Is 220v necessary need answer fast!

[Pookster]

Im having the electrician wire up my garage- its all brand new, so its time to pull in the wiring.

Do I run only 110, or should I have 220 run in as well? what amp of both? I have a 110 Speedaire compressor as pretty much my only big power use item (other than the usual sawsall, bench grinder, etc). but I hate running at peak capacity. 220 Im considering for a lift. I might as well get it run in now, so I can figure out what to do later with it. I've been looking at these mini lifts, and they all require 220....

 

[divorced]

I would run 220 - welder, plasma cutter, air compressor. You can run large motors at 220 volts and use 1/2 the amperage that you would at 110 volts, assuming the motors are rated for 110/220. There is a noticable performance difference when using my plasma cutter on 110 volts instead of 220 volts, it cuts thicker metal a lot better with 220 volts.

 

[divorced]

Also, you have only one set of wires run, not seperate sets for 110/220. If you have 220 run in they will use only 1/2 of it inside the breaker box to make 110 volt cicuits. So basically the only extra cost of 220 volt instead of 110 volt is only for 1 wire.

 

[Blazer1970]

If you are running it from the breaker panel in the house:

Buy the biggest 220V breaker you can get for your panel. I used a 100A in my Square D QD panel. You may have to move some other breakers in your panel as the 100A breaker needs to be mounted right against the main breaker or switch (usually at the top).

Run a 4 wire service entrance type cable from this breaker to a sub-panel in the garage (100A in my case). For 100A you need a 4 AWG cable.

Run all your garage circuits from the sub-panel.

Now you can run anything up to 100A @ 220V in your garage.

 

[grimjaw]

It will be much cheaper to have the garage wired for 220 now instead of later.

 

[tin man]

Run the 220. Right now it is very easy to run a circuit. I assume that you have no drywall up. Tell the electricians that you may be running high amp equipment later so that they run a heavy gauge circuit. The cost will be much less than having them come back later. You don't have to decide exactly what size circuit it will be right now, as long as the wire is large enough to support high amperage. You can always change the breaker size. I would think that 100 amp should do the job though.
I have run many circuits in my time. It is much easier and less expensive to do it now. I hope this helps.

 

[CyberSniper]

Pick yourself up a 60a 220 breaker and run it to your garage. From there, put in a second panel. From there run your stuff out.

It's a lot nicer to have a box in the garage. When you trip a breaker you only have to go so far. If you want to add a circuit you only have to go so far. You'll have a lot better 110v power if you run 220 to your garage and split it there.

It'll cost you a couple hundred more but I guarantee you won't regret it.

 

[justinf]

I would run at least a #3 AWG wire for 100A. or bigger depending on the distance to make up for voltage drop. If you run a long distance, with a smaller wire and then try and run a big load, you will drop the voltage significantly to the point where some equipment won't run, or could be damaged.

 

[73k5blazer]

Have the 220 put in now

 

[diesel4me]

get the 220!

I've yet to wire my garage properly,still using extension cords on everything after 13 years! --but I can get 220v from the garage attached to the house,where I used to work before I built it...its a MUST if you ask me,and many tools need 220v--I asked a lot of people if I needed 220,one answered "a garage without 220V is like a woman with no boobies!"....and he added it will only cost more to add it on later...I'd do it all in one shot if I were you,you wont regret it!--and you wont be trotting in the house to re-set the breaker 5 times when welding like I had to yeasterday...

 

[Pookster]

220 it is. Adding that to my electrical wish list.