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Electrical outlets for tractor shop

B

Bookman

Member
Folks, I figured I might as well as for more good advice. I had put in a 200 amp box for my tractor shop and a 220 volt outlet near the door for the welder and a 220 volt outlet a little further away for an air compressor. I have not figured out the 110 outlets. I want at least one for each tractor in the tractor area, and I figure I need lots in the shop area (never seem to have enough). What are folks recommendations (and experiences--good and bad) regarding electrical outlets? What things should I be thinking about that I may have overlooked?

Thanks in advance

Bookman
 
I put 6 duplex recepticles on each long wall and 2 on each short wall in a 30x40 shop I built once. I put a welder plug on each wall so I could get a shop welder to any part of the shop at any needed time. I used 10 guage wire in steel conduit and 6 for the welders. I put them about eye level so things sitting in the floor wouldn"t cover them up. I had to sell that property and move so I lost that shop but it was really set up well and I enjoyed it while I was there. just my experience. best luck.
 
put two outlets in a duplex box about four feet off the ground, and eight to ten feet apart in steel conduit. make sure that then outlets are gfci protected. my dad and i used 12 gauge wire, individually (no romex).
 
I'm not sure what the NEC states on wire size, but I doubt that 10 ga is enough for a welder. You want 50 amp service for a welder. A couple outlets are good for the welder at each end or something along that line.
110 boxes should go every 10 feet or so I think. There would be a code on that too...
The compressor is something I'd put in an out of the way place and then hard plumb it in place with air lines. Service on that will be anywhere from 15-50+ amp depending on the compressor.

Rod
 
I personally would go for the 20-25 amp outlets instead of the 15 amp household outlets. Needs 12 wire and better breakers but sometimes when you are loading down a circuit it pays off to do the little extra. I have an outlet every 4 feet in my shop(garbage dump according to wifey) Also use GFI breakers on each circuit Henry
 
Your electrical plan sounds good, my only advice is to plumb it for air while you do the power before you start stacking stuff against the wall. Regular old 1" glue together pvc will work just fine as long as you run flexible hose from the compressor to your rigid mount; i run an air drop at each stall as well as power ( two outlets each per stall). beats dragging rubber hose all over the shop!
 
Without sounding like a real A**hole if you are unsure at this point, get someone too CHECK what your doing or plan on doing, volts/amps don't play they will kill. Sorry if this sounded rude, Sean.
 
cpvc is a little better choice for airline, it has a higher pressure rating that pvc, over time tho, the cpvc and pvc will become brittle. they have a new airline out made of aluminum with quick type connectors, real easy to run, very spendy tho. copper would be agood choice, but also spendy. iron pipe would be my last choice because of the corrosion.
 
In our local jurisdiction where the building was like a pole barn with a concrete floor, the local inspectors required us to use all GFCI circuitry as they considerd the poured concrete floor the same as outdoors CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY FOR THE ANSWER IN YOUR LOCATION.

In a shop I prefer the quad outlet boxes (two duplex receptacles side by side) in metallic grounded boxes with wiring in conduit as it affords more protection then exposed romex, at least around the lower perimeter walls REGARDLESS if Romex might be permissible.

Although it may be overkill and MORE then the NEC or your local authority may require at a minimum, I still wouldnt want more then 3 or so quad outlets on a single 20 amp branch circuit. Also you want to stagger the branch circuit feeds so no two boxes near each other are on the same circuit i.e. Circuit A next to a B next to a C etc.

I would use a good grade (NOT cheap residential) 20 amp 2 pole 3 wire grounding receptacles (NEMA 20 R) instead of 15 amp receptacles and, of course, those require 12 gauge 3 conductor wire, Hot Neutral and Ground

I would NOT use multi wire branch circuitry where a common Neutral can serve for more then one phase conductor.

At the Air Compressor Id use a wall mounted Safety Switch disconenct even though a simpler cheaper plug n receptacle may serve as the in sight disconnecting means, they are not very expensive and Id sitll have one even with a plug n cord arrangement.

The Compressor and Welder switches n receptacles need to be sized, of course, for the loads DUH and many welders require a 50 amp receptacle and service branch circuit.

John T Long retired electrical engineer n a lil rusty so check with your local authority n do as they say NOT me
 
Be sure they are grounded 20 amp on #12 2 wire with a bare ground (copper)....

I would run two circuits, one with plugs every 16 ft... another inbetween at 16 ft...that way you have a plug every 8 ft.....on two circuits....

Use a ground falt plug first in each circuit the rest will be covered...

a third circuit for your workbench area....



