Has anyone added a 220volt line to their garage shop? I’m thinking about a cabinet saw with a single phase 220 motor. My main circuit breaker box is in my garage, and the only 220 lines are to the stove and dryer. Is this something I could do myself? If I paid someone, what would be a rough range for fair price?
thanks!
Replies
If you have two open spaces in your existing box you should be able to add the 220 outlet quite easily. I'm not an electrician, but i have added several 220 outlets to my shop for the dust collector, table saw, band saw and air compressor. Go to Home Depot or your hardware store and buy a basic wiring book. They outline the safety, the installation of the breaker, wiring selection and the outlet. be sure to check the configuration of the plug with the outlet as 220 volt plugs come in a wide assortment. That is how i did it. Good luck!!
Aaron
I am in the same boat. Only I know I don't have 2 empty slots. I have only 1 left. I have heard of sub panels but don't really understand what they are. Could someone explain how they are installed? Is it off the main box? Although I have a breaker box I don't have a main shut off switch and there is no amps listed on it. I do have a 220 dryer circuit, and an oven circuit. Would I be able to get a sub panel or would I need a whole new box with more outlets?
Many Thanks,
Oriole
O et al,
You can buy slim line breakers. Two fit in the space of one. Get a couple of these and you'll have more space in your panel.
jdg
What can be done in this case is to remove one of the current breakers, thereby freeing up space for 220 service. You then install something like a 50 amp breaker, run appropriate wiring to another breaker box nearby, and you run new circuits from this new breaker box. You'd have to install a breaker in the new box to take the place of the breaker you removed (to free up space), run a wire back to the original box and splice it to the wire removed from that breaker, and then the original circuit would be operable.
All of this stuff should be done carefully, and you should get permits. A poster above suggested getting an electrician to do the final hookups, and that's an extremely good idea. This stuff can be extremely hazardous if you don't know what you're doing.
John
Batorok,
I did it in my shop and it worked out rather well. First and foremost is do you have the amperage. I suspect with the stove and dryer you have a 200 amp service...which would be probably more than enough...but check that first..the saw will draw 14-18 amps when on...
I pulled in a professional to hook everything up. I bought the supplies at his direction...ran the wiring...and he came in and did the goesinto's...charged me for an hour of his time..$60...with everything it cost about $100 bucks...good luck
You can do it yourself - IF you're careful and have a healthy respect for electricity.
Do you have space in your breaker box for a 220 breaker? (same space as 2 110V breakers in my box)
Make sure and use the appropriate size wire. What amperage will you be using?
Also, remember that even when your main breaker is off, the main line into your breaker box is still hot, and can be lethal. It's only dead below the breaker(assuming your feed is from the top).
I'm no electrician, but I added a 220V circuit to my garage from the breaker box in the far bedroom. It involved some attic work - drilling through the top wall plates, and making relatively simple connections. The hardest part for me was getting the new wire inside the breaker box from just above it, without tearing up any drywall.
If you hire someone, and watch the work, you'll think "I could have done that!", but remember that an electrician knows about this stuff, and will take his own jolts!
Brian
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/forward.asp?webpage=tp-breaktime&msg=27421.17
Hi Batorok,
Check out this link on Fine Homebuildings breaktime. I just installed the same
220V circut, come out great.
Good luck, Dick
Batorok,
You might be interested in the following related discussions:
Rewiring My Tablesaw:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=10177.1
Increase Table Saw HP:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=10468.1
Electric Motors:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=10471.1
220 v from Dryer Outlet
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=10437.1
jdg
Electric dryers draw a ton of current. Your dryer receptacle should be on a dedicated circuit and will more than handle the load of a 3HP cabinet saw and a 2HP dust collector. When you're not using the dryer, use it for the saw. A nice 10 gauge extension cord will reach anywhere in your garage you need without any voltage drop worries. BTW that 120V outlet for the washing machine is also a dedicated circuit by code so it will be the best circuit in your house.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
John, while this would probably work it wouldn't be code. The dryer circuit is just that ... a dedicated circuit. It can't be used for other purposes.
The best solution here is to run a new 220 volt circuit for the saw. And it should be done with permits. If anything is done electrically, and there's a fire, and the insurance company finds out, and there weren't permits, well you may end up with an insurance company that refuses to pay. It could get lots worse if someone is electrocuted and there weren't permits. That could be viewed as manslaughter. And I'm not kidding here.
John
I disagree. The code requires a dedicated circuit for an electric dryer and a washing machine because these are stationary appliances and they draw a lot of power. This is along the same logic as any hardwired motor over 1/3 hp requiring a dedicated circuit. (BTW That's why most ceiling fans are 1/3 hp, you can legally wire them to an existing lighting circuit.) This not the same as saying that circuit can't be used for anything else. It means no additional receptacles can be on that circuit.
Here's an example. When figuring the load on a duplex 120V outlet you figure 180 watts a piece. You're allowed up to 80% of the breaker rating on a branch circuit so you can put 8 duplex outlets on a 15A circuit w/ #14 wire or 14,400 watts. This is why 1600W hairdryers trip 15A circuit breakers all the time. But it's legal because it's intermittant and corded. You could not hardwire this same hairdryer without a 20A dedicated circuit by code. It's all about limiting conductor temperature to maintain insulation integrity. On the other hand a 3 hp cabinet saw draws 4080 watts or 2020 watts per leg if it's fully loaded. That's only a 400W halogen worklight more than the wife's blow dryer per leg. Would you ever think twice about running a skil saw and a worklight on the same circuit?
A 30A dryer circuit can legally and safely be loaded to 5760 watts or roughly 5 3/4 hp. Where you would get into trouble is voltage drop if you tried to go to far with too small of wire. An induction motor will try to make it's rated torque with lower voltage which raises the current and therefore the conductor temperature. The #10 wire I recommended is protected by the 30A breaker. A 3 HP, 240V saw on #10 can have a circuit length (from the breaker) of 207 feet, which is only 3 % voltage drop and code allows 5%.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
If you're talking about unplugging the dryer and plugging in the saw, you're absolutely right. It wouldn't be against code. I thought you were suggesting adding an additional receptacle to that circuit.
John
God forbid!John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
I did it last year. Cost me $180 for my 220v outlet by a licensed electrician. It was about a 30' run, through one wall, but with open studs (garage). All wires were tucked away nicely and he actually wired the plug on the new saw while he was there.
Kevin
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