Wiring my shop - do air cleaners require a dedicated circuit?

[Don Buck]

I am close to completing the wiring of my shop. I have added a near ceiling 20 amp 115v receptacle for a future air cleaner which at the current time is a dedicated circuit. Unless air cleaners require a dedicated circuit, I am tempted to take the line from the air cleaner receptacle down the wall and tie into my 20 amp 115v quad gangs running along my workbench and split the gangs. Currently I have 4 gangs along my work bench area each with quad receptacles running off the same 20 amp circuit.

My thought is to “split” the quad with the right receptacle on circuit “A” and the left running off circuit “B”, repeated for all 4 quads. This is a one man shop. The cost will be minimal, only about 25' of 12 ga wire. All my wiring is through exposed studs that will be covered with paneling after wiring is completed.

What may be best option, dedicated circuit for an air cleaner or spread the amps around the work bench and share the line with the air cleaner (when I get one)?

Thanks - Don

[Joe Angrisani]

Don.... Depends on the current draw of the air cleaner. Take a look at a few that you are considering and let us know what they draw at 120V.

[David Hostetler]

I have a Grizzly G0572, the amp rating at various speeds is, 3, 2.5 and 2. I have it on the lighting circuit for the shop (which is also the light circuit for the garage door, front door, and back door lights) Total load on the circuit is 15 amps, total circuit capacity is 20. Total ever on at one time is 12 amps...

[Don Buck]

Good question to my question...

I haven't made any decision yet but I am considering the Delta 50-875 and the Jet AFS-1000B. My shop is about 684 square feet. I checked online and the Jet is a 1/5 hp motor and the manual didn't mention the draw or any specific electrical requirements other than a grounded circuit. However, the Delta's owner's manual states the until requires a dedicated 20 amp circuit. This may answer my question to keep the circuit dedicated (although I expect all electrial manufacturers would like you to use only dedicated circuits...)

Further comments and air cleaner recommendations are also welcomed.

[Larry Edgerton]

I had my electrician tie mine into the main light switch so that it came on without thinking about it every time I was in the shop.

Your loading may be different, check with a qualified electrician....

My lawyer told me to say that.

larry

[Van Huskey]

The question is completely dependent on the total max current draw on the circuit. There is no reason you have to have the air cleaner on a separate circuit as long as the circuit you want to draw off of always has the available ampacity. I would personally not run it on a switched lighting circuit since you want to run the filter on a timer after you leave the shop if possible, many of the filters have built in timers for this reason.

[Neil Brooks]

I would personally not run it on a switch lighting circuit since you want to run the filter on a timer after you leave the shop if possible, many of the filters have built in timers for this reason.

I think there's a semantic issue here, regarding "lighting circuit."

My JDS is plugged into a 4-way outlet that is on the *same circuit* as one of my sets of lights, but ... is not dependent ON those lights being ON, in order to be activated.

[Van Huskey]

I think there's a semantic issue here, regarding "lighting circuit."

My JDS is plugged into a 4-way outlet that is on the *same circuit* as one of my sets of lights, but ... is not dependent ON those lights being ON, in order to be activated.

I think the problem is I wrote "switch" when I meant to type "switched" (fixed it now). If the power is drawn from the circuit BEFORE the light switch it is not a problem, again unless the max current draw exceeds the ampacity of the circuit. I just think Larry is shooting himself in the foot by not running his air filter after he leaves the shop.

[Larry Frank]

If you have the ability to have more circuits, then I would have as many as possible in the shop. This is especially true if the walls are open and you can add the wiring. You do not want to find out later that you should have had a separate circuit. The cost at this point is pretty low and prevents problems later.

[David Hostetler]

VH,

I have mine on a switched circuit as well... That was a mistake in planning on my part. And something I plan on fixing in the future... I agree, it is a PAIN to have to leave the lights on to run the filter.

[Larry Edgerton]

I just think Larry is shooting himself in the foot by not running his air filter after he leaves the shop.

Wouldn't be the first time....

I do what I do in MY shop because it works for me. Going on with the lights works for my head in the clouds type of thought processes makes sense. It makes sure the filter is running every day all day long. It makes sure it is off when I leave.

My filter moves a lot more air than the little things you buy at the hardware. I like it. I don't leave anything on in my shop when I am gone. I have my life wrapped up in that building and I am not going to trust some cheezyass motor/timer not to burn up while I am gone.

I never shut a saw off and walk out of the shop. I clean up and prepare for the next morning so all I have to think about in the morning is where I left my coffee. It runs on for at least a half hour every day.

Lastly, I did not tell anyone what to do, I just said what works for me in my shop.

I have had a filter running in one form or another for over thirty years in my shops, so maybe I'm ahead of the game because you guys are just figuring it out now.......

[Ole Anderson]

Wiring my shop - do air cleaners require a dedicated circuit?



Simple answer: no (IMHO).

[David Hostetler]

For what it's worth, it is a bit of a nuisance to have the filter hooked in with the light switch, but mind you, in my case, I have the garage / shop outside lights on until 10:00 P.M. anyway, I typically turn the outside and inside lights off when we are getting ready for bed. The small amp draw of the lamps, and the filter is no big deal, at least not compared to say the PCs in the home office, or the heater I had to keep in the shop to keep my pipes / water softener from freezing up a few weeks ago... I never run power tools after 8:00 P.M. (next door neighbor has a toddler), so no big deal there...

[Mike Desch]

A dedicated circuit is not really required.
The Amp draw of most air filters is really rather small (very small HP motors).
I would find it OK to just tie it into one of your other 120V outlet circuits.

I tied mine into one of the 120V outlet circuits in my shop, and have had no problems with it.

[Bernie May]

My Jet air cleaner shares a 20 amp circuit with my 14" Rikon bandsaw and a Dylos DC-1100 air quality monitor. If i ever add more to this line I will just shift the air cleaner to my lighting curcuit. I have at least 7 110 V 20 A circuits and 5 220 V (3-20 A, 1 30 A, an 1 50 A) in my two car garage. Note: these Dylos monitors are amazing if you don't have one. They give you a ton of info on dust in the air and how effective your dust collection system is from different machines.