220v ? for shop

[Mike G Soo On]

Can you put more than one 220v recepical (sp) plug on a 220v line like you do with 110v.
To plug in more than one item like a DC and a heater or DC and a TS?

Mike G

[Andy in NS]

As long as you do not overload what the line can carry and your breaker, I have one line for the DC and tablesaw and another for the BS, Vacuum pump and compressor, but I am not an electrician. A friend who is said it would be fine in my case.

Andy

[Felix in Brampton]

I'm fairly sure heating should by code be on it's own circuit (I believe 30amp is std.) with rated wire. Of course, some of us *might* be using a construction heater on a shared circuit, and *might* have to turn the heater off before starting, let's say, a table saw.

A heater might draw 20 or more amps. Add 10 or 15 amps for a TS or DC and do the math.

[Jerry in Sask.]

Get an electrician to do it. If not done properly and in complience with the National Building Code, you will find your insurance is void.

[Bill Howatt]

I live in Ontario and had some work done by a real electrician who also had been an inspector so I asked him about that very thing. He said that you can daisy chain 240V receptacles just like you do with 120V receptacles.
I have a TS, jointer and stationary sander all on one circuit. Only one tool is run at a time since I am the only one using them. I would not put a heater on the circuit that might trip the breaker if it could come on while I was running a tool.

Bill

[Diane Edwards]

thanks for the info, I have been switching plugs between my tablesaw and new edgesander, wondering if I had to run a new 220 line or not. I also only use one system at a time.

[Ken from Ottawa]

Sure, you can do multiple 220V plugs on the one circuit. I did my own shop just over a year ago with all the proper permits and inspections.

My bandsaw, tablesaw and lathe are all on the same circuit. They are always ran at separate times.
I ran some circuits as dedicated ones though if it was a major tool that would commonly be on at the same time as other tools (Dust collector), or that may come on at any time (Compressor).

[Michael in Port Alberni]

Yes, a 220 cct can have multiple receptacles on it just like a regular cct. The Code requires that a cct supplying space heating loads be used only for that purpose, so that is the only exception.

Cheers

Michael Kampen

[J.P.Rap in Hamilton]

It seems your question has been answered so Ill ask another.

Can you (legaly) run a 110 receptical from a 220 line.
I have 1 220 line in my shop with a split receptical (110v to each side) in the center of the shop and a 220 plug at the end of the line. If Im using two tools at once it would be a tool and the shopvac. Both are pugged into the split receptical. The two lines are on independant breakers.
This was a temporary setup and the only tool I planned on converting to 220 was my lathe. Those plans have changed but I have't got around to changing the wiring.

I was just wondeing if this is ok or should I get rid of this setup?

J.P.

[Ken from Ottawa]

J.P.

I'm not positive, but I think the answer would be no. You have 2 lines capable of drawing full amperage for those lines, but you only have one ground that could take 1/2 the total amps that could be delivered on the hot lines. You might get away with it if the breakers limit the amperage so that the ground doesn't get overloaded. That would seem to be safer, but I'm not sure if it's legal.

[Bill Howatt]

I don't really know if it is legal but I have read on forums about people putting a 120V receptacle on their TS for convenience and powering it via the 240 line (they have a neutral wire in the cable as well). Don't see what should be bad about it.

My concern is what you refer to as "independent breakers". The breakers supplying the 240V should be either 2 in one package ( a double breaker) or 2 separate breakers whose handles are tied together with a pin such that if one trips it causes the other to shut off as well.
Sorry can't give you a difinitive answer.
Bill

[Ken from Ottawa]

J.P.

Something just occured to me. Did you have a Neutral Line available? Normally you wouldn't. Or are you running 110V between a hot and the ground? If so, that's not allowed.

[Bill Howatt]

The currents are 180 degrees out of phase on each line so if the full rated current is drawn on each line, the current in the neutral is zero since the currents, being out of phase, subtract. The highest current in the neutral occurs if one side is drawing full current and the other side is drawing none. In this case, the neutral current is just what the breaker and wire were designed to handle.
Bill

[Ken from Ottawa]

OH cool. I didn't think about the phases.

[Mike on the Wet Coast]

Isn't that what a stove does? Remember the old wives tale, "use the power on the stove, it's cheaper."

[Michael in Port Alberni]

Nope JP, that aint cool by the code as far as I am aware. Electrically is will work, and I don't believe there is anything dangerous about it on the face of it, but that is not an accetable way to wire things. Each cct should feed only receptacles of one voltage and amperage configuration.

Cheers

Michael Kampen

[J.P.Rap in Hamilton]

Thanx guys.
To clear things up...I ran a 12/3 line from two independant 20 A breakers. As I said, I have one duplex outlet in the center of the shop. It's split and each side is fed from one of the two lines and have a common nuetral as well as a ground. From there I continued the 12/3 to the far wall were there is another duplex outlet wired the same way and I have a 220V supply coming from that outlet. Since my plans have changed and I won't be using the 220 (as far as I know) Ill remove that cicuit from the line. If I decide to make that a dedicated 220 line in the future, Ill be sure to connect the two breakers.

Since I never ended up using the 220 line, I wasn't really that concerned about it. I was really just wondering if it was ok with the code.

As stated...electricaly, it does work...but that don't make it right.
Thanx for all the replies.
J.P.

[Michael in Port Alberni]

JP, I see you were thinking ahead. 12/3 is the way to go if you're wiring as it gives you the widest range of options for a reasonable cash outlay. Problem woth a home shop, and even comercial ones to a certain extent, is that needs change over time, and most crystal balls have lousy reception.

Cheers

Michael Kampen