One-man shop dust-collection 120 or 240 single-phase?

All three of my dust collectors can be wired at either voltage. I had one of them wired for 220 just because…no real difference found : ) I have a JET , a Reliant , and as of yesterday , a JDS which requires 16 amp draw on start up. I was lucky that I had my electrician install 20 amp circuits for me while he was doing the 220 wiring. I have no regrets and feel safer knowing that the wiring is up to spec’s and professionally installed : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

Hi -

I have a similar size shop and a mix of 110 and 220. I also have a dust collection system that can run on either voltage. The important consideration for dust collection is CFM and ensuring that your connections are air tight. I would also caution you to look into a grounding solution….static electricity can build in the pipes when saw dust moves through to the vacuum. The grounding helps avoid the potential for explosions from static electricity build-up in the pipes.

Back to the question. I’ve had many discussions about 110/220 (electricians, product support of machine vendors, etc.) and I’ve received a lot of information, some has been contradictory. At the end of the day, I decided to wire my band saw (Powermatic 14” used to do re-sawing) and my SawStop table saw, for 220. The reason is that this equipment may have to deal with wide range of power demands. Both of these machines are on mobile bases but because they are on dedicated 220 lines, I really can’t move them to just any location in my shop.

220 is a bit more expensive because it requires a special circuit breaker, plug on your DC and receptacle (you may need to change the plug on the 110 DC).

As for my dust collection system, I left it at 110. I’ve had no problems at all. My logic for this choice was that the DC runs regardless of how much is being drawn down the pipes.

The last suggestion I would make is to consider placing a cyclone between your tools and your DC. It makes a lot of difference in performance and makes emptying the sawdust easier.

My two cents. I’ll bet there will be a lot of discussion on this issue.

-- Wag more, bark less.

With DC questions, you’ll see such a broad range of answers as to what you should get because everyone pretty much has a different expectation of their system. Someone looking to avoid sweeping the floor would suggest a smaller model that would be perfect, and someone who wants to capture and contain every spec of dust possible will recommend a 5HP cyclone. So keep your own needs/expectations in mind as you weigh the replies. I would suggest you go 240V, and plan on at least a 2HP/12”Impeller with 1 micron or better filtration. Regardless of your choise, you will want a dedicated circuit, so using #12 wire would allow you to change it to a 20amp/240V service later if you decide to upsize. You could even consider using #10 wire which would allow a 240V/30 amp circuit, and use it for 120V in the meantime.

-- I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be (Merle Haggard)

I actually thought about 30-amp and going 10-3 so I could run 120/240 (like you do for a range or dryer) but it has to be dedicated to do that. According to the NEC, anything over 20-amps is considered a “dedicated” install and can’t have more than one receptacle. That’s why I’m heading down to the local big-box to exchange a couple of things (originally went with 30-amp and #10 THHN). I also looked around online and couldn’t find any single item tool that I’d want that draws more than a 20-amp circuit can handle. So, in my case I want the multiple outlet locations more than a large circuit. Oh, and then I’d have to rewire everything since a 30-amp circuit has to have a 30-amp receptacle.

-- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

When faced with a similar situation I ran a 12-2 wire and used it as 110V initially with the intention of switching to 220 breaker when I got a cyclone. Unfortunately the cyclone that I got was only available with a 5HP motor, so I ended up running another 10 gauge wire. So, based on that, what I would suggest is running a 10-2 wire as Fred mentioned. That way you will be ready to go with the right wire with any cyclone that you would ever likely consider.

-- PaulMayer, http://www.vernswoodgoods.com

Some collectors like the Delta 1200 CFM ones I have come wired 110V and yet they won’t even start without tripping a breaker because of the start up load caused by the drag on the impeller. I switched mine top 220V. They are separated from lighting etc by doing this and they run cooler because of the lower amp draw.

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""

Just to step back a second, are you really planning on running 12-2 (or 10-2) inside of EMT like you said?
If so, you should just use 10 gauge THHN.
It’s cheaper, easier to pull, and you won’t hit fill issues if you decide to add another circuit later on in the same conduit.

DannyB—Sorry for the confusion. Yes, I’m running THHN, not “Romex” 12-2 or 10-2. Just my shorthand… :) As for gauge, I’m probably going to stick with the #10 just for the hell of it, even though I’m only running 20-amp breakers and receptacles. It’ll make it easier to change out later if I ever do need anything bigger than 20-amp receptacles. Normally I’d use #12, but since these aren’t 110 and I’ll only run commercial grade receptacles, the #10 should work fine. All in 3/4” EMT.

-- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Hey guys -

I’m a bit confused. Are you over-engineering this? If SomeClown is installing a a single 20 AMP 220 line, that is the same as installing 2 10 amp 110 lines….each would only need a#14 wire, right? Going to a thicker wire is not a bad idea….but unless you are going a long distance, is using a #10 necessary? It’s definitely harder to work with and more expensive than using #14.

If you are planning on going 30 amp, why not just do it now rather than incurring the cost later?

Just asking.

-- Wag more, bark less.

Lowellmk—A couple of things:

(1) I am not planning on going to 30-amp later. That was an early mistake on my part. You cannot run a 30-amp breaker to multiple receptacles, and I don’t see ever owning a device that requires that much juice (I don’t weld anything, as an example). I hadn’t reviewed the NEC codebook in a while, and missed that point. So now I’m just going to use multiple 20-amp circuits.

(2) For 20-amp 240, #12 is code. Why #10? Dunno… a little over-engineering and it does give me flexibility down the road in case I do suddenly decide to take up a welding hobby or something. :)

(3) As to why not put 30-amp in now? See #1 above.

-- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Actually, I suppose it depends on the inspector you get. Some inspectors might let the 30-amp multiple outlet thing slide with the understanding that you want to have a few places to plug things in. Problems are twofold:

(1) If you’re going to have all sorts of things plugged in (Bandsaw, Dust Collector, Tablesaw, Planer, etc.) it’s going to be hard to explain that one away. Safety wise, no issue though since the breaker is there to protect the wiring and with #10 and a 30-amp things would work well. I’ve just found it easier to not try to “explain away” things to inspectors and I really have no need to do it this way when multiple 20’s will work fine.

(2) Bigger problem is you’re required to use 30-amp receptacles on 30-amp circuits. Since just about every 240 device I want to plug in from Tablesaw to whatever else comes wired for 15-amp (NEMA 6-15p) which fits into a 20-amp receptacle of the type I’m using (6-20R T) it works better and I don’t have to re-wire everything. :)

It’s all a profound statement of laziness on my part.

-- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Thanks!

Now that all makes perfect sense….at least to me.

And as far as laziness is concerned…if it leads to simplicity….I’m all for that.

:)

-- Wag more, bark less.

I went from a push broom and a shop vac to a 5 hp cyclone that requires a 30 amp circuit. Don’t say you will never do something. I have learned you should plan for the largest because you might end up there. You can use the 10 ga wiring and the 20 amp receptacle as long as you use a 20 amp breaker. If you had long runs you should use the larger wire since it has less amperage drop. In your situation it should be necessary since you have pretty well in a 20’ x 20’ footprint.

Yeah, for now I’m going to run two 20-amp 240 runs: one for power tools like the table saw, and a dedicated 20-amp 240 for the dust collector. That way, if I want to upgrade the dust collector I just pop in a 30-amp, switch the receptacle, and I don’t affect anything else (since this will all be #10 wire).

Perfecto! For 5 minutes at least. ;)

-- There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.