ear3
Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,341
This could just as easily go in the Home Improvement section, but since it also concerns the shop, I'm going to post it here.
I've made a lot of improvements to my shop over the past year, and it is finally set up in a way that maximizes the space limits of occupying one-half of a two car garage (detached from the house).
In order to move to the next level, though, which involves, among other things, getting a 220V bandsaw and maybe an independent dust collection unit, I have to address the power issue. Shop currently runs on a single 15Amp breaker. So I've gotten by by running a heavy gauge cord from another outlet in the house to plug in the vac when I do things like run the Kapex, the OF2200, the router table, or the planer. No automatic start, but it works.
This coming spring, I plan on ordering some Ductless AC units for the house, so my wife and I can finally be comfortable in the increasingly sweltering New York summers. I thought I would take the opportunity -- since the installation will require a reconfiguration of the power -- to address the wiring issues in my shop.
Most if not all the work will be farmed out to a licensed electrician, since I'm a dunce when it comes to electricity, and don't foresee having the time to get my knowledge to a level where I would be comfortable messing around with the panel.
There is an existing 220V breaker on the main panel (pictured below), which fed the AC unit we used to have. But the wires only run to the front of the house on the opposite side from where the garage is, so, some 80 feet away from the garage. Even if I were to dedicate this line to the Ductless, it still wouldn't address the power issues to the shop. So it seems like the best option is to do a subpanel.
So my question is about the size and location of the subpanel. The main panel is located in the basement at the front of the house, approximately 70 to 80 feet from the garage. The idea would be to run the shop and the Ductless off of the subpanel, so I would want something that would be capable of simultaneously feeding the AC unit for the house, a 220V stationary tool (like a bandsaw, table saw or lathe), dust collection, and maybe at some point, air filtration/conditioning for the shop. The outdoor part of the Ductless unit would be located at the back of the house, only about 10 feet from the garage. I have 100 Amp service on the main panel to the house, so I'm wondering if that provides enough slack for all the circuits I would need on the subpanel.
Or, would it make sense to use the existing 220V for the AC, then run a new 220V line to the garage?
Again, I plan on having an electrician do the work. But I just want to get a sense of the scope of the job and the questions to ask so the work is done right. I don't even have a sense of how much the job would cost. Also, if anyone can recommend a decent, honest electrician in New York City (Queens specifically), it would be appreciated. Most of my contacts in the trades are GCs and carpenters -- I would prefer dealing with the electrician directly rather than having a GC take a slice off the top.
I've made a lot of improvements to my shop over the past year, and it is finally set up in a way that maximizes the space limits of occupying one-half of a two car garage (detached from the house).
In order to move to the next level, though, which involves, among other things, getting a 220V bandsaw and maybe an independent dust collection unit, I have to address the power issue. Shop currently runs on a single 15Amp breaker. So I've gotten by by running a heavy gauge cord from another outlet in the house to plug in the vac when I do things like run the Kapex, the OF2200, the router table, or the planer. No automatic start, but it works.
This coming spring, I plan on ordering some Ductless AC units for the house, so my wife and I can finally be comfortable in the increasingly sweltering New York summers. I thought I would take the opportunity -- since the installation will require a reconfiguration of the power -- to address the wiring issues in my shop.
Most if not all the work will be farmed out to a licensed electrician, since I'm a dunce when it comes to electricity, and don't foresee having the time to get my knowledge to a level where I would be comfortable messing around with the panel.
There is an existing 220V breaker on the main panel (pictured below), which fed the AC unit we used to have. But the wires only run to the front of the house on the opposite side from where the garage is, so, some 80 feet away from the garage. Even if I were to dedicate this line to the Ductless, it still wouldn't address the power issues to the shop. So it seems like the best option is to do a subpanel.
So my question is about the size and location of the subpanel. The main panel is located in the basement at the front of the house, approximately 70 to 80 feet from the garage. The idea would be to run the shop and the Ductless off of the subpanel, so I would want something that would be capable of simultaneously feeding the AC unit for the house, a 220V stationary tool (like a bandsaw, table saw or lathe), dust collection, and maybe at some point, air filtration/conditioning for the shop. The outdoor part of the Ductless unit would be located at the back of the house, only about 10 feet from the garage. I have 100 Amp service on the main panel to the house, so I'm wondering if that provides enough slack for all the circuits I would need on the subpanel.
Or, would it make sense to use the existing 220V for the AC, then run a new 220V line to the garage?
Again, I plan on having an electrician do the work. But I just want to get a sense of the scope of the job and the questions to ask so the work is done right. I don't even have a sense of how much the job would cost. Also, if anyone can recommend a decent, honest electrician in New York City (Queens specifically), it would be appreciated. Most of my contacts in the trades are GCs and carpenters -- I would prefer dealing with the electrician directly rather than having a GC take a slice off the top.
