Hi All.
I have a question about GFI protection in an attached garage/shop. I've turned one bay of a 3 car garage into my shop (no comments on my screwed up priorities, please!).
Had an electrician run a 100 amp subpanel into my shop. He installed two circuits...one circut for switched lightbulbs and the other has a single GFI outlet (15amp-12GW).
Now, I'm getting ready to run the other circuts..plan is to install 2
15 amp - 120v cicuits (lighting), 4 20 amp - 120v circuts (misc tools) and 5 20 amp-240 circuts (dedicated circuits for dust collector, bandsaw, and table saw).Now, this is in my garage and so I'm pretty sure I need to have my circuts GFI protected. Here's the problem...
I am using the single existing GFI duplex plug to power my equipment as I get the shop ready. Typically, I run a radio out of one outlet and a shop light or my contractor saw out of the other. I never run the shop light and the table saw at the same time.
When I unplug the shop light or turn on the table saw I almost always trip the GFI plug. Have to walk over and reset it nearly every time.
My intial plan was to use a 20 amp GFI outlet as the first oulet on the 120v circuits to protect all downstream circuits. But I don't want to reset the GFI breaker every time I use a tool. Is anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions? I'd prefer to not use GFI breakers if I don't have to (expensive!).
Also, do I need to GFI protect the 240v circuits?
Thanks!
Rick