Electrical wiring question - shop related

snipped-for-privacy@c3net.net fired this volley in news:3591bfb5-06bc-4d92-9cf7- snipped-for-privacy@t8g2000prh.googlegroups.com:

Yeah, there is. You could draw enough current to char or even destroy the outlet.

What you need is a small local service box with a breaker just for that outlet. They sell them at the home stores variously named like "job site panel". They come with a breaker (or a place to put one), and often one

LLoyd

C'mon, LLoyd. Wouldn't it be both legal and saner (not to mention far CHEAPER) to simply replace the -breaker- with a smaller one?

P.S: That #8's gotta be a striped beeyatch to work with.

-- You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. --Jack London

Yes, but then how's he going to pull 30A on the line when the welder and compressor run simultaneously?

I ran some 6-3 from my basement to my attic for a future subpanel. Not only is the stuff unruly, it's also just plain heavy.

Larry Jaques fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

He has other, higher-current needs for that circuit, from the way I read it.

LLoyd

Logic would dictate that you would NOT want to have an outlet that will fail before the breaker trips. I would expect that the NEC would say the same. Simple solution would be to change the outlet. That's a lot cheaper than rebuilding your shop after the fire. :-)

Jim

My garage subpanel is maxed out and I do not want to derate the 30A breaker for when I use the welder (technically the welder is rated to draw 50A but I have only tripped the 30A breaker once in the last decade). I have a 40A breaker at the main service panel in the house. It is set up this way so that I do not trip the breaker in the house - I do not live there anymore and I don't want to rely on my tenant being home to reset a tripped breaker (on demand). If I could start all over I would have a 60A breaker in the house and 50A breaker in the garage with a larger subpanel.

LLoyd: The "local service panel" would be mounted at the 20A location or adjacent to the existing subpanel? So there would be a local subpanel off of the existing subpanel in the garage? By extension, would I be correct in presuming that putting a higher amp rated plug on the bandsaw would not be proper either? Not that its correct, but today my bandsaw is powered by an 8 ga extension cord that has a 50A male plug and a 15A female recepticle on the other end that the bandsaw power cord plugs into.

No. Its also potentially dangerous if you have a problem.

I have a 50 for my welder and 30s for my table saw and future compressor. Each is a different type of plug and outlet. 40amps isn't much. Its time to start thinking about upgrading your service to that area.

I hope its some really heavy duty cord. Heavier than the heaviest 110 cord you might find in a good hardware store.

Yes, there is an issue. You could theoretically have a problem and draw enough power to start a fire without tripping the breaker.

Does not meet code, but you COULD put a fuse or breaker in the outlet box to protect the outlet to 15 amps.

Because the 15A outlet is not the only outlet on the circut I think that's allowable. The small one circuit breaker panel is not a bad idea though. I'll have to run this one buy my electrian friend, see what he says.

Thank You, Randy

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Most 3 phase equipment shop that I have seen had a fused disconnect on the machine. If I were to do similar on my band saw: a fused (15 amp) disconnect for the 220V 1 phase, attached to the machine. Coming out of the disconnect box a power lead going to the 30A outlet. I am considering having the outlet in the ceiling or in a vertical step in the ceiling. The band saw is positioned between 2 car bays in the garage (not near a wall) and the ceiling steps up from 8 ft to 9.5 ft over the band saw. I figure that a powercord opposite of the throat of the machine would be protected by the machine.

In only one limited case.... The NEC allowed/allows classic 15A outlets on 20A circuits. AFAIK, that's the only case.

Yes, it's legal for 120 Volt but a lot of people try that for 240 with a single fuse or a single pole breaker. Fires and electrocutions aren't worth the few cents they save. :)