Newbie 3 phase question
Newbie 3 phase question
(OP)
Anyone who could give me some direction on tackling this problem would be grwatly appreciated.
I'm a small business owner contemplating moving our fabrication shop out to a barn on the outskirts of town. The barn is right near the street and overhead 3phase lines (presumably 3 phase since there are other newer industrial buildings on the same street.) There is also a farmhouse right on the street with its own overhead 1 phase drop coming from it's own pole mounted transformer...doesn't look like any other draws are on this transformer.
Our fabrication equipment currently draws 30-35 hp. A lot of this...about 20HP is from a 3phase motor running a large vaccum system.
My question is how to go about getting adeqaute 3 phase power to the barn. It's one of those "is it worth it" type questions. The barn is about 75' from the base of the nearest pole (the one with the transformer feeding the house).
The barn is located on the Central Coast of California and local power is supplied by PG&E.
Any direction in how to approach this project would be great...especially any guesses at how much it might cost! I've also considered using a rotary phase converter, but it seems silly when 3 phase is so close by.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Shannon
I'm a small business owner contemplating moving our fabrication shop out to a barn on the outskirts of town. The barn is right near the street and overhead 3phase lines (presumably 3 phase since there are other newer industrial buildings on the same street.) There is also a farmhouse right on the street with its own overhead 1 phase drop coming from it's own pole mounted transformer...doesn't look like any other draws are on this transformer.
Our fabrication equipment currently draws 30-35 hp. A lot of this...about 20HP is from a 3phase motor running a large vaccum system.
My question is how to go about getting adeqaute 3 phase power to the barn. It's one of those "is it worth it" type questions. The barn is about 75' from the base of the nearest pole (the one with the transformer feeding the house).
The barn is located on the Central Coast of California and local power is supplied by PG&E.
Any direction in how to approach this project would be great...especially any guesses at how much it might cost! I've also considered using a rotary phase converter, but it seems silly when 3 phase is so close by.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Shannon






RE: Newbie 3 phase question
William
RE: Newbie 3 phase question
No point in worrying until you get a price from PG&E. They'll be happy to talk with you - they do this for a living.
RE: Newbie 3 phase question
They actually would prefer you to be a 3 phase service (again IF it is already on that street) because load balancing is better that way for them. Where they really sting people is when yu want 3 phase brought in to your garage for 1 or 2 machines that are for hobby work and will only run occasionally. That isn't worth it to them.
"Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more."
Nikola Tesla
RE: Newbie 3 phase question
You will find all the info you need. You can get any associated fees from the service planner. The cost for a 200A, 120/208V/3ph/4w.service is shown in the RS Means estimating book System D5010 120 0220 (which includes a service entrance cap, service installation, breakers, metering, 20'of conduit and wire), as:
$1225 for material, $1400.00 installation, for a total of $2625.00. Means tends to be somewhat conservative, and this is a typical installation, yours will have other factors, but that will put you in the ballpark.