Much more to think about......Don

outdoor circuit
 
One thing to think about is to have all boxes at 4 foot level above the floor. May sound odd but the higher off the floor the less danger of starting a fire from fumes. all of my plugs in the shop are as high as I could get them and still be usable.
Also put more outlets above the benches that is where they are needed the most.
Walt
 
I would also add a few near the ceiling to use for Clock, radio, fans, special lights like over the work bench. I painted all of the switch and outlet plates red for visibility.
 
Well, I ran all my 120v outlets on a single leg, GFI'd. I would probably have split them on different legs, if the 20 amp GFCI breakers weren't so expensive. Instead I put the shop lights on the other leg to balance the load.

I used duplex boxes (four outlets per box), four feet off the ground and about every eight feet. My only regret is that I didn't put in more outlets. I would also put them a little higher than four feet next time; if you lean a sheet of plywood against the wall, it gets in the way of the outlets.

I made up a heavy-duty extension cord with 12 gauge cord and a duplex box. It's very handy to have a duplex outlet in the middle of the shop floor.
 
I did 30" off of the floor, every 8 feet around the wall, with a 30' hanging reel out in the middle. Yes they are ALL on GFI breakers.
 
I installed it in my shop in 1975. No real problems, but don't screw a male iron fitting into a female pcv as it will split.
 
I put 110V outlets every 4 ft around the inside walls of our 24 x 30 shop and I will put them on the front and back posts of the attached 36 x 30 machine shed.
 
The 12' spacing required is only for residential, not for a garage. Keep all recpts higher than 18", preferrable at 4'. Below 18" changes the classification due to the ability of fumes to gather at floor level, creating a risk of explosion. I would install a quad recpt every 2' when located above a workbench, and every 10 foot along the walls. Depending on what you will be working on, it might also be a good idea to have a cord reel ceiling mounted somewhere in the center of the room, to keep from having cords ran across the floor and causing a trip hazard.
 
never had it splinter under pressure....only had it crack once, when over eager tech tried to make the air hose to his gun 5 feet longer than it actually was and pulled it off the wall.
 
Use 20A outlets with 12 ga wire. Split the circuits. A separate circuit for a grinder/wire wheel that is permanently plugged in. One waterproof outside near the door.
 
I do not like GFI'S. Yes I know they are code now but they are a PITA. You spend more time reseting them than you do using electricity from the circuit they protect.
If you have a concrete floor that id slightly damp and you run an extention cord on said floor the GFI will trip. AS I said a PITA.
Kent
 
Once you figure out how many outlets you need, double that amount. You will end up using more than you expect. I also ran a few 20 amp 220v circuits in the half of my shop I expected to have work benches. I wish I had run them through all the walls.
 
The only thing I would add to the staggering of circuits, it to either label the outlets or use a specific color wall plate for each circuit. One day someone will have to turn a breaker off for some reason and if the outlets are on staggered circuits, someone may get bit. I know you are always supposed to check to make sure there is no voltage on the line....but things always happen.
Scott
 
I have yet to hear someone say "Boy, I've got way too many circuits in my shop. I wish I'd have installed less"..................

The more, the better IMO..............like the others mentioned, 20 amp circuits for sure with as few plugs on each circuit as your pocketbook can afford...............
 
I used to live in Vermont and one summers day when I got home from work there was an ambulance just leaving the neighbors driveway. I walked over to see what was happening. I was met by another neighbor and told that the lady who lived there was found dead in her garage by that neighbor. Seems that she was vacuuming her car barefoot on concrete (the humidity was high that day but it was not raining.)and the power cord from the vacuum shorted to the moisture on the concrete. If there had been a GFCI on the circuit I would not have had to call her husband to come home from work and then tell him of her death. That made him a widower with 3 small children.
 
I put the 110's four feet up and 8 feet apart in the shop. I put them 12 ft apart in the parking area and I have plenty. I also put a 110 outlet in the middle of every other cross beam. I used those to plug in the suspended overhead florescent lites . I still have the other plug of each overhead outlet to use if the need arises. I don't think it is necessary to put an oulet each 4 feet. All my stuff has at least a 4 foot cord so at eight feet apart it should reach. I really enjoyed fixing up my pole barn. I suffered many years on dirt floors with poor lighting. Sure nice to have warm , concrete floor well lit shop. Makes repairs almost pleasant
 
Thanks for the information. I am retired and look forward to getting the building fixed up so I can work in it. I am trying to take my time at it so I can get it the way I want it. Plus, it is easy to get lots of $$$ involved.

Bookman
 
Yep, Did that. However, my generator (6000 continous, 10,000 surge) may be too small, but the price was right. It is a PTO powered Winpower.

Bookman
 
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