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What size electric panel?

836 views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  90Beater 
#1 ·
As some might have noticed I am asking a bunch of questions lately due to my 24x32x10 shop being built last week.

Last night a friend and I installed two 8ft HO lights so that I can get out there at night. We hard wired them to a plug that is going to an extension cord at the moment so I can see at night.

I am not in any means familiar with this stuff. The most I have done so far is wire up my dishwasher in the house. I will have help wiring up the shop though. I have a 200 amp setup in the house.

My question is what size panel do I need? And many breaker openings will I need? I plan on having outlets at each "pole" in my pole barn. That is every 8 feet. That is about 13 outlets. Most likely I will want 4 outlets at each spot, I would assume that would be a called a "double"?

I currently have the two 8ft lights and will be adding at least 2 more and a few 4ft lights above the workbench etc.

I have craftsman compressor, hobart 135 welder, drill press, grinder, full size fridge, etc. I dont use 220 yet but plan on it.

I think I covered everything. Any help would be great. Basically I am going to put everything in the garage and run the wiring but a buddy will help me hook it all up. I am sure when this is done I will be familiar on how to do it :)
 
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#2 ·
I did similar last year. Went 200 for the house with a 100 sub box for the garage. It is a 20 fuse box. I run 220 @40 and 50 amp fuses through 4, and run 4 outets on each 20 amp single fuse, I'm sure you can run more than that, but thats just how I ran it. Lights are on their own, I have 3 2x48" flurencent and nothing has blown yet. Hope this helps.
 
#3 ·
First, check your local electrical codes and ordnances. They will tell you exactly what you can and can't do.

IMO a 100 amp panel for your pole barn should be sufficient.

15-20 amp for your Receptacle circuit (up to 12-15 outlets)

15 amp for your Lighting circuit (enough for 10 4' 4 bulb fluorescent lights or 4 8' 4 bulb and 2 4' 4 bulb fluorescent lights)

30 amps for any 220v welder you might purchase

20 amps for any 220v air compressor you might purchase

This leaves you with roughly 20 amps to spare.

I would, however, advise you to seek the assistance of a licensed Master electrician. If your area doesn't require electrical permits to be pulled, you can still invite him over for a beer:D
 
#5 ·
Check with the code but I'd put a 200A panel in if you have the money.

You'll need to put a new 320A (think this is min) meter base in. The meter should have two hook-ups to split power between house and shop.

With this setup you get one power bill, all the power you will probably ever need and the shop is separate from the house. 200A panels are fairly cheap and you won't run out of power or circuits with all the "new" thing you just have to have.

Can't have enough power, lights or outlets in a shop.
 
#6 ·
bobracing said:
Check with the code but I'd put a 200A panel in if you have the money.

You'll need to put a new 320A (think this is min) meter base in. The meter should have two hook-ups to split power between house and shop.

With this setup you get one power bill, all the power you will probably ever need and the shop is separate from the house. 200A panels are fairly cheap and you won't run out of power or circuits with all the "new" thing you just have to have.

Can't have enough power, lights or outlets in a shop.
That is a lot of electrical capacity for a 24'x32'x10' shop. Unless, Jersey will be running a machine shop repleat with 220v-- mills, lathes, drill presses, high BTU heater, a couple air compressors, welders, etc. a 200 amp panel for a pole barn seems overkill IMO.

But then again, to each their own.
 
#7 ·
36x30 shop with a 200 amp box. Have 3 220 outlets each on their own 50 amp breaker - 110 outlets about every 5' along the wall. There are (8) 8' high output florecent lights (two rows of 4) - I hate dark work areas.

Main thing that got me when I had it put in was that the power company wanted abotu $470 for a load fee just to connect it to the box at the street.

Ed
 
#8 ·
Aces'n'8s said:
That is a lot of electrical capacity for a 24'x32'x10' shop. Unless, Jersey will be running a machine shop repleat with 220v-- mills, lathes, drill presses, high BTU heater, a couple air compressors, welders, etc. a 200 amp panel for a pole barn seems overkill IMO.

But then again, to each their own.
I pretty much mentioned everything I plan on using in the shop. I can't think of anything that I would have down the road besides a larger welder at most which is why I wanted the 220.

I didn't mention any heater cause the heater I have is gas. I do have a window airconditioner if needed but thats not a concern.
 
#9 ·
Your panel rating can be less than the sum of the branch circuits in the panel.

You could get by on a 40A sub no problem. 60A would give you some expansion room. 100A is more than plenty in most cases.

