Subject: Here's what the completed wiring and power panels look like. Author: DavidC (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 11918 posts Posted on: 2009-06-20 17:02:00

The first two large panels on the left are 200A load centers for the 110V/220V regular wiring. The first one houses breakers for the lights, the wall outlets, garage door openers, security system, etc.

The second panel houses breakers for all of the single-phase tools and dust collection. Most of those are 220V, but a few (like a ShopSmith are 110V). The 2" curved conduit exiting the right side of the panel is to supply 60A of 220V power to the 3-phase converter control unit (the third box from the left, the one with the "American Rotary" label on the cover).

The armored cable exiting the bottom of the three-phase control panel sents single-phase power into a 15HP motor below, which generates full three-phase power. That three-phase power is sent back up into the control panel (through the same armored cable). The second 2" conduit on the right sends the three-phase, 220V power into a three-phase load center for distribution via separate breakers for each circuit.

The three-phase system is controlled by illuminated on/off switches in three different locations, one of which is on the cover of the control unit, which is visible in the photo. The on/off switches are actually "contactors", which really just signal the controller whenever a button is pressed so you don't have to run full power through them (like you would in a three-way light switch, for example). The switches are wired, "home-run" style, using 6-conductor 22-gauge cable.

All of the load centers are made by Square-D. The single-phase load centers use the HomeLine series of breakers. The QO series of breakers are better, but cost was a factor so I went with HomeLine. The three-phase load center use QO breakers, though.

From the three-phase load center, power is sent to the three-phase motors and tools using regular 10/3+ground and 12/3+ground wiring, depending on distance and current requirements. For example, there are a couple of nearby 1/2-HP motors for a sander and a scroll saw which use the 12-gauge wire. Everyting else is pretty much 10-gauge, though.

The computer on the right side is part of a PC-based camera surveillance system. I've put in dozens of those systems over the last few years and they work great. We've helped friends catch several burglars so it's a handy thing to have.

My wife and I did all of the wiring and installation ourselves, saving a TON of money vs. having a contractor do it. It passed inspection with flying colors!



David Cecil
Lexington, KY
'97 740iL, 182k miles
'92 750iL, 95k miles
'86 735i, 101k miles

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