Originally Posted by
Chris Parks
...how hard is it to have a 240V single phase outlet in a workshop in the US?
The range is very easy to very involved and comes down to where the breaker panel is physically located and how the circuit has to be routed to the space and final location. Sometimes that involves installing a sub-panel in the space to be used as a workshop so that only one "long" run is required and there is provision for adding additional circuits. In the US, a typical garage, for example only has one 120v circuit and very rarely has a "native" 240v circuit unless laundry equipment...specifically an electric clothes dryer...is located in the space. Some folks are lucky that the main panel is in the garage. For others, it might be clear at the other end of the residence and require difficult transit of wire between the panel and the space. Folks in that situation who have a basement or crawlspace are luckier than folks who have their home on a concrete slab. That's nearly universal in the southern areas of the US, for example while basements are more common farther north. The net of this is that installing a 240v circuit can be as simple as a few feet of 12 gage or 10 gage wire from an existing panel all the way to a major project that can cost thousands of dollars.
I was lucky that in my current temporary gara-shop, the main panel was right there on the wall. It was nearly full and flush mounted, so I opted for a sub-panel next to it that was surface mounted. Wiring the shop from there was very easy. Even so, the cost of materials plus permit plus having a licensed electrician do the short interconnection to the main panel came to about $500.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...