Shop update

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The electrical inspector just left. :) There is a new sticker on the meter box and a promised fax to the utility company! :D I can soon have power in the shop! :D I'll try to finish the electrical rough-in this weekend so that all the connections are made in the breaker box when the utility company arrives to run the cables to the weatherhead and install the meter! Yes! :D :D :D :rolleyes: Did I mention the electrical inspector called and scheduled the framing inspection for Monday? As soon as the electrical rough-in is done, I can start insulating and covering! Yes! Yes! :D

[Jim Becker]

Kewel! That's a nice point to pass in your project, Ken. Having "juice" means you're going to get to completion soon! (If there is such a thing... :D)

[Frank Pellow]

Congratulations! Having just reached that point about two weeks ago myself, I know how good you feel about passing the electrical inspection.

[Rich Konopka]

Congratulations Ken !! I can wait to see more pics but more importantly getting the shop insulated before the cold sets in.

Cheers

[Jerry Olexa]

When I was building my cabin, I remember how enthusiastic I was when I finally got Electrical power. Up till then I was borrowing a heavy, portable generator which was cumbersome, So at that point I knew I could begin to use ALL my tools. I know how you feel. Enjoy your new shop!!!

[Terry Hatfield]

Ken,

GREAT!!!! Keep us posted.

t

[Robert Ducharme]

I can see it now, Ken turns on his saw and the neighborhood lights dim :eek:

Good going (can we see some pictures of sparks?)

Robert

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Robert........if there are any sparks I won't be hanging around taking pictures and....a smart man won't get between me and the door!

[Steve Stube]

Ken, what was the deciding factor in going to a separate meter/service for your shop? Is this considered a commercial installation with a monthly charge associated even if you use no power? That was one of the hoops the local utility wanted to put me through for 3 phase power to my shop in addition to acquiring a separate house number for the shop. My shop has its own number/address now but I declined the 3 phase and commercial hookup with monthly flat rate charge. I provided the 150 Amp underground service from a 200 Amp (re-fused at 150) safety switch in my attached garage that feeds the garage and house.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve, the deciding factor was me. There was no easy way to bring power from the house. In my 30 years of experience working with high power electronics equipments (radar, CTscannners, MR scanners, x-ray equipments) electrical service is the last place to try to cut costs. I'll pay a monthly charge of $6.49 whether I use it or not. I installed 200 amp Square D QO series service panel, running 2-0, 2-0, 1-0 copper service entry cables. My circuits are designed at a maximum of 75% of what code would allow. Example ....24 120vac wall outlets on 4 20amp circuits ( 6 on each circuit). Some of the most difficult problems I've troubleshot in the last 30+ years were directly related to marginal power or poor installation of power.

[John Miliunas]

Awright! :D Good for you, Ken! Won't be long now. I wish I would've had the opportunity to do the wiring on my shop when we moved here, as I have found a number of shortcomings with it. Sounds like that will NOT be an issue with yours! :) Way to go. :cool:

[Steve Stube]

Ken, that is a reasonable fee. At the time I built the commercial flat rate was $16.xx and now it is fortysomething. For my hobby shop there was no way I would reach a usage comparable to the flat rate charge. The previous owner of my house was a power house superintendent and set a 200 Amp SD safety switch at the base of the mast in the garage so the tie-in was really pretty easy (except for a 20 foot saw cut trench through the drive apron). I ran 1/0 USE out to the shop. I had the power in my shop before it was enclosed.

You will enjoy the electrical service you have planned for and if need be, you can heat with electric space heaters while working on the inside jobs. Thanks for the progress report.


BTW, there were no corners cut on my installation and I did the entire job.
For a limited time I have posted a photo here of my shop panels.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/ceethese/Posted%20photos/Shopelectricalpanels.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/ceethese/Posted photos/Shopelectricalpanels.jpg)

[Jim Becker]

I think what Ken did makes sense for his situation, especially with the minimal flat charge for the extra bill. When I did my own electrical upgrade a couple years ago, it was installed such that I easily have the option of making it run off a separate meter in the future should I turn my hobby into a "business", etc. There was no financial incentive to do that now, so a 400 amp meter box with split service of 200 amps for the house and 200 amps for the shop worked out quite nicely, other than the ugly oversized mast up the side of the house for the cable to the street. (Which the power company still refuses to replace even though it's technically under-rated for the potential use...and they left the 200 amp meter, too. Go figure) I have a 200 amp cutout switch in the basement next to the main house panel that feeds the supply conduit to the shop building.

[Jim Ketron]

Congrats Ken glad to here the good news!!
Jim

[Boyd Gathwright]

Hi Ken,

.... How's your new shop coming? We haven't seen any pics of late. Are things progressing along as planned :)?

Boyd

.

The electrical inspector just left. :) There is a new sticker on the meter box and a promised fax to the utility company! :D I can soon have power in the shop! :D I'll try to finish the electrical rough-in this weekend so that all the connections are made in the breaker box when the utility company arrives to run the cables to the weatherhead and install the meter! Yes! :D :D :D :rolleyes: Did I mention the electrical inspector called and scheduled the framing inspection for Monday? As soon as the electrical rough-in is done, I can start insulating and covering! Yes! Yes! :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Boyd...thanks for asking..

I got involved installing a couple of new mr scanners locally and from late November until mid-January I entered my new shop 3 times. All 3 times I needed a tool for work that I had last used in my new shop. I was working 60-80 hours a week for a few weeks. When things finally slowed down at work I needed some R&R, so I didn't work in my shop for 3 weekends.
I had got my electrical inspection at my last post. After passing the service entry inspection, I roughed in all of the wall outlets and actually installed 1/2 of the wall outlets so I didn't have to use an extension cord. Then I had to make some major decisions on lighting circuits. So......I procrastinated for 2 weeks and finally made the decision and wired in the outlets for the lighting.
If, my typing is kind of jerky....everything else is too.........I'm scratching..........I've been hanging fiberglass batts.......the walls of my shop are pink with a small amount of white.....my contractor bought some "white" fiberglass batts while I was gone. He insulated the corners and headers while he was building and closing them up. I used the leftovers. I have about 80 % of the wall insulation installed. I hope to finish it this weekend. I'll have to make another decision and then start covering the walls. The ceiling will be insulated to R-38 using blown fiberglass...installed by a contractor.
I'm taking the last week of March off. I intend on getting the walls covered then.

I've been making progress but it's been slow.

No pictures...the photo cops are away...... :eek: :D

[lou sansone]

ken

from the posts here it is not clear if you installed a 3 phase service or single phase. just wondering which you went for and if the 3 phase was an option. In many places is not an option because there is simply not 3 phase high voltage on the street.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lou....3 phase isn't an economical option here. I ran a separate 200 amp 240v service into my shop. My shop has it's own electrical meter but they "jumpered" the natural gas into my shop so it is metered with my house.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ken,

Congrats on passing the inspections! That is very good news for you! Many times the electrical and plumbing inspections can be the hardest to pass (for good reason). Hope everything else goes well!