# blowing breakers



## dozer42 (Dec 30, 2006)

i am looking to add more electricty to my room. 

the first thing that i want to do is figure out how big our breaker is. 
next i want to test other outlets through out the basement and try to find a outlet on a seperate breaker. then run extention cords into my room.
last i want to figure out how many lights and fans ect. i can run based on the availbilty of electricty.


how can you safely blow the breaker from the outlet? our breaker box has around 50 breakers and some can not be turned off.


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## Stoney Bud (Dec 30, 2006)

dozer42 said:
			
		

> i am looking to add more electricty to my room.
> 
> the first thing that i want to do is figure out how big our breaker is.
> next i want to test other outlets through out the basement and try to find a outlet on a seperate breaker. then run extention cords into my room.
> ...


You don't want to "blow" a breaker from an outlet.

With two people, it's easy to find a breaker switch. One stays by the outlet with a lamp plugged into it and on.

The other shuts off breakers until the light goes off.

That's your breaker.

If you don't know what you're doing with this stuff, hire an electrician. 

You don't ever want to  hear a fireman say:

"Is this your house? Yes? Officer, arrest this man"

Nasty thought that is.


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## cyberquest (Dec 30, 2006)

yeah do it like stoney said, dont try to pop a breaker, a fire is just one problem, electricution is another. use the two man trick he said, thats how we find ours, one man in the basement another one yelling "thats the one" 

and running big amounts of power through and extension cord isnt that safe either. extention cords are normally made of smaller wires that create resistance, resistance = HEAT, heat = fire. they have cords that are made to handle high power loads but are more expensive, but not as expensive as replacing your house i would imagine. 

also make sure at the end of the cord is a surge protector with a built in breaker, that way it might trip that breaker before tripping the one in the basement.


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## dozer42 (Dec 31, 2006)

ok i will use the light trick. to make it worth while i will just plug lights into all the outlets i want to test. then as the breakers start going off, lights go off. 

i already have heavy duty extention cords with surge blockers and fuses. so good in that dept.

how many lights (600w) are you allowed to run on a 15 amp breaker?


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## dozer42 (Dec 31, 2006)

never mind that question. found the answer right above my post. that was only after searching for it for a while.

thanks


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## Stoney Bud (Jan 1, 2007)

Hey dozer42, make sure you don't overload your circuit. The lights should have an Amperage rating on them. On a 15 amp circuit, never run more than half, or 7.5 amps of usage. If you run more than that, it will not be safe for long time usage. The wires will heat up and the insulation will start to break down. So, on your 15 amp circuit, run only 7.5 amps of draw.

I would suggest to you to buy or borrow an ammeter. They sell the kind that you can simply clip around the wire and it will tell you the draw of that item.

Do that for each light and add them together until you get to 7.5 amps.

Cool?


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## dozer42 (Jan 1, 2007)

cool. thanks stoney.


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## longtimegrower (Jan 3, 2007)

Stonny Bud that was well said. Remember the story`s we have all heard we went to johns funeral and tossed a Bud in the hole for him to smoke in the after life.  I would say dozer just by how you asked that question i would stay away from the lectricity. You will be wearing a drool bib for the remainder. Lol slim


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## MJ20 (Jan 3, 2007)

Today I talked to an electrician who *didn't* recommened _against_ running 12.3A/15A on a circuit...he did however warn of overloading it past 15A and taking time and finding each outlet that runs on that one breaker.He also mentioned that the wires in the breaker wouldn't burn up even though something trips. (something about them having a real high A res?) I asked him the same thing you guys said>half of the circuit etc and that's what he said.


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## Stoney Bud (Jan 3, 2007)

Hey caribbean_smoker_20, your Electrician friend is technically correct. The rule of thumb is 80% load. I always suggest half load to be on the safe side. In high use applications like 24/7 HPS lighting, the rate at which the insulation of the wire between the light and the outlet will break down is increased. If the wire were replaced on a regular basis of about a year, then I would also suggest going with an 80% load.

