ideas to provide 100 receptacles. Outlet strips?

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electrofelon

electrofelon

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Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
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Electrician
I have a 50X75 room that will have a consumer 120V fan basically for every 5 foot square. About 100 total receptacles. Trying to think of the quickest most affordable way to do this. Wiring up a 4 square with double duplex raised cover at the center of each group of 4 seems like a lot of time. Cant seem to find any gangable/extendable outlet strip stuff..... Any ideas or suggestions?
 
electrofelon said:
Forgot to mention, there will be a ceiling or ceiling grid of some sort to attach stuff to and that is what the fans will mount to also.
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Off the top of my head there is the wiremold/plugmold stuff.

How much are the fans going to pull?
 
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Aside from the wiremold/plugmold stuff, perhaps single- or two-circuit track (as in track lighting) with outlet adapters, couplings, and end caps. Will likely cost more than wiremold with custom located receptacles, but it'll save on time (negative $$ in comparison) as only supply end wiring is required, and track just gets screwed to the grid (assuming grid is rated for supporting "accessories").
 
user 100 said:
Off the top of my head there is the wiremold/plugmold stuff.

How much are the fans going to pull?
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I am not sure. They are just 16" consumer fans, Im thinking maybe half an amp?

perhaps single- or two-circuit track (as in track lighting) with outlet adapters, couplings, and end caps
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Thats a good idea. Ive never seen outlet adapters for track, is that fully kosher?

The problem with plug mold or outlet strip stuff is the spacing isnt really long enough to get a huge benefit. About the most fans I could get on a typical 4-6 foot strip would be 8 assuming 6 foot cords on the fans.
 
This kinda sounds to me like somebody is trying to save money by using many small fans rather than fewer larger ones. Maybe that is a good idea, but maybe not. Try to find out what the real goal is of all those small fans to see if there is a better overall approach.

Also, think hard about how much current it will take to start all those fan motors at once.
 
ritelec said:
Wonder how they would do it in Montana?
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LOL....well this is for eastern Washington, so not that far away ;)

This kinda sounds to me like somebody is trying to save money by using many small fans rather than fewer larger ones. Maybe that is a good idea, but maybe not. Try to find out what the real goal is of all those small fans to see if there is a better overall approach.
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I agree. There was originally talk of several larger fans but it never got designed and now they think it will delay the project to do so.
 
This might be worth considering:
410.151 Lighting track fittings shall not be equipped withgeneral-purpose receptacles
 
electrofelon said:
I have a 50X75 room that will have a consumer 120V fan basically for every 5 foot square. About 100 total receptacles. Trying to think of the quickest most affordable way to do this. Wiring up a 4 square with double duplex raised cover at the center of each group of 4 seems like a lot of time. Cant seem to find any gangable/extendable outlet strip stuff..... Any ideas or suggestions?
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Trying to figure out what you have here. 50x75/5= 750 fans so I'm thinking you mean every 5 feet square, as in one every 25 sf. But regardless, is this a grow operation (where aesthetics does not count) or a call center? I'm guessing the former.

edit: you did say 5' square. My bad.
Anyway, does it matter what it looks like?
 
electrofelon said:
I have a 50X75 room that will have a consumer 120V fan basically for every 5 foot square. About 100 total receptacles. Trying to think of the quickest most affordable way to do this. Wiring up a 4 square with double duplex raised cover at the center of each group of 4 seems like a lot of time. Cant seem to find any gangable/extendable outlet strip stuff..... Any ideas or suggestions?
Click to expand...

Why does that really seem like that much time to you? I can think of several labor saving ways to do this right off the bat. Runs between boxes should be less than 6 feet each and even better if the pattern is exact so that you can just cut 25 conduits 5 feet long at one time. Then using mini's or Caddy spring steel fittings, you don't need to do any offsets and you only need one between boxes. Quads get made up to the raised covers on a bench with push in type Wago or Ideal wire connectors. It is practically done before you think about it.
 
augie47 said:
This might be worth considering:
410.151 Lighting track fittings shall not be equipped withgeneral-purpose receptacles
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IMO that can be easily misinterpreted, and as such most noteworthy.

The outlet adapters would be specific-purpose receptacles, given they are intended to supply only fan power. Adding or using an outlet adapter for general use would be a violation.

Ethan may want to run the concept by the AHJ for approval... before installation.
 
What IS the application, here? Why not a very few of those big slow HVLS fans? (high velocity low speed, q.g.)

The operating cost of all these little inefficient turbulent consumer-fan units could get nasty. Not to mention (again) the start-up current. How high is the ceiling? How much air flow do they want?
 
Strathead said:
Why does that really seem like that much time to you? I can think of several labor saving ways to do this right off the bat. Runs between boxes should be less than 6 feet each and even better if the pattern is exact so that you can just cut 25 conduits 5 feet long at one time. Then using mini's or Caddy spring steel fittings, you don't need to do any offsets and you only need one between boxes. Quads get made up to the raised covers on a bench with push in type Wago or Ideal wire connectors. It is practically done before you think about it.
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I agree, if you can get four fans pr quad then 25 quad receptacles is no big deal. Materials shouldn't be very expensive either (considering the size of the place ). Lot cheaper than the track light idea.
 
Netpog said:
The operating cost of all these little inefficient turbulent consumer-fan units could get nasty. Not to mention (again) the start-up current. How high is the ceiling? How much air flow do they want?
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No doubt but think of it this way. If a customer wants to pay to have 25 quad receptacles run on a ceiling grid. All you really need to know is receptacle location and number of circuits. Give them a price.

It certainly sounds like a poor design but no reason to turn down work or try to engineer for free.
 
If it doesn't have to be pretty, 4 squares, quads, 12/4-12/3-12/2 MC cable and ty-wraps. A little nicer looking, use EMT with Caddy's and THHN instead of MC cable.
 
Thank you everyone for the replies and cogitating. To answer some of the questions, yes this is a greenhouse. I assume aesthetics are not super high up on the list. I imagine these fans will be screwed or strapped to the ceiling somehow.

I agree with many of you that originally I was overthinking the time it would take to do this. It works out that it is a 8X13 grid of 5X5 squares. So with a double duplex at the center of each group of four, that would be 4 runs down the 75 foot length with 7 boxes on each. Each run could be its own circuit. That would go quick. MAterials about $900, I figured it at $2850 all said and done, and this is an extra as Im already there set up doing other stuff.. I think the track idea is lots more material, but lots less labor - it would probably work out about the same. A grand for track and a grand for those socket adapters. I agree in getting approval from AHJ first due to that section augie posted.
 
electrofelon said:
Thank you everyone for the replies and cogitating. To answer some of the questions, yes this is a greenhouse. I assume aesthetics are not super high up on the list. I imagine these fans will be screwed or strapped to the ceiling somehow.

I agree with many of you that originally I was overthinking the time it would take to do this. It works out that it is a 8X13 grid of 5X5 squares. So with a double duplex at the center of each group of four, that would be 4 runs down the 75 foot length with 7 boxes on each. Each run could be its own circuit. That would go quick. MAterials about $900, I figured it at $2850 all said and done, and this is an extra as Im already there set up doing other stuff.. I think the track idea is lots more material, but lots less labor - it would probably work out about the same. A grand for track and a grand for those socket adapters. I agree in getting approval from AHJ first due to that section augie posted.
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If it is a greenhouse then that actually changes my response. IMO, a Greenhouse should use Bell boxes, and either PVC or EMT with compression. Generally hoses are wielded with abandon.
 
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