In ,
The Henchman typed:
This is a long post but I'm young and dumb and you guys are
smarter and I'm bouncing ideas off.

I'm converting the reading room in our home into an office.
Against one wall I'd like to build and install a built-in
that has two desks with a bookcase in the middle. Both
desks will house computer workstations ie printers and
monitors etc. Since they are work areas I'd like two
lights above the desks and for effect, lights along on top
of the built in.
First off for the computers, can I use a split receptacle
(15 amp) without issues to power both desks? I'd like the
outlet in the bottom of the bookcase (exact middle of the
room) because it'll house the router and modem and back-up
drives etc. Run one power bar that powers one computer and
all of it's peripherals and use the other receptacle to
power the other computer and it's peripherals. The router
amd modem and such will have to share with one of the top
or bottom of the split.
Is this a split receptacle idea dumb idea or overkill? Or
should each work station get it's own outlet and keep one
outlet in the middle of the bookcase and have all three
outlets on a single circuit or on two circuits? Should I
look at 20 amps if a single circuit?
Second off all I'd run a new line for all the lights plus a
new line for the computers. So that's two wires I gotta
snake. Problem is the wall with the built-ins is 60 feet
(straight) from my panel box. Figures eh. The room sits
on a concrete pad so I can't run the electrical wire
underneath the floor. The only accessible path I can run
the wire where I have 60 feet of access to snake it the
length of my house has both an air-return and an 8 x 16 x duct work in the
way.
The duct is actually directly below the air return pathway
running parallel to it. The air return pathway is just
sheet metal nailed to floor joists so I'm thinking I can
drill thru the joists and snake my wire thru the air
return. I saw this idea at my cousins 80 year house they
just bought 2 months ago. My uncle and I laughed when we
saw the electrical wire snaked thru the air return and it
was resting on metal. I might not be laughing anymore. Mine won't touch
metal but it'll go thru a return air
pathway. Again dumb idea or not?
Thanks for hearing me out!

Sounds like an interesting plan. My 2 cents:

4 ckt breakers for ideal situation; mod as required:

- One duplex for each computer.
- Each computer on a different breaker for separation.
- One duplex or more as wished for the printer/s.
- Preferably on their own breaker or at least not shared with any
electronic equipment. Laser printers like to pull a lot of power to keep the
fuse up to temperature. But, could be shared with lights, etc. as long as
the momentary blinks don't bug you. Better on its own ckt though; check
printer specs for size of breaker needed.
- One duplex for the rest; lights, etc..

Duplex outlets, if so wanted, have a bar that can be cut, enabling each
outlet in the duplex to be from a different ckt breaker.

Missing: UPS. They're cheap enough, one of each computer/monitor if
feasible. Often cheaper than one large one.

That would make pretty much a dream setup with minimal problems foreseeable
except of course, Security software for each machine.

You could also connect one computer through the other for i'net connections
and get away from needing two connections. A small LAN like that is easy to
set up.

Good luck!

Twayne`