Do I have enough outlets?

[Drew Bernat]

Obvious answer: no!

I'm moving to a new place with a 3 car garage. One bay is going to be dedicated to a pool table, but the other two are going to be getting covered in sawdust. Currently the garage has a few outlets and lighting only, so I'm planning an entire redo, including a subpanel for future expansion.

I haven't actually gotten to design a shop yet - I've always been squeezed into a smaller space. I also have no idea what tools I'll be doing in the long run, so I'm aiming for versatility instead of dropping outlets precisely where I need them.

Any thoughts on the attached plan? The size is an estimate, and I need to check the stud spacing. My overall thoughts are as follows:

1) Lots of 120V outlets. Seriously. A lot.
2) Frequent 220V outlets. I can always add more, but I don't know exactly where tools are going.
3) I'm going to want a lot of light for woodworking and normal light for parties/hangouts/pool practice, so mix overhead 4' fixtures with normal fixtures and do distinct lighting circuits.
4) Currently both the single and double garage door are rollups, but I'd like to replace the double with a carriage door - hence light switches there.

[Jim Becker]

That's going to be a nice space to have.

It's hard to tell you "how many" outlets are right, but having a reasonable number over a couple of circuits can provide nice flexibility and convenience. That's the only reason to have "more" rather than "not more", honestly. With one woodworker, there's a limit to how many you're going to be using simultaneously. As to 240v circuits, wire them assuming the need for 30 amps so you're covered for most situations that would be typical for a home shop. Some gear will require 30 amps; some will only require 20. Standardising on 30 makes it easier. Only a few tools require a dedicated circuit...a dust collector and a big compressor are examples. Otherwise, tools you only use one at a time can share circuits. I would have spent less on breakers had I "thought" of that way back when.

[Paul F Franklin]

IMO, you have enough receptacles, although I would think about allowing for running power to some machines via the ceiling with drops to the machines. Hard to plan for that without knowing what machines you have and where, but think about how you would run power to them.

I don't think you have enough light. My shop is about 900 sq ft, and I have 15, 8', 8000 lumen LED strip fixtures, and there are times when I wish I had more.

Also, I wouldn't use cans. Use surface mount LED fixtures instead. Easier to install, wire, and insulate. And they don't leak conditioned air like sieves.

[Brian Tymchak]

Depending on what you choose for dust collection, you may want a second 240 circuit for your DC as it will run at the same time as other tools. And I agree that you will want more 4' LED fixtures.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

It isn't just outlets but also the circuits. You don't want your heavy amp machines tied to the same circuit as your dust collector. Perhaps a dedicated lighting circuit so a blown fuse doesn't leave you in the dark with spinning blades, etc. Also, 15 amp for some, 20 amp for certain power equipment. We have an electrician coming in a few weeks to install a sub panel in the shop, along with some dedicated out lets for the heavy amp power equipment.. Chance of water or shock, GFI in some circuits.

[Drew Bernat]

Awesome advice, thanks. I'll put more lights on the list. Also, any recommendations on which fixtures would be awesome. In my "shop" right now I have a 2 tube LED fixture, a garage door opener, and a pair of Costco 4' strip lights on the ceiling... it sucks.

For circuits, I'm planning 2 20A for the 110V and 1 220V for the big iron. Great point on the dust collector - easier to run wire now than before I finish the walls (... which seems to be required if I use romex).

[Dave Mills]

For your 220V, I am for whatever reason under the impression that those tools are typically each on their own circuit. That's how mine are wired, at least. Each has a 30A breaker. At a minimum you might assume you're running a 220V dust collector at the same time as a 220V table saw, even if the other tools would never be running at the same time.

45A for lights seems like overkill to me.

Lights, garage doors, compressor, dust collector, fans, I think of those all as needing to be off my "tool circuits" since they may be running at the same time. For whatever it's worth, that's how I think of it at least.

[Tom Bender]

Looks like you have separate circuits for the fridge and freezer. These can be combined.

Definitely 2 or 3 circuits for 240 volts

Loose the cans and go with 4 ft 2 tube fluorescents or the equivalent LEDs

Don't hard wire the lights, plug them into outlets. Easy to rearrange and replace.

Close the 16 ft door and cover it on the inside with insulation and finished whatever. Forget it.

Build a wall between the shop and the pool room.

[Matt Day]

I really don’t think you really need a million outlets. Main machinery, stuff like grinders/sharpening, outlets at the benches and such of course need them. But I use my ceiling mounted cord reel 90% of the time for random plug in things like Dremel, angle grinder, drill, etc.

[Bill Dufour]

I put in a outlet on every other stud so 32" spacing. But I ran two separate circuits so any two outlets next to each other run off different breakers. All outlets are 20 amps. Code says to use #12 wire for a 15 amp circuit anyways. I do not think #14 is allowed in residential anymore? Or maybe the #14 is allowed in non lighting only?
The separate circuits allow me to run a tool and a vacuum at the same time with out thinking about it. Put a few high outlets for machine task lighting tied to the room lights. That way you do not forget to turn off the task lights. Also convent for a shop radio. I bought some weird color outlets(orange) for this at habitat. Or paint the cover plates so you know they are switched.
Bill D.

[Curt Harms]

45A for lights seems like overkill to me.

Especially with LEDs, they draw very little.

[Jim Dwight]

#14 is for 15A circuits and #12 is for 20A. No issue with going bigger other than cost and the greater difficulty working with #12. I have what even I would call minimal electrical in my shop, by design. I've been doing this a long time and knew I will not need any 220V tools (or DC). So I have one 20A circuit for tools, one 20A circuit for the DC, and a 15A lighting circuit that I have a few outlets on. One 15A circuit should easily handle any shops lighting if you use LEDs. I don't trip breakers. I put my outlets 4 feet off the floor. That way they are above any countertops or machines. None in the ceiling or floor - but I can see why they might be useful.

How much light you need is not something everybody agrees on. The highest I've seen recommended in any technical document is 100 lumens per square foot. I am about half that now and I think my light is OK. I am in my 60s. I just have a bunch of double bulb ceiling lights with two big LED bulbs in each. If I were to start over on the lighting, I would probably just put up some cheap single bulb outlets and some garage lights like these: https://www.amazon.com/Deformable-Ad...a-870117562449

I put a couple in my car garage and I really like them. Unlike my bulbs, they are physically sturdy so if you bump them nothing bad should happen. They come in different sizes so you could design your lighting to get to 50 or 100 lumens per square foot and if that turns out to not be enough, just screw in some bigger ones later.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Only advice I can offer is to have dedicated receptacles; plug a tool in and leave it. Very nice!

I did my time running everything off of 1 extension cord, swapping tools into it every time I inhaled - both of which, uhm, ... "provide suction". It is amazing how much time you recover when not spending it arranging power cords.

[Charlie Velasquez]

48” height is a waste. Workbench height is probably 34-39”. If you want to go higher, than go 50” so you can fit sheet goods against the wall with a spacer under it (had a water issue once, ruined some mdf and chipboard, and... I am getting old. It is easier to slip my panel carrier under the panel if it is already 3/4” off the floor).

[Bruce King]

For that size shop I can’t think of any 30 amp tools. A nice table saw only needs 240v at 20 amps. Most bandsaws can connect to either 120 or 240 but 20A. A 120v 20A dust collector for the big dust producers and a shop vac for router table and miter saw. You need to know what else is on the original 120v circuit since some older houses have the bathrooms on it too. You can install a 30A 240V outlet to back feed from an exterior generator if you know the safety issues with doing this and make sure no one else touches it.