Electrical 101

Demystifying Electrical

The user has it easy – plug it in, turn it on and go. But, when planning a space, knowing where and how electric will be accessed is an important, and seemingly difficult, task. No worries, it's actually easier than it appears.

First, when you order power for your office, you need to think about what equipment needs to be plugged in at the desk. Computers, back-up drives, lights, printers, heaters, coffee makers - these are just a few to get you thinking.

Second, you need to answer the following to get a game plan:

• How many receptacles do you need per workstation? Trust us here. Actually count the number of items each worker needs to plug in. You might be surprised at what each person has. Better for you to be surprised than for someone to find she can’t plug in her cell phone charger.
• Receptacles at or below desk level? Floor mounted? You should plug items in at desk level that get plugged and unplugged frequently. Items that remain plugged in work well for below desk level. The cords are hidden allowing the worksurface to remain clear and hiding all your cords.
• How close will desks be to the power source? If your plug in is only 10’ long, make sure your desk is within 10’ of the power source.
• How many workstations per circuit? The National Electrical Code (NEC) allows a maximum of 16 receptacles on each 15-amp circuit. But remember you can’t pull more power than the line holds – that means no more than 15 amps through a 15 amp circuit.

Add up the amperage used by each piece of equipment on the circuit. Whenever you reach 15 amps, you have reached the limit for a single power-in. Order another power-in and continue until all equipment is powered. Try to anticipate future increases in power requirements and build some excess capacity into your plan.