floor outlets

[48windsor]

Ive read so much about workbenches in middle of shop .
Would it be a good idea to install floor outlets about where I want workbench?

 

[frank001]

Ive read so much about workbenches in middle of shop .
Would it be a good idea to install floor outlets about where I want workbench?

I would put the outlets on the side of the workbench. Floor outlets in a workshop would collect sawdust, filings, dirt.

 

[klassenl]

I would put the outlets on the side of the workbench. Floor outlets in a workshop would collect sawdust, filings, dirt.

They also collect bugs but in wouldn't do a shop without them. I have a box under my table saw with a curcuit for the saw and a circuit for other tools. I actually have a power bar plugged in there and mounted to my outfeed table. I have a box with another power bar plugged in to it under my workbench.

10/10. Would do again but with air lines as well.

 

[Norcal]

Floor boxes are quite useful.
Shop.

Back room.


There are 120V duplex, & Twistlock®, and 240V Twistlock®, receptacles in the floor boxes. They have not had any issues, I do blow out any debris on occasion.

 

[sberry]

I have a pipe stubbed up comes under the workbench. I wouldn't want conventional recepts in the floor. Air I can reach from a reel behind on the wall.

 

[Balor]

If you are a metal fabricator/hobbyist do not install floor outlets!! A more versatile outlet is a drop down/reel from the ceiling, you can use it for welding, with the appropriate sized wire, and set up for 120v or 240v.

 

[snickers muncher]

Drops for the win. The cabinet shop I worked in had electrical and air drops at each workstation and it was incredibly useful. In my little work shop I put two outlets in the ceiling. I can just barely reach them, but they're super handy.

 

[fitter30]

Just think about plugging a tool in from the floor. If work bench is 36" tall just lost 3 ' of cord plus stepping or kicking plug.

 

[SGKent]

We used to use floor boxes in some of the work I did. Hated them, you have to be sure they have a table or something over them so no one trips. They are a PITA to open, always full of bugs and you can't hose or mop over them. To use them you have to get down on your hands and knees to open them.They get damaged when someone kicks a cord plugged into them. Use a drop from the ceiling if you can't tolerate an extension cord. Also as someone pointed out - the minute some filings or a dropped nail gets into one you'll be chasing a breaker to fix it, as well as damaged GFCI units from water on a spilled cup of coffee or filings. Using compressed air will just force some of that stuff deeper into them.

you can run an extension cord permanently using something like this and be happier. They are made from low profile aluminum too:

 

[Falcon67]

Air drops. The 80,000 sq/ft manufacturing plant I worked in had dozens of benches across the assembly floor in various sections of the plant. Big 12-3 corded drops from the ceiling girders with a decent service loop up top let us move things around as we liked.

I'd never put an outlet in the floor. One thing I've learned over the years having several shops of different sizes - nothing guarantees anything will stay in "that place" forever. Even 1500 lb pieces of equipment. And especially a bench that isn't bolted to a wall. Why a bunch of my outlets are in 4" boxes wired with MC cable, surface mounted to the walls. I can move and re-plumb things anyway I like if the mood strikes.

 

[nh_yota]

No way I would put floor boxes in a shop for the reasons already mentioned. Pretty much anything can be supplied from a cord drop and for the few items that need 360 degree clearance like a table saw - if I really didn't want to use a cord across the floor I would stub up from the floor with rigid conduit and set a box 12" off the floor.

Sure you can get outdoor-rated floor boxes but they are only sealed when the box is not in use.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I would never want floor outlets in my shop. I would much, much rather have some quality drops than a floor outlet. If you need to leave extensions cords in place for a period of time, the covers that SGKent showed above are a good solution.

 

[woodzy]

I have an box in the shop right next to the table saw, Been there 20 years and no issue. It was an underground box (large plastic round box) with a ring you glue in after installing it. I can roll anything around my saw and not need to go over any cords or swing any board above my saw and not hit any drop.

My favorite saying is "That is poor planning on your part". So, plan correctly up front and all should be good.

 

[Mattlt]

I remember my old high school shop had an outlet for the table saw mounted about a foot off the floor. Seems to me the box was just held up by the conduit, but maybe it had some other support as well, I don't remember? You could easily sweep up around it, and sawdust did not get into the outlet.

I would go this route vs having an outlet in the floor.

 

[BB Sig]

I used to be a helicopter mechanic. In the hanger we had large boxes with 12" square lids. Air lines, multiple electrical types and aircraft grounding lugs in them worked well. I plan to do this in the near future!

 

[MFolks]

At the weapons release shop in Thailand,we had wall mounted boxes with 115 V.A.C 60 cycle, A.C., 400 HZ A.C, for test equipment.28 volts D.C. ,again for test equipment and 100 PSI for air tools. With plugs created, so mismatches could not take place for incorrect power connections.

 

[machsnell]

I would love to have outlets in my floor. I wish I had done that and vac tubing.

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[Kaizen]

I ran round floor box and 4” dust collection 6 feet off the middle of one wall.
It’s my tablesaw island. Table cantilevers out so hard to kick it. For years I’ve stepped over vacuum and extension cords while ripping and had to go around and pull long pieces through. Scared me so I put in floor. Don’t like hanging things as it gets in the way flipping boards or long things around.
Op you have one chance to do it. Plan it and stick em in. Worst case you don’t use them


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[sberry]

Something to consider is this isn't an 80K square ft warehouse or a hanger. I don't this about every way uit can be done and while drops have their place they are a pain in the *** to work around on a general fab bench. If you know where this is going I like the pipe stubbed up to plug the bench in and a plate in the floor hooked to a piece of hefty rebar back to the wall for stick welder and plasma work ground. For air unless this is way out in nowhere I can reach back for a hose from the wall or to a reel. I do like outlet on the bench for grinders and electric drill if you use corded.
I had drop on my bench to start with and it was continuously in the way, had it one day and cut a groove in the floor to pipe wire in.