Shop Outlet Placement/Voltage Advice

[roger wiegand]

I have outlets every 4-6 feet around the shop, all run in surface mount conduit down from NM in the joists. I used 12 ga wire except for the DC and compressor that goth 10 ga. I put quad boxes at each position with one 240v outlet and duplex 120's on a MWBC. Most of my machines are on mobile bases so being able to push them around to other places is sometimes convenient. I ran dedicated circuits for high draw tools and things that might run at the same time as other tools (eg DC and compressor). Lights are separated from tools so they don't go out if I blow a breaker. Because my ceiling is open I can easily pull another wire when required.

[Mike Heidrick]

To a sub panel you run 4 conductor hence 2-2-2-4. Two hots, neutral, ground.

Op this will be way more than you want. Sorry in advance.

People call my elec outlet amount overkill. My shop is designed with the layout that every 8' you could run an entire small shop. At minimum there is two 220s and 4 110 outlets none of either on the same circuit. Roll a big tool or two there, your good. Need a bench and some power hand tools, your good. Combo of those, your fine.

For 110 tool spots i run 12ga romex, 20amp outlets, 20 amp breakers all at 52". Most of my 220 tool spots get at least 10ga romex, 30 amp l6-30r outlets, 30amp breakers, at 24". Breakers are for the wire in your walls not your tools.

I do use gfci 110 outlets. They are the first outlet in the circuit series. For high outlet circuits that first gfci is accessable on floor.

I run cyclones and upright compressors and have 220 outlets high for those. I also run 8ga and 40 amp circuits for the compressor spots.

My cyclone is central line to my woodworking area and most efficient main duct line for the biggest chip makers, jointer, planer, shapers.

Welder spots, in or outside, run a 50amp 6ga setup.

Run lighting circuits so you can split and control where and how much light you want.

I do sub panels on north and south walls. Makes it easier to install. Mine have access for in wall and exterior conduit. Surface mounted with rear access holes.

In each wall area (be it every 4' or 8' ) have multiple circuits of each type. No two tools of same voltage requirement that you use next to each other will tax the same breaker.

Ceiling outlets for tool drops. Also switched outlets up high for things like ambient air cleaners, ceiling fans, etc.

Outlets for garage door openers. I use jackshaft openers so those are high for me.

Cat6 up to a spot for an access point if you have internet out there.

I also wired for speakers and hdmi for video.

Every 8' I have a control multi conductor wire ran in series back to my dc and 3ph rpc area for control stop stations.

Any chance of 3ph rpc. Thats a whole other set of advice.

[Bill Dufour]

Outlets every other stud by the workbench. every 3 or 4 studs in the main shop area.
Bill D

[John C Cox]

You know - I have seen shops where I thought "Man, that's a lot of outlets".... But when I am working it's always "I wish I had an outlet near here....." So all I can say is "More is better".... I hate dragging extension cords all over.. I hate having to chase down outlets in different rooms so I can run off 2 or more circuits at the same time....

[Thomas Crawford]

To a sub panel you run 4 conductor hence 2-2-2-4. Two hots, neutral, ground.

Op this will be way more than you want. Sorry in advance.

People call my elec outlet amount overkill. My shop is designed with the layout that every 8' you could run an entire small shop. At minimum there is two 220s and 4 110 outlets none of either on the same circuit. Roll a big tool or two there, your good. Need a bench and some power hand tools, your good. Combo of those, your fine.

For 110 tool spots i run 12ga romex, 20amp outlets, 20 amp breakers all at 52". Most of my 220 tool spots get at least 10ga romex, 30 amp l6-30r outlets, 30amp breakers, at 24". Breakers are for the wire in your walls not your tools.

I do use gfci 110 outlets. They are the first outlet in the circuit series. For high outlet circuits that first gfci is accessable on floor.

I run cyclones and upright compressors and have 220 outlets high for those. I also run 8ga and 40 amp circuits for the compressor spots.

My cyclone is central line to my woodworking area and most efficient main duct line for the biggest chip makers, jointer, planer, shapers.

Welder spots, in or outside, run a 50amp 6ga setup.

Run lighting circuits so you can split and control where and how much light you want.

I do sub panels on north and south walls. Makes it easier to install. Mine have access for in wall and exterior conduit. Surface mounted with rear access holes.

In each wall area (be it every 4' or 8' ) have multiple circuits of each type. No two tools of same voltage requirement that you use next to each other will tax the same breaker.

Ceiling outlets for tool drops. Also switched outlets up high for things like ambient air cleaners, ceiling fans, etc.

Outlets for garage door openers. I use jackshaft openers so those are high for me.

Cat6 up to a spot for an access point if you have internet out there.

I also wired for speakers and hdmi for video.

Every 8' I have a control multi conductor wire ran in series back to my dc and 3ph rpc area for control stop stations.

Any chance of 3ph rpc. Thats a whole other set of advice.

This is what I'm going to do in my current shop build. I think I'll have a 99% chance of never having to add an outlet. I had not considered a subpanel on the opposite wall from the entrance main breaker with cutoff, I might come out ahead in cost.

[Jim Becker]

For a "really big" shop, using a sub-panel or two makes sense to utilize less wire. I would have done the same thing in a shop that was like Mikes! (We did the same thing for our home addition in 2008, both because of distance and "painful" access)

[Bill Dufour]

You know - I have seen shops where I thought "Man, that's a lot of outlets".... But when I am working it's always "I wish I had an outlet near here....." So all I can say is "More is better".... I hate dragging extension cords all over.. I hate having to chase down outlets in different rooms so I can run off 2 or more circuits at the same time....

I ran two outlet circuits and each outlet alternates which breaker feeds it so I can run a vacuum and router at the same time just use two outlets next to each other. That was before I had a dc.
I

[Art Mann]

Mr. Heidrick said something that I think is worth saying again for clarity. It is not enough to have an outlet every 4 feet. You must also have sufficient circuits so that you don't trip breakers all the time. For example, if you had an outlet every 4 feet from one end of a wall to the other, you still would not be able to run a router table and a good sized shop vac at the same time unless they are on different circuits.

[Rollie Meyers]

“They ran 2-2-2-4 so due to the limitations of the wire it's on a 90A breaker.”

Curious. Is this a three phase feed? Or a typo?

Normally a single phase feed uses three wires...

All subfeeds have to have a equipment grounding conductor run with them, the days of 3-wire feeders to outbuildings are over, the NEC removed that option around 2005, the cable referenced has 3 #2 AWG aluminum conductors, 2-hots (ungrounded), 1-neutral (grounded), and 1 #4 aluminum grounding conductor. A 3 phase feeder would have 5 wires.