Nelson


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## November X-ray (Sep 21, 2011)

You won't regret upgrading to 200 amp service, and if you ever want to add more circuits you already have the available service. Kinda like better to have and not need as opposed to need and not have. Plus if you are going to spend the money for an electrican, it really isn't that much more time to deal with it now as opposed to later!

Good Luck and keep sending the pictures of the progress!

NXr


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

Here is the deal-

I wired up the rest of the basement with 12/2 MC (which has a separate ground). Armored cable (Bx or MC) is required in NYC.
Outlets on 2 circuits, lights on a separate one.

So I will try to get the sparky to hook up those circuits, and upgrade the panel.



Nelson


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## Hawkeye (Sep 21, 2011)

I find it interesting that you have two utility meters inside a locked area. Do you have to arrange to be home when they come to read the meters?


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## Kennyd (Sep 21, 2011)

[quote author=Allthumbz link=topic=3651.msg26687#msg26687 date=1316637496]
Question: Since I only have 100 amp service, in order to have a subpanel to handle the lathe, 2 mills and grinder, I need to upgrade my main panel to 200 amp, don't I? Also, what amperage should the subpanel be?
[/quote]

You can feed a 60 amp subpanel from your 100 amp main, no problem. You do not "have to" upgrade the main to 200 amps, but it would generally be recommended-if you do then the sub can be/should be 100 amps.

Adding a subpanel is very much a DIY job if your comfortable working with EL circuits, even changing the main is not that hard.

I would call the poco (power company) and inquire about the 200 amp service upgrade, based on what they tell you you can make a better decision.


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## HMF (Sep 21, 2011)

[quote author=Hawkeye link=topic=3651.msg26710#msg26710 date=1316654756]
I find it interesting that you have two utility meters inside a locked area. Do you have to arrange to be home when they come to read the meters?


[/quote]

Yes. They send the reader out every month, and hope you are there. They let you read it yourself for 6 
months then they want to read it themselves. 

Nelson


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## Pauls77 (Sep 22, 2011)

[quote author=EdK link=topic=3651.msg26683#msg26683 date=1316630802]
If you're wiring in lights for the shop consider putting them on a separate breaker. That way if you pop the breaker for the outlet that your machines are plugged into you still have lights to see.

Ed
[/quote]

Glow in the dark floor tape would be cool:

http://www.toughandeasyfloors.com/photoluminescent-safety-tape.html

PaulS


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