attention electricians

[ricksconnected]

ok heres the question. im moving two tanks that are in different rooms side by side to make room for my 130.
these two tanks have no choice but to share the same outlet socket, each with its own power strip. what caution do i need to take to make sure the socket does not get over loaded and become a fire risk?
there will be a good bit of stuff plugged into these power strips too.
this may seem like a stupid question but i dont know the answer.

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Most outlets are only rated to 15 amps total. You can help this by switching it to a 20 amp outlet...definately GFCI which will cost you around $25 (just guessing). The next thing to do is to check the breaker that has that circuit. It's probably either a 15 or 20 amp circuit. You'll also need to know how many outlets or other things are on that circuit. You shouldn't exceed the total of the circuit. Drawing more amps than the circuit can supply is where you run into issues. Most houses are wired so that outlets are in series...meaning if you can located the first outlet and make it a GFCI...all the rest that follow are also GFCI. You don't need a GFCI outlet on every outlet (My house is wired this way by the builder). In using strips....use metal strips. I suggest going to Fry's and purchasing Prime brand...they space the recepticles far enough apart that you can get transformers in there and not lose one or two. They come in a wide variety of sizes too.

hope that helps.

 

[ricksconnected]

porpoiseaquatics;406816 wrote: In using strips....use metal strips. I suggest going to Fry's and purchasing Prime brand...they space the recepticles far enough apart that you can get transformers in there and not lose one or two. They come in a wide variety of sizes too.
hope that helps.

heres where ya lost me.

 

[james s_]

Dont switch the outlet to a 20 amp outlet thinking it can handle that much....your outlet and wiring is still limited by the breaker that is controlling it. Is this outlet isolated from the rest of the room the tanks are in? Im guessing not, if thats the case I would HIGHLY suggest having someone come out and adding two isolated 20 amp outlets, one for each tank. Then I would also add one or two for the 130 gallon, depending on the equipment you plan on using..this keeps your tanks from overloading and tripping the breaker when you use vacuum's,etc....in the same rooms.

Electrical wiring is designed to only handle a max of 80% of the circuit's limiting device...or breaker. .so you think you have 15 or 20 amps at your disposal but in reality your really looking at 12 or 16 amps...to operate safely and to prevent the wiring from overheating and causing fires.

 

[rockdog]

You took the words right out of my moth James!!

Jason

 

[james s_]

Rockdog;406846 wrote: You took the words right out of my moth James!!

Jason

Its hard to argue with facts...

 

[ichthyoid]

James S.;406848 wrote: Its hard to argue with facts...

Great advice, all around!

FYI- you can add the GFCI's in the panel, of course. There are breakers that come equiped with them as part of the design. James' advice is invaluable. Get a pro to check it!

This is the most important thing NOT to cut corners on-IMO. We're talking about the integrity of your home's electrical system and the safety of you and your family/guests.

 

[skriz]

You can't simply "upgrade" the outlet or even breaker as the wiring is the limiting factor. The wires inside the wall will only be of a certain thickness and overloading them can cause them to heat up, melt & burn.

As James said, you don't want to play around with this. Get a pro to take care of it. If you can't do that, just make sure you're plugging into different circuits for each tank. You can check by plugging in a lamp or radio & flipping the breakers on/off.

 

[ricksconnected]

dang, time to find a pro.