Got watts???

[cirujano]

I have friend (electric handyman) coming this weekend to install another outlet to support my two tanks electricity output.
Lately, there are some threads rewarding fellow reefers electrical incidents.
People using one outlet to feed all the tank eqiptment. Too risky!
Any thoughs?

[adova]

I think most people use one outlet because of limitations (apartment or too hard to add). When I had the electrian wire the basement for finishing, I put in 3 - 20 amp circuits, and wish I did one more. The main reason is that if for some reason one gets tripped, the rest will continue to function.

[roguemonk]

I am only an amateur electrician with no fires or other major disasters to my credit, but:

The thing to bear in mind is that each outlet in your circuit can handle all the current the circuit can handle. It is the things you plug into it (especially extension cords and power strips) that may end up overloaded if you plug too many things into them. The extra outlet on the same circuit doesn't add any capacity to the circuit except an extra location to plug in to.

Hopefully a real electrician can confirm that and give it more legitimacy (and if I'm wrong I really want to be corrected!).

I have two 60-amp subpanels in my basement, one dedicated to my doubtless overly ambitious integrated and automated system of three show tanks, one QT that can run in isolation or integrated, and a system of refugia and remote DSB. I will run my main pumps and lights off of one circuit, and backup pumps at a minimum off a second circuit.

The other panel will feed four 15-amp circuits for the rest of a half-basement. I can use some of that capacity for aquaria also.

Brad

[adova]

You are correct about the capacity issue - I was assuming that he was talking about another circuit.

You have 2 - 60 AMP panels in the basement!!! WOW I am jealous - I only have 1 - 50 amp which does the whole basement and the tank... I couldn't add more without upgrading the main panel for the house as it was maxed out.

[freddie40]

It is very risky to run off of one circuit. Say, for instance, that your circuit blows for some reason. With only one circuit this is a problem. With 2 circuits the second circuit will still run. I persoanlly installed a second circuit at my condo and I feel much better because of it.

As for the load, I have a 15 amp circuit. This will handle a total of 1800 watts. You need to add up all of the equipment on the cicuit (assuming all would be on at one time) to make sure you are safely under the 1800 watts.

Dave

[Deuce67]

Since our equipment on our tanks our rated as continous duty (on for more than 3 hrs at a time), a good rule is not to put more than 80% of the rated circuit breaker ampacity. So no more than 12A total on a 15A breaker and 16A on a 20. I only have 1 15A circuit that runs my 90. It draws around 10A with everything on. I always think about adding a second circuit but Im just too lazy to do electrical work at home plus I dont wanna crawl around in the crawl space. Funny that you dont wanna do things at home on what you do at work. Ill definitely will have 2 dedicated circuits when I upgrade the tank.

[adova]

So do you add up watts or amps - or does it matter? I always did amps myself....

[Jagermeister]

I believe code only allows each circuit to be loaded to 80% of its rated maximum. Just something to keep in mind.

Also, I've read that you should count up the amps that all your equipment is using and design off that rather than watts. I can't remember the reason but it involves a lot of electrical engineering jargon.

[Deuce67]

You could add up watts or amps to get your load. If you add up amps, just multiply the total by 120V(or whatever your house is being supplied with. Sometimes its a little higher or lower) and you will get the watts.

[Deuce67]

Or you can just get an amp meter to get an accurate read. Thats what I do.

[freddie40]

Total watts = Amps * voltage. with voltage = 120.

Adova: just add up watts, Duece and Jagermeister are right, you only want to run at 80%. However, since you would almost never run everything on 1 circuit at once I don't see it as a big deal. I.E. On my tank the 250 watt heater is (almost) never on at the same time as my lights (roughly 450 watts).

Dave

[roguemonk]

Adova,

Well, these two subpanels and the air conditioner circuit pretty much maxed out my main panel. I think I have one slot left open, maybe two. But I think the house is pretty well covered.

As a side note, when I had to do some rewiring, I discovered some oddities in how they wired my house. There is a circuit that runs two outlets and an overhead light in my garage, an outlet in my half-basement next to the crawl space (I have a pump and heater from my QT plugged in there), an outlet in my family room, and the back porch light.

And the circuit that runs the lights in my basement also runs all the smoke detectors everywhere in the house and one of three light fixtures in my kitchen. This means that two of three switches in one box in my kitchen control a light and the disposal on the kitchen circuit, and the other conrols a light that's wired from the basement/smoke alarm circuit.

I wish I'd had a diagram of that surprising arrangement before I started trying to rewire the basement lighting. :-(

Brad

[cirujano]

Very good information. It's always good to be safe.

[Zooid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9417164#post9417164 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roguemonk
The thing to bear in mind is that each outlet in your circuit can handle all the current the circuit can handle. It is the things you plug into it (especially extension cords and power strips) that may end up overloaded if you plug too many things into them. The extra outlet on the same circuit doesn't add any capacity to the circuit except an extra location to plug in to.


This is true. You also should know where all the outlets on that circuit are because if someone plugs in a blow dryer in the same circuit that could be enough to pop the breaker.

[tkeracer619]

My vacuum tripped my tank..... I knew it was time for dual 20A circuits.