How Much is Enough Power?

It happens rather frequently: I will go to a house, an office, or a factory and the person I am speaking with will look at me, a little flustered, and say something to the effect of, “I just want enough power, so I don’t have to worry about it.”

To which I usually respond with a wholly unsatisfying “Well, it depends on how you plan to use [insert bank].”

Poor planning of where common electronics will be placed leads to the finger prints of extension cords and heaped chargers.

I realize my answer sounds like I am trying to dodge the question but take the same electrical setup in two different scenarios and the outcomes can be very different.

I can appreciate that getting an electrician may have been a herculean feat.  You may have had to fight corporate for a work order, or scrimp and save for a few weeks or months, and you want to get it right the first time.  However, I would like to give you a few things to consider so that when the electrician arrives you can make the most of your time with them and know that you are getting enough power.

1)      Have a Plan – For larger projects you may want to engage the services of an engineer, but for the more limited project make sure you have a good idea of what you want accomplished.

I reviewed a job in a parking garage that involved getting power to 6 lights and fixing a host of conduit that had been broken or ripped down.  The majority of the walk through and the subsequent quote was spent defining where, what, and how far to go with the project.  Having a plan helps prevent the inevitable mission creep that comes with construction.

Have a plan & know the equipment. A room layout plan and an equipment schedule are shown. These documents help reduce changes and ensure that the work is done right the first time.

2)      Know the Equipment – Equipment can vary based on frequency, amperage, voltage, number of phases, and more.  While no one is expecting you to become an electrician, knowing what equipment you plan to use in the area and at least having access to data tags is a huge leg up.

I did a walk through for a job in a factory where they kept tripping breakers and running multiple extension cords (the inspiration for this article).  All the work occurred on an assembly line at specific workstations.  To gauge how many circuits each station needed, we had to round-up all of the equipment (hand tools) and interview workers about their work flow to assess their needs.  Knowing what and how the equipment is being used helps expedite the process.

3)      How Will the Space Be Used – It is not just sufficient to know each piece of equipment in the space being used, it is also important to know how it is used.  Three welders used at the same time have a different need than three welders in a space where only one person works, and only one welder will ever be used at a time.

I was in a plant once where a drill press, grinder, a band saw, and a sanding disk were all on one circuit.  They never had issues with overloading the circuit because only one person worked in the area and due to the nature of the work would never run more than one machine at a time.  If the workspace usage were to change, like a second person gets added to the space, it is very likely that they would have to add circuits to accommodate the change in usage.

With smaller scale projects I frequently walk clients through some or all elements of this process.  Like most electricians, I want you to be happy with a clean and safe installation that meets your needs.  Accomplishing this goal is a team effort that involves input from the client.  In the end, a good electrician will be less inclined to immediately start throwing up conduit and more inclined to stop and listen to the client to determine their needs and goals. That way when the project is over you are not left wondering, Do I have enough power?