I have craftsman compressor, hobart 135 welder, drill press, grinder, full size fridge, etc.
Even if you allow a dedicated 15A 120V circuit for each of the things you listed, plus lighting, you only have 90A @ 120V, or realistically, 45A @ 240V
 
#10 ·
100A would probably do you fine, but 200A might cost only 25% more, and take no more effort.

Look around and see what you can find -- the local big-box hardware stores occasionally run specials on 'loaded boxes' where the panel is pre-stocked with breakers on the cheap.

When you buy, definitely consider the cost of your breakers and panel together as a package. Seems like the cheapest panels have the most expensive breakers and vice versa sometimes... and there definitely seems to be regional variance.

Randii
 
#12 ·
ok here is what you should do:
1. don't run more than 10 recepts. per circuit. So if you have 13 try to split them up evenly 6 and 7. Run 20 amps recpts. and breakers.
2. Is it an 8 foot tube light? 2 tubes? It is cheaper to run two 4ft fixtures butted up next to each other. Lamps are cheaper, and so are ballasts. With your lighting I don't see you running into any problems putting them all on the same circuit.
3. Not sure if you plan on running 220v all on the same wall or not. I would put 3 recpts personally, then you should have no problem working all around in your shop. No extension cords. You will rarely be using more than one 220 tool at the same time unless your friend is doing something at the same time as you. Seperate circuit for each recpt.
4. Not sure of the temps and weather there, but I might think of running your compressor outside the garage wall right near the panel. This will help with the sound and you just have to stub through the wall, so not much wire...
5. the welder, I am not sure what power that runs, but you should be fine with a 50 amp breaker.
6. Run the fridge on a designated circuit.
7. I am not sure about your drill press, need to kow more info.
8. Grinder (4.5") or table top? 110v I think. So just plug it in a recepr.
9. If it were me I would get the 200amp out to the garage. You can never have to much power. Try to think ahead. Do you want to be stuck without enough power a year down the road? Do you want to be stuck without enough breaker slots? Always go more than you need there. it is not cheap to upgrade your panel. You can always add stuff.
10. Are you going to use conduit? I would..Maybe just because I bend it all day long...lol..but it would be easier to pull new circuits, larger wire, etc if you did...
11. The wire size will determine on the panel size and ft away from home panel.

Hope this helps...
 
#13 ·
Your main panel should be marked for the max-size branch circuit breaker you can install. Probably 100A or 125A if its a 200A panel.

The only reasons I can see for putting a 200A in the garage are (a) you need more than 32 spaces (b) plan on a service upgrade in the future.
 
#14 · (Edited)
My wire was 4 00 from Home Depot. I ended up buying about 100 feet of it and they cut me about 125 for around 1.00 per foot. Get the grey outside wire don't run the indoor stuff and go with Aluminum over copper, the prices are out of control with copper. Most of the above also failed to mention what you have for your main power in the house. If you have upgraded from 100 for the house, as I did, you can use the old 100 panel in the garage and have the best of both worlds with a fairly cheap price tag.
 
#15 ·
Jerseywheeler said:
I pretty much mentioned everything I plan on using in the shop. I can't think of anything that I would have down the road besides a larger welder at most which is why I wanted the 220.

I didn't mention any heater cause the heater I have is gas. I do have a window airconditioner if needed but thats not a concern.
Yeah, I was being sarcastic trying to think of everything that someone would run in shop. Some people choose to run 50 amp breakers on a welding circuit that will never see a 25 amp peak load...

IMO, go with copper for the lead wire unless you plan to torque the lugs down every so often...
 
#16 ·
Go for the 320 meter base and the 200amp panel. That is what I did and I don't consider myself a "fabrication shop" although I have most of the tools. By the time you have 220V for air compressor, welder, plasma, etc you'll be glad you did.
 
#17 ·
I’m going thru the same thing myself. I posted in another forum on what I had planned and what I had started and got a lot of replies saying to go bigger, use more, you haven’t considered this or that. I took it all in and this is what I have decided is best for me.

I just bought a Millermatic 175 so I needed 220V and decided it would be nice to add lights to my garage and a few plugs on the same side (the other side has added plugs).

I have a 200Amp service panel on a house built in 1994. There are two slots left at the bottom of the panel.

I am adding a 125Amp sub panel using a 30Amp 220V breaker for the welder and a 20Amp 110V breaker for lights (4 2 light 4’ fluorescents) and a 20Amp 120V breaker for a couple extra plugs.

From the main to the sub panel I’m using 6 gauge wire in ¾” flex . From the sub to the 220V welder plug I’m using 8 gauge in ¾” flex. The 120 Volt stuff I’m using 12 gauge in ½” flex.

Once I have it run I will have a neighbor who is an electrician check it out and do the final connection to the main panel.
 
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