How many plug ins is too many

deere755 · Apr 9, 2006

I was looking around today out in the shop and decided to put some outlets in the sealing some on a switch and one hot all the time for a door opener. The ones on a switch are for flouresent lights if I decide to go that way in the future. Now they can really laugh I even have outlets in the ceiling. The wife says I should put some on the outside of the building. I may do that. I figure I might as well do it the way I want it I am paying for it. I knew you guys would agree you can not have enough outlets. Thanks for all the support.

Inspector507 · Apr 9, 2006

That's not too many.

Now as far as a workbench area, along with some on the wall, get a piece of Plugmold® from your electrical supply house. Mount it to the front of the bench. Buy the one that has a plug every 6". That way a 6' bench will have 10-12 places to plug into. Heck mount a piece of it on the wall too.

PILOON · Apr 9, 2006

Some rules of thumb:
12 outlets per 15 amp circuit (uses 14g wire)
20amp breaker to protect 12 guage circuit. (Handy for compressors and powerwashers and bench saws)

I like lighting to be on it's own circuit as many times with power tools we can trip a breaker. This way you don't end up in the dark.

Overhead outlets are great for jobs like power sanders and grinders as you don't tiip over extensions.

Another handy trick is a hinged arm that swings out over a work area to allow overhead plugins of power tools.
Just think of an arm that would be positionable over the engine compartement of the truck you were working on for hanging that drop light!
A 8" arm covers a 16" wide area, 8' in all directions of the mounting.
Mine is just at finger tip height.

Bird · Apr 9, 2006

( outlets in the sealing some on a switch )

I have 3 in the ceiling with one of them on a switch. A prior owner of the place was a woodworker so he had some tools in the middle of the floor with power cords going straight up. I'm not sure which one used the switched outlet. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif So far I've had no use for any of the ceiling outlets, so I've just left the breakers turned off that control them.

Cliff_Johns · Apr 9, 2006

( How many plug ins is too many )

It may be a plug in to you, but it's a socket to me. (channeling Richard Nixon)

Bad humor aside, code around here is every 6 feet or something like that in the house. I can't see why you wouldn't want more than that in a workshop.

Cliff

dubba · Apr 10, 2006

( I'm not sure which one used the switched outlet )

Most likely a dust filter, not too many woodworking tools are safe enough to have on a wall switch...

Bird · Apr 10, 2006

( Most likely a dust filter )

I'll bet you're right. There's also one hole through the wall that looks much like a clothes dryer vent except it's about 5' above the floor. And I have seen one picture of the place that included a power joiner in the middle of the floor and what appeared to be a big vacuum of some type.