15 amp / 20 amp

[Mark Coleman]

I've read a few of the threads where guys have a dedicated 20amp circuit for their BT. The motor on the saw is rated at 15 amps. Does this larger breaker do anything detrimental to the motor?

We're moving in a month or so and I'm going to have a new garage for use as a shop. Looking forward to 50% more sq. footage than I have now, but a bigger advantage is the opportunity to do some wiring/re-wiring and have my power set up properly. I've been limping by on drop cords with too many things plugged into them for years.

My thinking is that I install a dedicated circuit for the saw, planer and RAS since I'll never use more than one of these at a time. Is 20A the way to go, or is that pushing it?

[vaking]

The only detrimental part of having a stronger circuit is that if you overload the saw - the bigger breaker will not pop and save it from burning. The practice, however, shows that most 15Amp breakers will not pop either. The belts inside the BT3100 usually are the first to go if the saw stalls. That means motor is usually safe but replacing belts takes $30 in parts and a good 2 hours.
I (and I am not alone) use BT3100 in a 20Amp circuit together with a small dust collector on an autoswitch. Having DC or a shopvac on a same circuit makes 20 Amps a must.

[Wood_workur]

Also, there are 20 amps supplied at the breaker, but when it get to the saw, but when it goes through all that wiring, it drops a little, espically if you don't have a sub panel in your shop.

But if you had a 15 amp circuit, you wouldn't give the saw the full 15 amps.

the same also goes with voltage- when there isn't enough volage, the saw will draw more amps.

But I run a tool, and about 3 lights with my 1st 20 amp circuit. The second one, which is shared with my family room, runs some more lights, and the shop vac.


20A is standaard today, and yes, the way you are thinking of wiring that curcuit is also very common.

[bobby_m]

Keep in mind, the amp spec of your breakers does not determine how many amps your circuit pulls. The device you're running does that. The only thing the breaker does is limit how much current can be pulled (max). In other words, 20amp is fine, and recommended if you're running anything else on that breaker.

Bobby

[Tom Miller]

No matter which way you go with the breakers, use 12 gauge wiring throughout. This will be advantageous for 15A ckts as well as allowing you to operate them as 20A ckts if you decide to now or later.

Regards,
Tom

[Hellrazor]

ALWAYS use 12 on circuits with outlets. Even if you don't plan to ever use a 20A breaker. Some day you might wish you spend the extra $$ to do it. I don't even keep 14g wire here.

[Tom Miller]

I don't even keep 14g wire here.

I wouldn't go that far. I like to use short lengths of it to bundle up garden hose, etc.

But, I forgot to ask earlier, have you (OP) thought out your circuit "budget"?

You mentioned one circuit for tools that you'll use one at a time, but you might want more separate circuits for:

1. DC
2. Air compressor
3. Heating/Cooling
4. Lights

just to name a few.

Regards,
Tom

[dwolsten]

ALWAYS use 12 on circuits with outlets. Even if you don't plan to ever use a 20A breaker. Some day you might wish you spend the extra $$ to do it. I don't even keep 14g wire here.

14ga wire is fine for lighting circuits. With today's copper prices ($1/ft for 12ga I think), there's no point wasting money on wire for something that doesn't need it. You should keep your shop lighting separate from your outlets anyway.

[Mark Coleman]

Thanks for the info, guys. I have thought out the rest of the wiring but was struggling with what to do on the BT and the other major pieces of equipment. Lights will have their own circuit, which is already in place. I'll have two circuits for smaller tools and local lighting, along with the circuit we've been discussing. Dust collection is a ShopVac on wheels and will be run off of one of the smaller tool circuits.