Amp question for you electric pros???

[Dexter007]

check first what wires you have..turn the power circuit off and un screw the socket..you will see then that are they 1.5 2.5 or 3.5..
cos i had 670w before behind 2.5 core what is normal wire for lights..
and when i bought the wire the man in the electrical shop said thats it allright?
mayby he was right mayby he was wrong..but it did work for me..

[CanGroIt]

Hey Dextor007. I Did check the wires, 14-2 600v rated to carry no more than 15 amps. Gofish104 was right about the wiring not being able to support more than what the original breaker is rated for. My thought process for wanting to add a larger breaker on the same line was that I wasn't ever going to run more than the 13 amps so I just didn't want the breaker to break. But now with more careful thinking, I'm just going to use the two circuits instead of one.

[Dexter007]

Hey Dextor007. I Did check the wires, 14-2 600v rated to carry no more than 15 amps. Gofish104 was right about the wiring not being able to support more than what the original breaker is rated for. My thought process for wanting to add a larger breaker on the same line was that I wasn't ever going to run more than the 13 amps so I just didn't want the breaker to break. But now with more careful thinking, I'm just going to use the two circuits instead of one.

lol
smart thinking batman:thumbsup::jointsmile:
at least you asked a question about amps,las time i asked how do tap powerlines they told me to stay away

[TANKJR]

LOL Dex!....and your still alive to tell about it, aren't you?
You guys have questions on basic electricity ask us before you do anything could get you into trouble ok? We'll try to keep you alive! Good idea about splitting off some of the load on that circuit and spreading it over two circuits....this will keep you safe and growing for years to come. Always look for the simplest way to solve a problem first, then go to the complex dangerous solutions only as a last resort! Here's a tip if you MUST use extension cords to do this....get the heaviest cord (thickest wire) you can afford if you are going to run it any distance at all....it's always better to have too big a wire, than too small! Much much safer too! If you think 12ga wire will handle it, buy 10ga, to be sure! Or in Dex's case if 2.5mm looks good, go for 3, or 4 even! Larger wire costs more, but it takes a lot more abuse than small wire, and 10ga will be near impossible to overload without tripping the breaker, (and that's what is supposed to happen on an overload situation) even at 100yds distance from the panel.

[flyinhi66]

by code your allowed to use 80% of your overprotection device (breakers, fuses, disconnects, ect)so do the math 20 amp brk u can have a 16 amp load on it,any higher amps & u will have a fire, this is y we have the nec( national electrical code) book & its over 500 pages.

[TANKJR]

Yes, very true...except that he's in Ireland...NEC does not apply there. 75% or 80% of total load are both just safety guidelines....electricians have no control over what someone plugs into that outlet after they leave...thus the safety parameters in the NEC...other countries are not so organized about it...It probably is 75% in Ireland. This is a global website...wouldn't it be cool if the whole world had to deal with electrical inspectors??? LMAO! I saw a guy once trying to use multiple adapters on the plug of his arc welder trying to plug it into a 120V 15 amp circuit so he "could do a little welding" on his car...it was a 240v 40amp welder (that's 80 amps @ 120v!)...He ignored my warning it would not work...didn't hang out long enough to see if it worked for him or he burned his house down or what...LOL! Hopefully the breaker tripped first!

[Dexter007]

Yes, very true...except that he's in Ireland...NEC does not apply there. 75% or 80% of total load are both just safety guidelines....electricians have no control over what someone plugs into that outlet after they leave...thus the safety parameters in the NEC...other countries are not so organized about it...It probably is 75% in Ireland. This is a global website...wouldn't it be cool if the whole world had to deal with electrical inspectors??? LMAO! I saw a guy once trying to use multiple adapters on the plug of his arc welder trying to plug it into a 120V 15 amp circuit so he "could do a little welding" on his car...it was a 240v 40amp welder (that's 80 amps @ 120v!)...He ignored my warning it would not work...didn't hang out long enough to see if it worked for him or he burned his house down or what...LOL! Hopefully the breaker tripped first!

you seemed to know a lot about electricity:jointsmile:
any chance that you could help me out a bit,if you wouldnt mind:jointsmile:

[vanduction]

Around here 1500w devices are VERY common. All of it CSA approved. That's 12.5a @ 120v. or 83% of the max load on a 15a circuit. So I don't see why you couldn't run 12.5a of devices on your 16a circuit. (which probably has the same wire as our 15a circuits... and as mentioned previously, it's the *wire* that's important for safety.)

[silent leprechaun]

So I came across a power cost chart and it mentioned that you shouldn't draw more than 75% of the rated amps of the circuit. So here is my question- my grow space has a 16 amp circuit. I have 130w of cfl which draws about 1.5 amps. A blower that draws 1.2 amps at full power. And a 1k HPS lamp that draws 9 amps. A couple smaller fans that probably draw another amp. So that's about 12-13 amps that I will be drawn.

Is drawing 13 amps from a 16 amp circuit too risky? Anyone know an electrician they can ask? Thanks ahead.....

Hey,
I'm an electrician and to be honest I find it had to imagine a 16amp trip switch in the board. 10 amp for lights, 20 amp for sockets and wall heaters. 32 amp for cooker and 40 amp for showers. That's how a board is set up in my mind. If you have a 16amp trip switch then you can up it to 20 amp provided the cables in the circuit is 2.5mm twin and earth. i.e. you will see a brown, blue and bare middle earth wire. The brown and the blue need to be 2.5mm squared 'each'. Then the socket circuit has been wired correctly. Have an electrician call round to check the circuit and take out the 16amp and replace it with a 20amp. Don't do this yourself, there will be a lot of live copper in the fuse board. At least then you can be sure your lights wont go out while you are gone.
Good luck with it
Silent Leprechaun