I have one 15-amp circuit serving my basement shop. Can I switch the breaker to 20 amps? TS is tripping when ripping 6/4 maple.
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7 years ago
TS keeps popping circuit
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7 years ago
Depends on the wire gauge from the panel, if it is 14 forget about it.
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7 years ago
It is 12 gauge.
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7 years ago
As others have pointed out, it depends on the gauge of the wire. #12 wire will handle 20amps, but you need to make sure it's #12 all the way to the breaker.
With one 15amp breaker for your whole shop, I would be hesitant to put a
20amp breaker in and then run the saw plus a dust collector at the same time.Sounds like a good excuse to run another circuit out there. :-)
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7 years ago
You should be good then, 10 might be better, depending on many factors I cannot see from here.
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7 years ago
Hey, Froz
Come on over and take a look. Just as cold here in Wisconsin ?
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7 years ago
No passport, I cannot get into the US legally, and it would be a bitch of a drive. :-)
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7 years ago
Maple has sticky sap, and it doesn't improve with heat. Try cleaning the saw blade, maybe applying some wax, and if you have a rip blade, use that instead of a combination.
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7 years ago
From a long term prospective, you may wish to consider running a couple of new 20 amp circuits in your basement shop. With a saw motor the circuit usually goes with the initial high amp load when the motor starts. But as said if you are running a dust collection system and some other high load equipment, you may be safer with the higher amp circuits.
My work shop (part of my garage) has only one 20 amp circuit. That is the circuit the runs the garage door openner. It is a pain to have to plug my saw into that outlet that is in the ceiling. I hope to add a couple other 20 amp circuits in other areas ie. where I keep my work bench and one to the freezer which is also in the garage.
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7 years ago
At least one more. I'd run a separate circuit just for the lights. It sucks having the lights go out at the same time the table saw stops, leaving you in the dark.
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7 years ago
+1 It's essentially the same as sticking a penny in the fuse box.
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7 years ago
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7 years ago
Is it 240V? If the outlet the saw is plugged into is the only one on the circuit, it might be really easy to convert it to 240V. That'll help a lot more than going from 15A to 20A.
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7 years ago
What gauge extension cord used if any?
Switching the circuit breaker at the box to a 20 amp, requires a wire change to 12 gauge.
Where is the breaker box, if in the basement run a new 20 amp circuit same cost as changing the wire and breaker.
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7 years ago
Of course, all of us who have suggested a new circuit are assuming there is room in the panel.
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7 years ago
I wired my shop with outlets on alternating circuits, so I can plug the tool in one outlet and a vac into the adjacent outlet. They're on opposite sides of the box, too. Lighting is also on separate circuits.
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7 years ago
If you do run new circuits, make 'em 240V. The tools will appreciate it.
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7 years ago
From experience that is an interesting question.
My table saw requires 20 amps to start the saw with a 1hp motor. There is a short cord on the motor that plugs into the switch at the front of the table. Over the period 40 years the cord from the switch to the wall became damaged, and I had to replace it. I struggled to find the right cord. I finally use a 14 gauge cord.
Why because every cord I could find was 14 gauge, and when I went to Menards, Lowes and a couple of other places where there were saws on display with 1 hp motors, they all had 14 gauge wire into the motor. usually just a couple of feet long.
We have all been giving advice that focused on the wire gauge and circuit. I don't believe the question was ever asked as to the size of the motor, and the start mechanism, ie capacitor start etc.
Both would have bearing in the size of the cord required.
Knowing the motor specs, it is possible that the saw is blowing the circuit not because the circuit is inadequate because there is some internal short in the system.
If it were me I would check the short possibility before I purchased a new cord or installed additional circuits. (Even though my original post jumped to the circuit solution.)
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7 years ago
Even so, there are usually alternatives that aren't too difficult. Single breakers can be replaced with doubles and installing a sub-panel isn't usually all that difficult. If everything is sheetrocked, it'll be harder to run the wires than either solution above. If not, it's all pretty easy.
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7 years ago
I made my own.
Not really. The OP asked if he could go from a 15A to a 20A breaker. To do that, 12GA wiring is required. It has nothing to do with the motor.
Larger wire is better, sure, but that wasn't what was asked.
Or too the saw is too far from the panel. Again, we were asked if the breaker could be increased from 15A to 20A.
He's only having problems with 8/4 maple, which tells me that there isn't anything wrong with the saw.
We're not talking about replacing the cord, rather the breaker (and, if necessary, the wiring). The best solution is to go to 240V but that takes a little more than was asked.