Building with ONE power outlet?

iwannarv · #1 10-25-2011, 06:02 PM

Who has built with the lowest power supply?

I've moved into an apartment at my new location. Airport hangar space is next to zero, and I've been looking for a space to move the project. My apartment has a 1 car garage that will work for a workbench and a jig (at least for the rest of the tail). It has ONE power outlet in the stall (4 stall total in this garage building). I suppose that as long as it can run an air compressor and a couple flourescent lights, it will work just fine? I would just have to be meticulous to run only one thing at a time.

I was curious if any other builder had a very limited power supply.

Btw, I don't know how much power is wired to the building. It does support 4 garage openers I suppose......

Trevor778 · #2 10-25-2011, 06:11 PM

Im running off of a single outlet in half of a 2 car garage. Wired as 120 I run a 6hp 30 gallon compressor and it's taken me right up to the point where I'm going to be tearing down my wing stand this weekend. I've got 2 banks of flourescent lights on the same circuit and a trouble light. I've had no complaints about this set up so far. A little more space is desired, but once I finish a component I just move it into a spare room in my house for now.

bruceh · #3 10-25-2011, 06:16 PM

I've got one 20Amp circuit in my garage/shop. I have wired in a bunch of extra outlets along my workbench. Never had a problem running multiple tools and lights. Usually only working with one at a time, along with the air compressor running.

Vlad · #4 10-25-2011, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwannarv

Who has built with the lowest power supply?

..............

I was curious if any other builder had a very limited power supply.

Btw, I don't know how much power is wired to the building. It does support 4 garage openers I suppose......

I did

built the emp in a small NYC studio. You will be fine with one outlet.

roee · #5 10-25-2011, 08:02 PM

Number of outlets is not an issue -- you can plug in a power strip to get more outlets.

The issue is the circuit's current carrying capacity. Check the breaker to find out. A 15 A circuit, which is typical, is sufficient.

FWIW, I regularly run the compressor simultaneously with other shop tools (drill press, band saw, etc.) on a 15 A circuit, no problem. The only time I've tripped the breaker was when running the compressor and a 1000 W space heater. Don't do that.

BruceP · #6 10-26-2011, 12:40 AM

will pull up to three times the rated amps momentarily on start up. You may want to have a slow blow circuit breaker or oversize it to get through startup if you have one of the oil-less versions like I have from Sears, especially in the winter. This drove me crazy until I put a 30amp circuit breaker on my 15amp circuit, not code and you'll want to save the legal one for when you move. Just make sure you watch the overall amp draw if you do this. In my case the air compressor is the only thing on that circuit but you don't have that luxury so be careful. Try it first...I'm sure the electrical engineers out there are holding their heads in horror at what I did...

RV10Man · #7 10-26-2011, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceP

will pull up to three times the rated amps momentarily on start up. You may want to have a slow blow circuit breaker or oversize it to get through startup if you have one of the oil-less versions like I have from Sears, especially in the winter. This drove me crazy until I put a 30amp circuit breaker on my 15amp circuit, not code and you'll want to save the legal one for when you move. Just make sure you watch the overall amp draw if you do this. In my case the air compressor is the only thing on that circuit but you don't have that luxury so be careful. Try it first...I'm sure the electrical engineers out there are holding their heads in horror at what I did...

The only problem is, IF anything goes wrong with the compressor, the wire smokes (electrical fire) before the breaker trips, this is the purpose of the breaker. Breakers have a "time delay", if you will, built in. Don't put in a bigger breaker.
BTW, If you've got the panel cover off to install a bigger breaker, Why not just add another 20 amp circuit? If you know enough to change a breaker, you're certainly smart enough to install wire and a recep.

This is all from a licensed electricial contractor's (me) point of view.

Marshall Alexander

SteinAir · #8 10-26-2011, 08:20 AM

Our first RV6 was built in the garage of an attached townhome many years ago. It has almost zero outlets (lots of Xmas vacation type power strips, etc.. to expand the available power). I drilled a hole from the garage and ran a wire into the kitchen, where I tapped into the plug for the electric oven to supply power for the air compressor. We could run the stove or the compressor, just not both at the same time! I'm sure that's not code, but airplanes took priority at that time.

I point that out to reiterate that it can be done. You have to be both creative and careful, but if you are persistent you can do it.

Cheers,
Stein

Mel · #9 10-26-2011, 08:29 AM

Don't put a 30 amp breaker in a 15 amp circuit.
It is against code (for a reason) and illegal. You can very easily burn down your house.

aerhed · #10 10-26-2011, 09:23 AM

I just finished a 10 using only 240 watts of solar panels. A 12V compressor did everything airwise & I painted with a turbine thing. I had to have bright sun to shoot a whole coat though.