Maggie_Sue

QuiltingNinaSue

I don't have a long arm, but I tried very hard with our carpenter to put an electrical 'strip' along the wall about hip high to plug into. He would anything to do with what I wanted. Conventional plugs near the base of the wall was his way of doing things. Thought it was our house and I should have had my way.

Friends of ours in my mid-childhood did that and it was a great idea...anywhere along that wall, she could plug in an iron or an electric fan or whatever and no cords were dangling down in the way. I wondered why more people did not do it that way. Just my thinking. Check out the organized section of QB for ideas. Do remember to put heavy things next to the floor, where you don't have to lift them down, but can pull them out easily or pull from a shelf next to the machine stand or a large ironing board folding down.

Onebyone

I fired a contractor when I redid my large sewing room in my old house. He kept telling me I didn't want what I wanted. I asked if what I wanted was against code or dangerous and he said no. So what's the problem then? I found using with a large well established company for electrical work is the best choice. No egos to put up with.

cathyvv

I'd put all the outlets in the walls at table height. Who wants to bend over all the time to plug in a cord? If you know where your long arm will be located, you could ask to have a power strip installed on that wall, too. Extra plus of that is that it is much easier to clean if the power supplies and cords are not littering the floor.

Don't forget to have good overhead lighting installed where your long arm will be. It makes a difference!

quiltingshorttimer

for a long arm I would recommend having a plug in the ceiling so that it can be plugged in above (ditto a light bar if you get that) in a way that is keeps it toward the back of the machine and out of the way. Mine plugs into the wall at the back--since I rarely do pantos from the back of the machine, it works ok, but inovlves cord dragging along behind the machine.
for your regular machines I'd say cabinet height so you don't have to crawl under a table to plug/unplug.

PaperPrincess

A ceiling outlet is certainly a good way to go, but there are some considerations:
- Surge suppression. Do you have a whole house surge suppression system? your long arm is an expensive piece of equipment that you want to protect, especially if you have or plan to have a computer assisted setup.
- position. You want the outlet to be centered and towards the back of your frame, otherwise the cord can get caught on the machine as you move it.

What I did was plug a surge suppressor into a floor outlet, then I connected the long arm to that with a heavy duty (12 gauge) extension cord. I used bungee cords & hooks to arrange it so that it didn't get hung up on the machine. I quilt in the basement, so moving hooks around the unfinished ceiling didn't disturb the decor. It took several attempts to get the cord positioned so it didn't interfere as I moved the machine.

jmoore

When I designed my studio over the garage last winter I had two plugs put into the floor and two in the ceiling. They are about 8-10 feet from each other so if I want to rearrange the room, I’ll have options. I don’t have a long arm yet but, like you, that’s what the goal has been for my new sewing space.

Battle Axe

I bought my APQS privately from the sister of a HVAC independant contractor. She told me in no uncertain terms that I needed a dedicated outlet for the long arm. I had it put along the edge of the room. Then I had to rent that space out and move the long arm. I unplug everything when I hear thunder.

rjwilder

When we built our home I had some outlets put in at wheelchair/walker height, we all will get old and bending down can become a challenge. In the meantime it's so much easier for me to unplug all my machines and crawl under the tables to do it. I live in FL, we get a lot of thunder and lightening storms. Yes, we have a whole house surge protector but I'm like to make double sure my machines are safe so I unplug them.

Maggie_Sue

So many helpful suggestions thank you all!!!