wire a lift from top or bottom?

[jlylec]

I'm building a garage and about to pour the slab. Wondering if I should bother trying to figure out where to run under-slab wiring for a lift or just wire it from overhead. What is best?

 

[Strouty]

It depends on a few things, but if you know where you want the lift, I would do it underground in conduit. If you are not sure don't waste the effort and expense. Unless of course you are planning on installing a bridge crane in the future, then you would definitely want to go underground so it won't interfere with the crane usage.

 

[samert111]

Under would be much cleaner looking as long as you know exactly where you're going to put the lift. Make sure you consider front and rear clearances to the garage doors, work benches, other equipment etc. Suggest you get the lift installation instructions to see what all the clearances need to be.

 

[bjcouche]

This was also discussed here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2642935


I did mine under the slab and I get a lot of compliments on how neat of an install it is. It takes planning and a small amount of extra work but well worth it in the long run.

Brian

 

[lakee911]

If you do it in conduit under the slab, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a few extra conduits and to over size some of them. You might decide later you want a receptacle there or you'll feed an air hose through one, etc.

 

[rburke65]

You are going to establish where the lift will be to do the "underground" route. I just did the underground route and also pulled an air line....in another conduit.....for the lift. Good luck. Little foot note here, I don't have the lift installed yet, but hopefully it will be ok. I'll let ya know.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

I wouldn't do it, if your like me I moved the location around a half dozen times after I planned it. You'll end up moving the lift to suit the conduit.
A conduit coming down from the ceiling doesn't look bad.
just my 2 cents

 

[bjcouche]

I agree that for some installations coming down from the ceiling is just the best option. Especially if the top of the lift is only 2 feet from the ceiling. In my case the top of the lift is more than 10 feet from the roof. And some people want to place a bridge crane and hanging anything from the ceiling interferes with the travel of the crane. You really do have to determine where the lift is going to go but in some garage layouts, there is only 1 location possible or maybe the garage layout is centered around the lift... There is definitely 2 ways to look at it and which option is best depends on your situation. If you think there's a good change of moving the lift just a couple feet one way or the other, then don't go underground. If you know where you want it for sure or have two optional places, you can always place the conduit at both locations and then cut one off at the floor later.

Be especially careful on conduit placement. The lift mfg usually states the minimum distance from the base to any concrete joint, seam, etc. Make sure the conduit comes up just outside this minimum. For instance My distance was 6" so my conduit is 8" from the base.

Brian

 

[buzz4041]

Don't forget to put the in ground light conduits while you are at it. That is something you will really like.

 

[darkk]

I have 13' ceilings and mine is hung down, It would be nice to have it in the floor but I wasn't sure where the lift was going to end up. I also ended up with a 4 post lift. I'm going to hang retractable air hoses from the ceiling so the electrical and air lines will be sandwiched together.

 

[saabman]

You did not say if you were putting in a 2 or 4 post lift. For a 2 post, bottom would work fine. But a 4 post can be moved and it is easier to use a pig tail top connection to support mobility.

 

[79mudbugg]

so i thought of the bottom, but also didnt want a trip hazard! so how did the ones that did the bottom feed handle this?? did yall cut the base plate of the lift??

 

[79mudbugg]

bj i agree it does look neat as i expected but just getting it close as want i think top is the way im goin. Plus my buddy hangs rags on the conduit on his and seems to be a neat idea

 

[jlylec]

I agree that for some installations coming down from the ceiling is just the best option. Especially if the top of the lift is only 2 feet from the ceiling. In my case the top of the lift is more than 10 feet from the roof. And some people want to place a bridge crane and hanging anything from the ceiling interferes with the travel of the crane. You really do have to determine where the lift is going to go but in some garage layouts, there is only 1 location possible or maybe the garage layout is centered around the lift... There is definitely 2 ways to look at it and which option is best depends on your situation. If you think there's a good change of moving the lift just a couple feet one way or the other, then don't go underground. If you know where you want it for sure or have two optional places, you can always place the conduit at both locations and then cut one off at the floor later.

Be especially careful on conduit placement. The lift mfg usually states the minimum distance from the base to any concrete joint, seam, etc. Make sure the conduit comes up just outside this minimum. For instance My distance was 6" so my conduit is 8" from the base.

Brian

Thanks Brian and the rest...great feedback here. I am leaning towards a 4-post lift and the top of the posts will be less than 2' from the ceiling because I'm going to have a hole in the ceiling where the truck will rise up into the 2nd floor on the lift. So the lift is pretty much going to be in a fixed spot, but after reading all this feedback I think I am going to come from the ceiling. I know I'd like the professional look of coming from the floor, but I do think I'll move the lift now and again. Most importantly I'm worried about the increased potential for cracking putting stuff in the slab and just keeping the floor clean. I really like the idea of air hoses through the floor too, but my space is so small (26x30) I really don't need air in the floor.

This is all great feedback so I appreciate it!

 

[jlylec]

Don't forget to put the in ground light conduits while you are at it. That is something you will really like.

What exactly do you mean by this? Do you have any pics?

 

[buzz4041]

Put some conduit and recessed floor lighting to look up at the underneath of your car between the rails of the lift. I wish I had this for my lift but I forget it in the design when I had my shop built.

 

[TheShrine]

I was fortunate to be able to plan mine from scratch.

Slab had a planned 3 X 3 X 2 section to position the bases of a 2 Poster....

And I planned the 220 for above....

Since I hadn't decided on a particular lift at the time my backup plan was to have a 220 line at the base as well. It is located to the lower right of the lift, behind the black cart, in this picture. It ended up being a plug for the welder.

I chose not to put lights in the floor. I had a buddy that did that and one day we pulled a ****** "very poorly", fluid went everywhere and the in floor lights went ****! While that experience encouraged me against the in floor lights it did encourage me to put in a floor drain under my lift....just say'n.

 

[buzz4041]

I chose not to put lights in the floor. I had a buddy that did that and one day we pulled a ****** "very poorly", fluid went everywhere and the in floor lights went ****! While that experience encouraged me against the in floor lights it did encourage me to put in a floor drain under my lift....just say'n.[/QUOTE] Need to use sealed units like what is used in a pool.
Shrine you still located in Corpus ?

 

[kvom]

I had planned for a 2-post lift prior to starting the build and installed a 220V outlet high on the wall just for it. My only error was not positioning the pads for the lift far enough apart to allow my car hauler trailer to fit.