100 amp or 200 amp?

[diesel06]

Wanting to upgrade the electric in my Morgan building. Currently have 110 with some lights and a few outlets. There is not a panel box in the shop, I will install one though. I have 200 amp service to my house. Not sure if I should run a new 100 amp wire or 200 amp. I want to have two 220 outlets to run a welder and 80 gallon air compressor.

 

[pattenp]

Give more details of what the total amp load may be when you have everything powered up so we can give you some advice on the service size. Odds are you may only need a 100A service or less.

 

[diesel06]

The air compressor will be 25 amps 50 amps for the welder and I'm guessing 20 amps for receptacles and 15 for the lights

 

[larry_g]

The air compressor will be 25 amps 50 amps for the welder and I'm guessing 20 amps for receptacles and 15 for the lights

Any HVAC, refrigerator, TV rec room stuff, more than one person in the shop at a time? You have not listed near what you need to. How big is the building? 15a of lighting is a perty small space. Planning any wood working? What will you do with this building store stuff or produce something?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[diesel06]

its a 30 by 40 pole building just a hobby shop heating with woodstove building a 47 international kb 6 diesel hot rod no tv or rec room will put a small bar with a few lighted signs down the road

 

[malibu101]

If it's just you working. Meaning not all tools running at the same time like a working shop. I'm very sure 100A will be fine.

However, look at the cost difference between 100A & 200A. Materials are not that much more expensive for and you will be the cool kid on the block with more than enough power to run almost anything that you would ever want at any time.

Although from what you are talking about I would just go 100A.

 

[larry_g]

Sounds like a 100a will do you.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[wasfuzz]

100 amp will do for now, but what comes in the future? When I upgraded my house to breakers over fuses it was $400.00 more to go 200amp. I could never come back later for that price and upgrade - so 200 amp it was.

 

[marinusdees]

IMHO if the house is 200, that's adequate, and 100 is adequate for the garage, Unless you intend to start a business in which case you need a separate service entrance. Adequate means do not do any more unless you have money to burn.

 

[ForceFed70]

100A goes a long way. You could probably get away with 60A if you had to.

 

[olytdi]

I disagree. 200 amp is not that much more of a cost. Never have to worry about it again.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

I put in a 200A to my shop, 44 x 62 x 16. I never considered anything else, but the building inspector did. It turns out around here they usually do not like for more than 100A for a building like this unless it is a true commercial building. They are afraid someone will put an illegally placed mobile home or like living place behind it and power it off the building. The inspector asked the electrician that installed it "why does he need a 200A service?" I'd already been warned by the electrician about it. I told him to tell him "so I could run any damn thing I wanted to. If he had a problem, call Linda, the County Health Director, it's really her shop." I got the 200A approved. Some of the guys with shops around here have asked how I did it, they have only 100A services.

 

[sberry]

200 makes sense if it is a new service, if its fed from an existing service then its a problem.