How many plug ins is too many

[deere755]

I am just getting around to wiring my pole barn I put up in the fall of 2004. I made up my mind that I wanted plenty of electrical outlets and lights. I have been catching alot of slack over the amount of outlets I wired in. I went with a plug in every 8 foot (one on every pole) and in the 16 foot span of my work bench I have 4 groups of 4 outlets. As for lighting I went with 3 lights on every truss and there is 4 trusses with lights on them on 3 different switches. The size of the building is 30x40x10. I know from past experience that you can never have too many plug ins but everybody I talk to says its over kill. The other thing I did was I went with a 100 amp service and some say thats too much. I am not an electrician so maybe it is.

 

[Steve_Miller]

You did it right in my view. You can never have enough outlets and lighting. It's a little more expense up front but it's worth it down the road when you don't need an extension cord every time you want to plug something in. If you plan on any 220volt devices, put a few of those outlets around the building as well.

Steve

 

[Farmwithjunk]

You can't be too rich, too good looking, or have too big of an electrical service in a shop. 100amp isn't too big. (200 in mine)

 

[MrSteve]

IMO you have done what you should of. You can NEVER have to many plugs. So the people that are giving you the "slack" are wrong and you are right. When I wired my garage, I wired it in 12g and had a plug every 8ft as well. YES I did hear "Wow so many outlets", but I never needed a cord for anything I plugged in. Maybe people are thinking you would use more then the rated amps for your place (hooking up to many things at one time and using them all at once).

LOL just let them know you have no cords they can use when they need one for their place because they don't have a plug every 8ft. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Amps... Yes never to much, it is just sitting there waiting to be used. BUT putting in smaller service and wishing you went bigger, well that would make you a bit upset I would think.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( everybody I talk to says its over kill )</font>

May be, but it sure beats wishing you had more. Right now in my little 21' x 25' shop, I've got 15 duplex 120v outlets (3 in the ceiling), two 230v outlets, and 8 double 4' florescent light fixtures on 2 switches.

 

[slowrev]

you can't have too many outlets in a shop. And 100 amp is pretty much the minimum if your are going to have an air compressor and welder. I only have 60 amps in my shop right now and have to disable the compressor if welding /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Ben

 

[HGM]

I'll join the club too, you're correct... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Like I posted in another thread, you'd hate to find out that you cannot have the new parts washer ______, because some bone head didnt put a receptical there... Like someone else mentioned, its not like youre planning on using them all at the same time, so as long as its affordable, go for it.. Do the same with air lines too(within reason), then you can just use a short coiled air hose rather than drag a 100' rubber hose out whenever you need it...

 

[rswyan]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have been catching alot of slack over the amount of outlets I wired in. I went with a plug in every 8 foot (one on every pole) and in the 16 foot span of my work bench I have 4 groups of 4 outlets. )</font>

Hate to think of the kind of trouble I'd get in /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ...... I've got most of the boxes, outlets, and wiring in for our new polebarn (42' x 72') ..... I put in an outlet or outlets every 4', alternating between single and double outlets.

 

[Egon]

Not sure but there may be regulations on how many plugs for a line.

For me there are never enough.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JJT]

Not too many. I've got a 200 amp service and 20+ circuits in my garage. 3 outlets/circuit and 3 dedicated to 220. Over 1000 feet of 12g wire, even used it in for the lighting circuits. Overkill, yes, but I did 100% of the work myself.