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  #1  
Old 06/19/2007, 06:57 PM
rykwong rykwong is offline
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Location: Irvine
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How many here have a dedicated circuit for your tank?

For my 80gal I'm running 2x175watt halides, JBJ 1/10 chiller, eheim 1262 and 1260 pumps, two koralia 4's, and a fuge light. I want to add two 48 inch VHO's. Is it safe to run 10amps for an hour or two on a 15amp circuit? Should I possibly get a dedicated circuit for the tank? How many on here do this?

Last edited by rykwong; 06/19/2007 at 07:04 PM.
  #2  
Old 06/19/2007, 07:14 PM
bromion bromion is offline
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If you are below the breaker rating, you are OK. My apartment only has a few circuits, and I have never broken one of the 15A breakers per circuit. The 30A main breaker will trip every so often when my 800W of lighting is on. Not sure what's going on there yet.
  #3  
Old 06/19/2007, 07:15 PM
five.five-six five.five-six is offline
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separate breaker for a tank is nice but I consider a GFIC mandatory
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  #4  
Old 06/19/2007, 07:41 PM
sandman450f sandman450f is offline
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dedicated 30a here
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  #5  
Old 06/19/2007, 07:59 PM
savethereef savethereef is offline
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my small apartment has two breaker switches. Once controls the ground wired like room,kitchen,batroom ceileing light. the other one controls all the recepticles. I have two 250w mh pump and all with chiller. it will trip if i use the a/c or microwave and it will trip but otherwise it will hang in there with my cpu on and tv and surround. but it would be nice to add a dedicated

How much $$$ to add a dedicated power thing like that i am clueless on that.
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  #6  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:03 PM
Bebo77 Bebo77 is offline
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i have 2 circuits dedicated to my fish tank.... one for lights and another for everything else...
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  #7  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:08 PM
FishyBiz FishyBiz is offline
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Location: Rancho Cucamonga / La Verne
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I have three 20 amp dedicated circuits.
Lights
Chiller
Everything else
  #8  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:11 PM
bergzy bergzy is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by FishyBiz
I have three 20 amp dedicated circuits.
same here!
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  #9  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:17 PM
sandman450f sandman450f is offline
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OKAY OKAY, cant be beat that badly by three circuits, so in reality I have 1 dedicated 30 inside and a dedicated 20 outside, both newly installed just for my aqua habit.
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  #10  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:36 PM
faded1004 faded1004 is offline
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wow, i want to run dedicated... but i am geting by because my tank takes over the whole side of my place... that side is on one breaker...

i want to get one, but don't know where to even start with that... i wonder how much it will cost?
  #11  
Old 06/19/2007, 08:55 PM
sandman450f sandman450f is offline
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If you have some knowledge and can DIY then its' cheap. If you gotta hire an electrician, aint so cheap i'm sure
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  #12  
Old 06/19/2007, 09:15 PM
golfish golfish is offline
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I've added 3x20amp for my system.
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  #13  
Old 06/20/2007, 10:14 AM
FishyBiz FishyBiz is offline
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If there is one thing thats not cheep its an electrician.
Do NOT mess with this yourself if you have no prior knowledge!
I did mine myself but with my grandpa (electrician) watching me every step of the way.
  #14  
Old 06/20/2007, 12:26 PM
Corriander Corriander is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by FishyBiz
If there is one thing thats not cheep its an electrician.
Do NOT mess with this yourself if you have no prior knowledge!
I have to second this one. If you have never installed a breaker before, it can be a wee bit dangerous. The process is pretty easy but overlooking a single step can have disasterous results.


2x20A dedicated on my tanks.
  #15  
Old 06/20/2007, 01:04 PM
simon.007 simon.007 is offline
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2 dedicated and one shared.

Simon
  #16  
Old 06/20/2007, 01:06 PM
JownsenJesus JownsenJesus is offline
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2 dedicated 20 amps.
  #17  
Old 06/20/2007, 01:55 PM
antiant antiant is offline
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can anyone do it for frags??? ahhaha. when u guys say its expensive, how much do u mean?
  #18  
Old 06/20/2007, 02:53 PM
silverarrow27 silverarrow27 is offline
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Been wondering how much it cost you guys as well if you hired an electrician?
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220 gallon frag tank
  #19  
Old 06/20/2007, 03:41 PM
hipertec hipertec is offline
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Location: Southern California (Inland Empire)
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i need to set my system on a dedicated breaker. Sometimes when my chiller goes on, it trips my breaker.
Can anyone suggest an electrician in the Inland Empire that is a professional and cost effective?
  #20  
Old 06/20/2007, 03:45 PM
Canarygirl Canarygirl is offline
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I'm having my panel upgraded this weekend to add 2 dedicated GE circuits with 2 GFCI outlets....
  #21  
Old 06/20/2007, 03:49 PM
FishyBiz FishyBiz is offline
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I had an electrician put 1 dedicated circuit in my office and it was $700.
Its easy to run wire in an open warehouse.
For a home the cost is going to depend on where your breaker is compared to where the plug will be. Some are simple.... some are not$$$
  #22  
Old 06/20/2007, 03:55 PM
sandman450f sandman450f is offline
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I did it myself, and though i am happy to offer any help for most things, considering the nature of that beast it's prob not a good idea to solicit help from anyone that is not a qualified electrian, or for that many for anyone other that a qualified electrician to offer help.

There are a lot of things to consider, even the capacity of existing panel. I was lucky because I dumped exisiting circuits for the electrically heated jacuzzi and 220 laundry room to free up both space and capacity, not to mention my panel is only a good dozen feet from the tank, and I already had to re-drywall some of that section anyway.
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  #23  
Old 06/20/2007, 04:05 PM
Bill Z Bill Z is offline
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Location: Erie, Pa
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if nothing else get a GFCI. I was doing a water change and hit the light above my refug. It start to fall into the water and guess what I did....tryed to catch it. The light and my had hit the water at the same time. I felt a little shock but the GFCI did what it's job and all is well. Except I need a new light.
  #24  
Old 07/04/2007, 01:11 AM
greghigham greghigham is offline
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For perspective; I am setting up a new 187g reef and had my electrician add two new, separate 30amp circuits (w/ GFCI). They had to cut sheetrock and run 30' of wire - ~$600... but I think well worth every nickel JIC.
G w/ $.02
  #25  
Old 07/04/2007, 01:27 AM
SPSFiend SPSFiend is offline
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Location: Los Angeles
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I had a dedicated 20amp circuit run in to my living room for my tank. But the place I live in is old and i was having problems.
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Thanks,

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