[Build] electrical

[Dr. Jesus]

On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM, neil maclean<neil at warmcove.org> wrote:
> Yesterday I had the chance to meet with Jim, and to speak with Miloh,
> Zedd, Jay, and Rachel, and last Sunday I was able to spend some time
> working with Shannon.
>
> This is my second week of focused interaction with Noisebridge. I think
> I can help build out the space, especially the electrical, and am
> grateful that you albeit abruptly, made me the leader of that "team." (I
> hope there is a team.) (Would interested folks let me know? I can share
> useful skills plus I will need many kinds of help, from just handing me
> things while I'm on scaffold, to mapping circuits, pulling wire and
> bending pipe.)
>
> I'll post a few organizational comments separately.
>
> (Many thanks to Jim for getting together and helping clarify the rough
> plan below.)
>
> I'll propose an immediate budget at Friday's meeting. (not full budget,
> but getting started, immediate budget.)
>
> Provided budget approval, beginning next week: set up a rolling scaffold
> and run electrical conduit lines to several key places for distribution
> panels.
>
> Distribution panels as follows:
> 1. kitchen/laundry (after speaking with Miloh): 100 amp 3phase (range,
> stove, water heater and dryer on blue and red legs, approx 6 110v legs
> on black.)
> 2. wood and metal shop (after speaking with Shannon and Jim): 50 amp 3
> phase (is this big enough? a list of potential gear would be helpful.)
> 3. audio video booth (after speaking with Jim) 50 amp single phase (what
> do you think Dr. J, others?)

My requirements are just a simple 15 or 20 amp circuit, so anything
better than that will keep me happy.

> Existing overhead rails (after speaking with Jim, Miloh and Shannon)
> should be powered with 20 amp single phase, including removing some of
> the rail in the projection area, and perhaps relocating it.
> Additional branch circuit runs to electronic shop and classrooms as
> needed out of new or reworked panel in existing location.
>
> please help me modify and improve on this basic plan. It would be
> necessary to locate these panels precisely before I complete the runs.
> So discussions with (at least) Miloh, Zedd, about kitchen, Dr. J about
> booth, and I have no idea who about the shop at Friday's meeting would
> be ideal.

I talked to Jim about this briefly, and we don't know of any reason
why we can't simply keep the existing overhead rails and install a 2
outlet 20 amp (or whatever) GFCI in the housing at the end of the drop
cables.  There might be an increase in safety by splitting up the
existing rails so they take less current, but wouldn't having a ladder
of GFCIs protecting each other in parallel be even better than
reducing the current in the feed rails?

Another reason for doing it this way is that the available resources
to do the job of the GFCI installation are a lot easier to come by
than redoing the feed rails, since all it takes is a credit card, a
leatherman, and some wire nuts.