How many tools would you put on a circuit?

[lago]

I currently have one 20amp and one 15amp circuit in my shop. I have a jointer, planer, TS, CMS, DP, and an air compressor. Needless to say, I do a lot of plugging and unplugging. I do NOT run more than one tool at a time. I am in desperate need of a DC and also looking for a 14" BS in the future.

I am planning on adding some more 20amp circuits but how many? I am thinking of adding two more circuits. That would give me one dedicated circuit for the DC and one for the air compressor. The existing circuit would be expanded to add additional outlets for each of the tools, again, having only one tool at a time running.

Any thoughts.

Thanks
Ken

Any thoughts.

Thanks
Ken

[don_hart]

That should work fine if you are only running one tool at a time. That said I would go ahead and run another 20amp circuit while I was at it just for the additional capacity.

[LCHIEN]

like you indicate, its not how many but what they draw (Amps of current) and when.

If you plan to run a DC and tools concurrently then the DC needs an circuit all its own. And an air compressor that could come on at any time, it really wants a circuit of its own.

As for the other tools, like you say, they can probably share a circuit and have as many outlets as you want as long as they're on one at a time or at least the current total does not exceed 15A of the common circuit.

You may wish to consider a circuit for Air cond and for heating (one circuit will handle both since the are not run at the same time).

ANd another circuit just for a spare.

And one for lights and perhaps a refrigerator/radio/conveniences.

Some people like two for lights so they don't all go out at once should a circuit fail.

[BobSch]

Have you considered putting a 60amp subpanel in the garage? Then you can run anything you want, including 220v tools.

[JimD]

Ken,

I have one 20 amp circuit for tools and a separate 15 amp circuit for lights and the DC. I need to put the DC on its own circuit so it won't dim the lights when it starts up. The one circuit for tools works fine. I only use one at a time. If you think you will ever need to run multiple machines at a time then you need more circuits but for a single woodworker, one circuit is fine as long as you don't have anything that needs 220V. I've never felt the need for woodworking tools but recently kind of wished I had one for a welder. It won't hurt anything to plan ahead but I think that 3 circuits, one lights, one DC and one for tools, will work for one woodworker.

Jim

[lago]

Bob
Another breaker box was what I had in mind so I could run circuits as I needed. I do have a 220v circuit for a ceramic kiln but they didn't use the kind of wire needed to tap 110v circuits. It would have saved me some money.


Ken