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Getting 3 phase to home workshop

madmachinst

Stainless
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Location
Central FL
Got 2.5 acres zoned light ag in Cent FL. I want 3 phase to my workshop just like the other neighbors. One told me to write letter to power company saying my wife wants a kiln. Truth is I might need a 3 phase well pump for my grass and all the fruit trees I planted. Any suggestions, anyone know how much it has cost lately to get such a service?
 
They charge by the foot from the nearest power pole with three phase lines, two or three lines on the pole, not incluing the ground. Yeah, better tell them you need it to power a big water pump for watering the fruit trees and grass that you sell!!!
 
I’m not so sure you have to tell them anything, just pony up. I’m fortunate to be in a shop that had 3-phase before I bought it. When I upped the power from 200-amp service to 600-amp service the GaPower engineer did mention the possibility of charging me for the upgrade. Thankfully the pole and transformers are on the sidewalk maybe 25’ from the meter base. They waived the charge as the transformers were slated to be replaced anyway. I guess they weren’t super worried about 100’ or so of wire, since they already had a crew scheduled.

All that said, one thing I did have to do was submit my load requirements. Basically I just took pictures of every motor plate in the building. Not that 1/3 of the tools would ever be turning at the same time, but I inundated the engineers office with close to 3000 amps of potential. After GaPower agreed that I was selling myself short on incoming power I turned the rest over to a licensed electrician to do the rest. Like most utilities, you own everything from the meter-base on and the utility owns the rest.

I’m guessing you’ll have to do similar and pay for the cable runs. But, from my experience, I would be prepared to furnish the power company with a reason. Also from my experience, they don’t verify anything you submit to them, so take pictures of every machine you’ve already got and maybe a few of your friends machines.



Jeremy
 
When I built my new garage shop about 10 years ago, I upgraded my incoming lines to 300Amp. Before doing it, I asked the power utility engineer who came for planning/inspection about 3-phase line. I don't remember exact numbers, but the installation wouldn't be extremely expensive, but the monthly service fees/rates would increase dramatically. It wasn't feasible, so I opted for a 15HP rotary phase converter.
 
Three phase power almost everywhere involves a peak demand charge in KW for a short period of 15 minutes or more and a minimum. At one time around here the demand charge was about 12 dollars per KW and a minimum of 10kw every month, use it or not. I once convinced a customer to run his 100 hp chipper on Saturday not Friday with all the other loads and cut his bill $600 a month. Recently a customer with a huge old industrial building with two huge services disconnected them because they no longer needed the power, installed a small one and cut the bill by 5K a month.
 
In Montana you can use 11 kw peak demand, and/or 2500kwh and you will be billed 11 cents a kwh,no demand,($275.00) but if you use 11.1 peak demand or/ and 2501 kwh usage you will be billed $11.00 x the demand and 12 cents a kwh( 300.12 +121.11= $421.23) You will really get a power bill with a demand charge.Kinda like bonus points on a pin ball machine, makes a guy think if 3 phase power is really worth the price ...Phil
 
We just put a 200 amp 3 phase service into our Idaho place for $2500. to the utility and $3000. to the electrician who ran the underground from the pole, 300ft to the shop. The guy that dug the trench was $1500
 
My place, closest 3 phase was 4 new poles down the road, and new wire to run about 400 yards.
Each pole was $4000, plus a transformer, plus wire. And labor.
Wire alone would be about $7000 to run 200A. So ya, probably $25000 job.
 
Three phase connection is at the discretion of the company supping the power. When I connected my shop in Middle of NJ it was done at no charge. Quite a few poles had to be replaced and about 500 yards of wire strung and I wasn't charged so much as a dime! Shop I had when moved to PA had 3 phase but when large company across the street wanted a very large increase in power they were charged $150,000. The former owner opened another shop 10 miles down the road. Different county and different power company had to bring 3 phase from miles away and did so at NO charge!
You only option is to talk to your power provided, they are the only ones that can determine the charge to you!
 
Your experience will be solely based on the local utility providing the service. Just did this here in Ohio and it was $3000 for the 3 transformers (120/240 Delta) and overhead drop but I was 20 feet from the pole getting the transformer bank. Because it was a new service I only paid a fraction of the total cost. If I decide to change the service down the road then I would incur 100% of the cost. The Power Co didn't care one bit what I was doing what they did care about is a load letter. I talked to the engineer on site and we came to an agreement and he went ahead a drew of the plans and cost it out for me. However it couldn't get approved until I had a signed load letter which is their CYA that they can provide what you asked for and cover them if you come back to them with a 100HP load you can't start. Once the load letter is accepted then they needed 100% of my cost up front to schedule it. In my case I was lucky because I could get pretty much anything I wanted. The house is on the first transformer on our circuit. There are hundreds of customers on this circuit.
 
My place, closest 3 phase was 4 new poles down the road, and new wire to run about 400 yards.
Each pole was $4000, plus a transformer, plus wire. And labor.
Wire alone would be about $7000 to run 200A. So ya, probably $25000 job.

one could buy a lot of 3 ph generator for that kind of money
 








 
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