Garage Electrical Requirements for Lifts and Compressors: What the Manuals Ask

What each maker states

Equipment	Maker's electrical statement	Source
BendPak 10AP two-post	208 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 1 phase, 3 HP, about 11 amps (typical); the power unit must be protected by an appropriate circuit breaker; a thermal disconnect switch if required by local code; all wiring by a licensed electrician	10AP installation manual
BendPak 9APF low-ceiling two-post	5 HP, 208 to 230 V, 60 Hz, 1 phase	bendpak.com product page
BendPak HD-9 four-post	2 HP, 208 to 230 V, 60 Hz, 1 phase	bendpak.com product page
BendPak MD-6XP mid-rise scissor	110 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz, 1 phase; pneumatic lock release needs shop air (a dealer quotes BendPak's 50 PSI, 10 CFM minimum)	MD-6XP sales sheet; dealer listing
MaxJax M7K portable two-post	110 VAC or 220 VAC, protected by an appropriate circuit breaker or fuse; a licensed electrician is required for any electrical work; the product page lists a 2 HP, 110 V, 50/60 Hz, 1 phase power unit	M7K installation manual; product page
QuickJack 6000TL, 8000TL, 8000TLX	The product pages state no voltage; QuickJack sells 110 V power units (and a 12 V DC unit) as listed accessories	quickjack.com
Atlas 9KOHX two-post	220 V single phase, with a 30 amp breaker recommended (dealer wording)	Mechanic Superstore listing
Atlas Garage Pro 8000 four-post	110 V, 30 amp breaker required (dealer wording)	Mechanic Superstore listing
WEIZE 11,000 lb two-post (Amazon)	220 V, 3 HP motor (listing title)	Amazon listing
KATOOL 4-post, 110 V models (Amazon)	110 V, 3 HP (listing title)	Amazon listing
Ingersoll Rand SS5L5 60-gallon compressor	230 V, 1 phase, 60 Hz, 5 HP (maker's spec table); resellers list 21.5 to 22.5 A full load; no breaker size stated	ingersollrand.com; reseller listings

Reading those figures

Three things decide what the electrician installs. Voltage: 110 to 120 V equipment runs on an ordinary garage circuit if that circuit has the capacity; 208 to 240 V equipment needs a dedicated two-pole circuit from the panel. Phase: every lift and compressor here is single phase, which is what a house has; three-phase equipment from the commercial catalogues is not for a home panel. Current: the 10AP manual's "about 11 amps" and the compressor resellers' 21.5 to 22.5 A are running figures; motors draw more at start, and the National Electrical Code's motor rules (not a number we will quote) are how the electrician sizes the breaker and wire. The Atlas dealer's "30 amp breaker" is the dealer's figure, offered as a recommendation, not a code calculation.

Who does the work

The 10AP manual: a licensed electrician will be required at some point during the installation; all wiring must be performed by a licensed electrician in accordance with applicable local, state and federal electrical codes, because there are numerous variations in wiring and local codes and dangerous errors are often made. It tells the owner to notify the electrician in advance so they arrive prepared, and lists what the electrician does: connect the power unit by cord and plug or hard-wire it, provide the breaker, and install a thermal disconnect if local code requires one. The MaxJax manual says the same in fewer words and adds that improper electrical installation can damage the power unit motor and is not covered by warranty. We have nothing to add except that a permit is usually part of a new 240 V circuit, and the local building department decides.

Planning the circuits

Before the lift is ordered, tell the electrician: the equipment's nameplate figures from the table above; where the power unit will stand (the 10AP's power unit mounts on a column, so the circuit ends at the column position shown in the manual's layout; a four-post's power unit is on one post; a portable lift's unit sits where the cord reaches); whether the compressor and the lift will ever run at once (they will, when the air-locked scissor lift's release valve is in use); and what else is on the garage circuit today. A detached garage fed by one 15 A circuit is the common starting point and the common problem. The electrician's answer may be a subpanel, which is the point at which the project is a wiring job with a lift attached rather than the reverse.

Compressors

A 60-gallon, 5 HP single-stage compressor like the Ingersoll Rand SS5L5 is a 230 V single-phase machine by its maker's table, drawing over 20 A by reseller figures; a portable 120 V pancake or wheelbarrow compressor runs the impact gun and the tire changer's bead breaker at a slower pace. The tire changer in our tire changer guide (Ranger R745) wants 110 to 175 PSI of air; the blast cabinets want 7 CFM at 90 PSI (Eastwood) and up. The compressor's air figures decide which compressor, and the compressor's nameplate decides the circuit.

What this page will not tell you

Wire gauge, breaker rating, receptacle type, conduit, grounding and whether your panel has the capacity. Those are the electrician's calculations under the code that applies where you live, with your equipment's nameplate in hand. A figure copied from a forum is how a motor burns out under warranty, which the MaxJax manual says it will not cover. The installation guide has the rest of the delivery-day checklist; the ceiling and concrete guide has the other two things to settle before ordering.