lathe,mill,compressor on plugs ????

[Tarheel Slim]

Had an electrician tell me i would more than likely need to wire up my lathe mill and compressor to a wall plug and not hard wired ,is this needed to meet code in Ontario Canada for a garage.

 

[sberry]

What kind of electrician is he? Plant maintenance?

 

[Tarheel Slim]

No LOL, he does residential, he charged me 80.00 for an hour of his time didnt really answer all my questions and he explained it all before i could jot some of it down,i have alot of respect for electricians .I have a electrical ESA permit as a homeowner and need much help finishing the rough in, thats why i asked this question about the machine shop tools on plugs sounds silly to me too but i thought i would ask here first.

 

[sberry]

Larger motors, 5 hp and more do not go on plugs. Most Canada code is similar. The onliyist real reasons to are if the circuit is to be shared, if it is to be used as a service/safety disconnect. If the breaker is local that isn't needed.
There are some rules about using cords, in some sense a whip is to be used but its really a minor concern, a plug would make the cord legal to the letter, most use a cord anyway.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Im not familiar with the CEC but in the US if the compressor motor is over 3HP u will have to hardwire it unless u use special plugs and outlets rated for the HP of the motor.

As for the lathe, unless it has a large motor i dont see why it cant be cord and plug connected...

i dont know canadian code so he may be right.

 

[rsanter]

All of the items you mentioned I have in my shop using plug ins. Largest motor I have is a 3hp and most of my equipment is on wheels other than the compressor and the big lathe

Bob

 

[tfi racing]

CEC really doesn't care what method you use to wire your equipment,but whatever method you use,it must follow the code.The proper receptacles,cord ends and cable can get really expensive really fast,in a lot of cases that determines if something is plugged in or hardwired.

 

[MushCreek]

Most shop equipment I've seen is on plugs- large, expensive, twist-n-lock plugs for 3 phase. That's what I'm going to do when I set up my shop with 3 phase equipment.

 

[Doug Arthurs]

My mill and lathe are on Plugs.

 

[n20junkie]

Everything I have is on plugs. Makes it easier to roll stuff around to clean behind or repair.

 

[Tarheel Slim]

Called up the inspector today he said hard wired rather than plugs would be fine,he asked if the tools were hard wired perviously,i told him they were I thought thats good for me as i dont intend to move a lathe around once its trued up to the floor,or the milling machine for that matter,same for the compressor where its going is where it stays,dont see the point of the plugs,as someone mentioned they arent cheap either,they do look better on plugs but its not in the budget at this point.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Called up the inspector today he said hard wired rather than plugs would be fine,he asked if the tools were hard wired perviously,i told him they were I thought thats good for me as i dont intend to move a lathe around once its trued up to the floor,or the milling machine for that matter,same for the compressor where its going is where it stays,dont see the point of the plugs,as someone mentioned they arent cheap either,they do look better on plugs but its not in the budget at this point.

Standard NEMA Plugs and outlets rated upto about 3HP arent expensive.

Its the pin and sleeve plugs and outlet which are pricey...

 

[Tarheel Slim]

Thanks Wyliesdiesels, will keep that in mind,dont think i have a motor bigger than 3HP.

 

[Falcon67]

My mill and 12x36 lathe are hard wired - mill to the VFD, lathe to the same 240v feed. Compressor is on a NEMA plug/socket rated for 30A. It's in a closet and you'd want to pull it on (mounted on a skid) for service. The lathe and mill don't move around.

 

[bullnerd]

I always thought there had to be a disconnect near the machine, whether it was a plug or a switch?

Ive worked in machine shops with both.

 

[sberry]

I always thought there had to be a disconnect near the machine, whether it was a plug or a switch?

Ive worked in machine shops with both.

There does but the breaker qualifies as long as it is local, in the same room as a common garage would be fine.

 

[bullnerd]

There does but the breaker qualifies as long as it is local, in the same room as a common garage would be fine.

That does make sense, but, if your long hair is stuck in a machine do you want to explain where the breaker is to your rescuers?