I'd always rather be more safe than less safe. Even in fractions.

If I could just find an electrician that was also cool with weed, I could explain the *real* reason I'm asking...

Until then, I ask a group of the senior electricians that work out of the shop I work in. I told them I'm going to use the light as a 24/7 light for supplemental lighting in my outside veggie greenhouse.

Then they got all worked up and started talking about different grades of wire, types of wire, methods and the like, and both of them forgot I was even standing there.

The root of what they were saying is that *if* the proper wire was used, then 80% for 24/7 would be just fine.

If you guys want me to, I'll ask them to write down the name and gauge of wire they all settled on as being the best.

These guys scare me when they all start talking...

They *did* suggest buying a light that was switchable to 220 volts and to hook it up to 220 instead of 110. They said it would run *WAY* more efficiently. It involves using a dual breaker in your panel box after wiring the light correctly.

They said it would greatly decrease the cost of running the light. I thought that was very interesting. I'm going to try to get them to explain that to me using ohm's law. I can do the math if they explain it that way.


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## MJ20 (Jan 4, 2007)

^^hehe>Yeah>the guy started spewing out electrical jargon and I had to tell him to slow down.rofl.I wouldn't run it over half etc. neways>just personal safety too I guess!


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## Weeddog (Jan 12, 2007)

Stoney Bud said:
			
		

> They *did* suggest buying a light that was switchable to 220 volts and to hook it up to 220 instead of 110. They said it would run *WAY* more efficiently. It involves using a dual breaker in your panel box after wiring the light correctly.
> 
> They said it would greatly decrease the cost of running the light. I thought that was very interesting. I'm going to try to get them to explain that to me using ohm's law. I can do the math if they explain it that way.



I run my lights on 220 instead of 110 because it will draw half the current on 220 than it does on 110.  Ohms law says so.  But i think the total power consumption will be about the same.  The lower current draw allows you to use smaller wire without overheating it.  I am running two 400w hps on a #10 wire and is running cold.  I could probably get away with #12 or 14.


800w / 110v = 7.27A
800w / 220v = 3.64A


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## justagrower (Jan 12, 2007)

hey all...just thought id let you know im an electrican and if i can help...let me know!


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## Stoney Bud (Jan 12, 2007)

Weeddog said:
			
		

> I run my lights on 220 instead of 110 because it will draw half the current on 220 than it does on 110. Ohms law says so. But i think the total power consumption will be about the same. The lower current draw allows you to use smaller wire without overheating it. I am running two 400w hps on a #10 wire and is running cold. I could probably get away with #12 or 14.
> 
> 
> 800w / 110v = 7.27A
> 800w / 220v = 3.64A


 
Yeah, I cornered the guy again and asked about the cost factor. He said it would cost about the same, but would make the light last a lot longer because of less heat being produced.


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## KADE (Jan 13, 2007)

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Weeddog*
_I run my lights on 220 instead of 110 because it will draw half the current on 220 than it does on 110. Ohms law says so. But i think the total power consumption will be about the same. The lower current draw allows you to use smaller wire without overheating it. I am running two 400w hps on a #10 wire and is running cold. I could probably get away with #12 or 14.


800w / 110v = 7.27A
800w / 220v = 3.64A_



			
				Stoney Bud said:
			
		

> Yeah, I cornered the guy again and asked about the cost factor. He said it would cost about the same, but would make the light last a lot longer because of less heat being produced.


 
Unless you have a industrial power rate.... where amps makes a big ole difference... it just so happens when my garage was built I zoned it industrial. =)   I didn't plan on any of this at the time... I just figured if i wanted to open a welding shop or whatever I'd do it that way so the houses around couldn't say nething.


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## KADE (Jan 13, 2007)

Oh, I forgot.... normal wire for outlets is 14-2... I forget 220 wiring... i can find out if u want... I always use 220 wiring when I make (yes make... I know, i'm lame) extension cords. I dont like the low gauge crap they have at stores.. and the price they want for them.


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