Building a new shop
m (Building A New Shop moved to Building a new shop: Capitalization.) |
(→Electrical and plumbing) |
||
| Line 51: | Line 51: | ||
==Electrical and plumbing== | ==Electrical and plumbing== | ||
| − | Most electrical and plumbing decisions come down to personal preference and needs. You need at least a 100 amp service. Sit down with a clean sheet of paper and divide it in two, put the electrical tools that you own now on one side and then put the tools that you want on the other side. Write down the amps or max draw of each of the tools. Yes, a welder (mig or arc) is a tool! Add up and total your needs and multiply by TWO (because we know you're going to get more), and that's what service you'll need. Allow at five outlets per 15 amp circuit. A compressor or 220V mig will eat up 30 - 40 amps. "Brown outs", lack of correct power will fry a motor over time. If that shop of yours is getting a regular workout, maybe you should go with a new 'drop' instead of drawing off the house circuit. | + | Most electrical and plumbing decisions come down to personal preference and needs. You need at least a 100 amp service. Sit down with a clean sheet of paper and divide it in two, put the electrical tools that you own now on one side and then put the tools that you want on the other side. Write down the amps or max draw of each of the tools. Yes, a welder (mig or arc) is a tool! Add up and total your needs and multiply by TWO (because we know you're going to get more), and that's what service you'll need. Allow at least five outlets per 15 amp circuit. Don't forget that outlets in a garage need to be protected by either GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) breakers or GFCI outlets. If you protect the first of the outlet boxes in a circuit with a GFCI outlet, all the rest of the outlets will be protected too. A compressor or 220V mig will eat up 30 - 40 amps. "Brown outs", lack of correct power will fry a motor over time. If that shop of yours is getting a regular workout, maybe you should go with a new 'drop' instead of drawing off the house circuit. |
| + | Consider running all your wires in metal conduit surface mounted on the interior walls. If you get your shop all wired up and the wires are buried in the walls, it will be a big deal to change anything later. I used OSB (oriented strand board) for the walls in my shop, so I can attach electrical boxes anywhere without worrying where the studs are. Bending metal conduit is simple once you get the hang of it. | ||
Here's on example for a preference for an electrical work station: | Here's on example for a preference for an electrical work station: | ||
Take a 10 gauge or better three wire, run it off two legs in the panel to a central point of a given work area. Then, wire a 220V receptacle for a welder or compressor, divide those two feeds into two 110 feeds which run to two double outlet boxes for convenience plugs spaced X feet apart. If you put this on a 30 amp breaker at the panel and cut the bar on the breaker toggle, you have a DTDP (double throw, double pole breaker) 15 amp breaker that runs 220V power. | Take a 10 gauge or better three wire, run it off two legs in the panel to a central point of a given work area. Then, wire a 220V receptacle for a welder or compressor, divide those two feeds into two 110 feeds which run to two double outlet boxes for convenience plugs spaced X feet apart. If you put this on a 30 amp breaker at the panel and cut the bar on the breaker toggle, you have a DTDP (double throw, double pole breaker) 15 amp breaker that runs 220V power. | ||
| + | |||
Plumbing is a welcome addition to any shop. No more running to the house for a pail of water to fill the radiator or wash of body filler dust. Getting water to the shop is easy -- getting sewage and gunk away is the problem. Limiting factors effecting effluent disposal are climatic conditions, topography, municipal concerns, and about twenty other things. | Plumbing is a welcome addition to any shop. No more running to the house for a pail of water to fill the radiator or wash of body filler dust. Getting water to the shop is easy -- getting sewage and gunk away is the problem. Limiting factors effecting effluent disposal are climatic conditions, topography, municipal concerns, and about twenty other things. | ||
| − | It's nice to have a shower in the shop, especially after sanding fiberglass filler (this also prevents complaints from your spouse about the oil slick you leave in the bathroom after showering. If your budget warrants it and you have the room, a 800 to 1200 gallon holding tank is a great investment to hold the sewage and grunge that comes out of a garage. | + | It's nice to have a shower in the shop, especially after sanding fiberglass filler (this also prevents complaints from your spouse about the oil slick you leave in the bathroom after showering. If your budget warrants it and you have the room, a 800 to 1200 gallon holding tank is a great investment to hold the sewage and grunge that comes out of a garage. You can also put in a floor drain connected to a dry well to take gray water from washing your vehicles. Check your local building codes to see if they are allowed in your area, and don't be tempted to use the floor drain to get rid of anything else. |
==Heat, ventilation, and air conditioning== | ==Heat, ventilation, and air conditioning== | ||
Your Privacy Choices