Electrical – Combining multiple electrical runs into a single wire

electrical

I have a warehouse-type space with 14' ceilings, and am updating the electrical for my workshop. Right now, I've got four workbenches that I move and reconfigure depending on what I'm working on for a particular project. Each workbench has 20A of power (each one has one of those 4' multi-outlet power strips), which I'm currently supplying via extension cords from nearby outlets.

In a perfect world, I want to get these cable runs off the floor and use a ceiling drop to distribute power. At the moment, I've got 4 lines running to a box in the ceiling, and was about to hardwire some 25' entension cords (with strain relief, of course) for the drops. However, short of zip-tying a mess of cords or wires together, is there any way to combine these four separate circuits into a single cable, then breaking them out into four separate curcuits again at the bottom? It'd be awesome if I could just wire four 12/3 runs into a 2 or 3 gauge cable, then magically redirect the electrons to one of four 12/3 edison outlets at the other end. But I don't suspect that exists. 🙂

Best Answer

I suggest doing exactly what TechShop does. They hang conduit in the ceiling, and above each expected workspace area is a 120/240V twist-lock power connector. From that, a cord drops down supplying power to the workbench. (In their case a 4-outlet box dangle on strain reliefs giving two 120V circuits in an MWBC configuration.) I have to believe that arrangement is code legal, since the facility is tip-top and generally a class act, and it leases space from Ford.

You say "warehouse type space" which means commercial rules may apply, mandating conduit not Romex. Be careful here, conduits can only hold 9 current-carrying conductors (hots or neutrals, except neutrals don't count in MWBCs) before you must derate amp capacity or use larger wire. That's because a stack of tightly packed wires at rating make a fair bit of heat. If I expect to be near limit, I'll hang 2 conduits instead of 1.