Outlet Considerations for a Home Lab

[creator]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for suggestions on outlet preparation for a home lab (in the USA). At the moment I'm just tinkering with raspberry pis in my bedroom, but I'm moving into a house with a spare room in the basement and I feel like the added space will inspire more experimentation. Eventually, I'd like to open video game consoles (similar to #491 - Nintendo 64 Console Teardown) and synthesizers to understand how they work. Let's assume the lab will include an oscilloscope, power supply, function generator, and potentially a soldering iron if I can figure out how to ventilate the fumes without any windows. There will also be a server rack in the room. I want to make sure that I protect myself, the house, the server rack, and the electronics gear.

One idea, based on https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/sizing-up-power-delivery-to-home-lab/, is that the workbench outlets should be on a separate circuit to protect the server and room lights. Additionally, based on https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/isolation-transformer/, the workbench outlets should have GFCI. Are there any other considerations I should make? Is it reasonable to plug the electronics gear and say, a laptop, into a power strip connected to the workbench outlet at the same time? Any recommended resources here or elsewhere on home wiring, power strips, surge protection, etc. would be appreciated because I'm mostly clueless on setting up a safe lab and I want to make sure I get it right.

Thank you! 

[bob91343]

You need to determine the current capacity of the outlets.  Find the circuit breakers of the house and see which ones control the outlets you want to use and see the ratings.

As a matter of fact, when you move into a new place it's wise to make a diagram of the breaker box showing which breaker controls what.  Paste a copy of it to the inside of the box cover.  Save a copy on a hard drive.

Once you have done all that you can sensibly allocate current draw and remain safe.

[creator]

You need to determine the current capacity of the outlets.  Find the circuit breakers of the house and see which ones control the outlets you want to use and see the ratings.

As a matter of fact, when you move into a new place it's wise to make a diagram of the breaker box showing which breaker controls what.  Paste a copy of it to the inside of the box cover.  Save a copy on a hard drive.

Once you have done all that you can sensibly allocate current draw and remain safe.

Thanks for your response. I checked this morning and I might be in luck! There are at least two circuits in the room: one for the lights (15A) and another for the wall outlets (20A). It looks like there might even be a third (15A) in the closet where I'm planning on keeping my router and server rack, but the label is hard to read and I can't physically check it at the moment.

My proposed workbench location only has one wall outlet near the floor. I'm guessing it would be worthwhile to add another outlet above it and make them GFCI.

[bob91343]

Be careful!  By doing your own modifications to the house wiring you may be violating electrical codes.  Best to get it done by a licensed electrician with a permit so as not to void your home insurance.

[David Hess]

I have one wall outlet going to my big online UPS which then powers my computer hardware and test equipment.  My isolation transformer is plugged into the UPS also.  My soldering iron and heat gun are plugged into a separate wall outlet but it might be the same circuit; I have forgotten.  The soldering iron actually does not draw enough power to matter where it is plugged in so there might be some benefit to plugging it into the UPS along with everything else so that it shares a more direct ground.

For the outlets themselves, I like making my own heavy duty outlet boxes from steel surface mount outlet boxes like you would use with steel EMT tubing.  The boxes can be chained together with 1/2" and 3/4" fittings to make multiples of 4 outlets, and switches can be included.  They are heavy enough not to move around unlike cheap plastic outlet strips.  The least expensive cords are often extension cords with the female end cut off but appliance cords with the convenient right angle plugs would also be good.  A GFI could be included at this point if your wall outlet lacks it but I do not bother.