240v Garage Circuit Installation Cost?

[realeyz]

For those who hired an electrician to install a shop 240v circuit. What did it cost and were you satisfied with the work? How many circuits did you get installed? What would you do differently if you had to do it over again?

Thanx
- todd

[Tom.Trout]

I hope you get some responses cause I'll be eyeing this thread for comparisons to my own situation. (I wasn't planning on running 240V but maybe I should be.

quote:Originally posted by realeyz

For those who hired an electrician to install a shop 240v circuit. What did it cost and were you satisfied with the work? How many circuits did you get installed? What would you do differently if you had to do it over again?

Thanx
- todd

[LarryG]

Unfortunately this is like asking, "How much to rebuild the engine in my car?" Lots and lots of variables. Others can tell you what they paid, but it won't mean much to anyone else unless their conditions are virtually identical.

If you have an existing 110V circuit than can be converted to 220V, it could be as simple and as cheap as changing out the receptacle and installing a new breaker. OTOH if you need to pull wire through existing walls to a panel 75' away, and/or don't have any vacant breaker spaces in said panel, that'll cost a lot more.

[sacherjj]

I wonder if you can find and electrician that will allow you to pull the cable and all the labor intensive work, and just make sure it is correct and hook it up. I'm doing the same thing in the garage, but the exterior wall isn't insulated or drywalled yet. This makes it an easy, short run of 10/3 (may be overkill and 10/2 might be all that is needed, still looking at that) cable and adding a 30 A two pole breaker.

The one thing I'm still looking for is any issue with two outlets on a single 220V circuit. I don't think this is an issue, but I've never seen more than one. I think that is more about necessity, where the dryer or stove gets a dedicated circuit, just because of load. I want a 220 outlet near the center of the wall for a future welder or other device, and one near the back corner of the garage for a DC system. Neither would be operational at the same time.

[maxparot]

I had a subpanel with a GFI breaker installed this past summer and it cost $600

[Tom Slick]

my guess would be $100 materials and 4 hours of labor, so maybe $500. it depends on how far away your circuit breaker box is, if there is room in the box for another circuit, and if your garage is finished or bare studs. the cost is all in the labor so anything that looks like it would take extra time = more money.

[dlminehart]

I had a subpanel installed, involving a 50' run of wire from the main panel, about 20' of conduit on the inside wall of my garage, and a half dozen breakers. Took him and his assistant about 3 hours, including the time for my questions about doing the circuit wiring myself. Cost $750. I can get both 220 and 110 from the subpanel.

[realeyz]

Sorry, I wasnt looking for an estimate on my own installation, just a peek into your situation of installation and its own intricacies, costs etc etc. Of course it will vary with different characteristics and needs, but I thought that went without saying. Sorry for not being clearer.

- todd

[Stick]

quote:Originally posted by sacherjj



The one thing I'm still looking for is any issue with two outlets on a single 220V circuit. I don't think this is an issue, but I've never seen more than one. I think that is more about necessity, where the dryer or stove gets a dedicated circuit, just because of load. I want a 220 outlet near the center of the wall for a future welder or other device, and one near the back corner of the garage for a DC system. Neither would be operational at the same time.

i dunno about your local code, but that's legal here, but you can't have a hidden junction box. I've got multiple 240 outlets for woodworking tools on one circuit, and multiple welder outlets and a compressor outlet on another. Careful though about saying they won't be operational at the same time. You may someday have a 240V table saw or such, or want to run a big vent fan if you weld. I unplug the compressor when I'm welding.

[Stick]

quote:Originally posted by realeyz

For those who hired an electrician to install a shop 240v circuit. What did it cost and were you satisfied with the work? How many circuits did you get installed? What would you do differently if you had to do it over again?

Thanx
- todd

Well, i didn't hire an electrician, but I say install a sub-panel, so you have room to expand.

[realeyz]

Here is what my panel looks like:



I want to add two 220v circuits and probably one additional 120v - all of it can be run on external conduit line and external outlets so no wall running will be necessary as my garage is fully insulated and drywalled.
(btw whats the diff between 110 and 120v - 220 and 240v besides the voltage?)

Also how can I measure the available amperage / voltage at an outlet so I know if I am starving my table saw or not and won't hurt the motor? Any links to proper electrical tools for this would be helpful.

Thanx everyone!
- todd

[maxparot]

Your saw is supposed to be on a dedicated circuit. That means that it is the only thing on that circuit. Most standard household circuits are single phase 110/120 Volts alternating current. Your main power feed is 220/240 VAC single phase. It is 2) 120v that are 2)different phases when used together are 240 VAC.
Available amperage is basically a matter of what the circuit breaker limit is. From looking at your panel it should be possible to pull 4 of you full slot breakers and swap them for 2 doubles like the 1 usedfor your Micro Kit lites. This would give you the room for a 240V breaker to feed a subpanel at a remote location. If you were to mount the subpanel
close to the old panel you could remove 2 breakers to make room the the 240V breaker and put the circuit from the old breakers into the new subpanel. Neither method tell me if your main feed can support the increased load but based on what you are showing I'd say you should have a main of at least 150 amps to add any additional load but I'd feel better with 200 amps service.
The load on that circuit is the sum of the devices using power on that circuit.

[realeyz]

I understand what you are saying Maxparot but my question is why does my Table Saw require its own circuit but my circular saw and miter saws don't? They all draw the same 15 amps.

[LarryG]

I think Rob (maxparot) was just using the table saw as an example. You are correct in thinking that any electrical device that draws a similar amount of amps needs to be on a dedicated circuit.

However, understand that "dedicated" does not necessarily mean there has to be only one receptacle, serving only one tool, on that circuit. That may well be the strict definition of the term but what really matters is that there is only ONE such high-amperage tool in use at any given time, and that there is nothing else (lights, air compressor, dust collector, etc) on that same circuit. In a one-man shop, you could have a single 20A breaker in the panel with wiring to three different outlets for your table saw, your compound miter saw, and your circular saw. As long as only one of those is running at a time, for all practical purposes it is a "dedicated circuit."

[realeyz]

Yes I understand what you are saying Larry.... I was actually referring to what the manuals state for each tool. Indeed the table saws manual says it should be on its own circuit, but the other saws don't.

- todd