DJ STRIP blowing

[snowmansnow]

ok.. since i installed the new T5 ballasts on my system 2x due 660 my dj strip has been kicking off.

is there one out there that will handle the load? I'm tired of it kicking off along with everything else tied into the strip

thanks for any help

 

[ichthyoid]

What is the total amperage of all devices plugged into the DJ strip?

The DJ strip should have a maximum amperage rating. If that is exceeded, then you should expect the circuit breaker to kick. It's just doing it's job, as designed.

The fix for this is to take some of the devices off of the DJ strip. They should probably be plugged into a separate outlet/circuit altogether.

My $0.02

 

[reefkeeper]

ichthyoid;889625 wrote: What is the total amperage of all devices plugged into the DJ strip?

The DJ strip should have a maximum amperage rating. If that is exceeded, then you should expect the circuit breaker to kick. It's just doing it's job, as designed.

The fix for this is to take some of the devices off of the DJ strip. They should probably be plugged into a separate outlet/circuit altogether.

My $0.02

Your right Bill. I had the same problem with one of mine and it went bad over time.

 

[rdnelson]

ichthyoid;889625 wrote: What is the total amperage of all devices plugged into the DJ strip?

The DJ strip should have a maximum amperage rating. If that is exceeded, then you should expect the circuit breaker to kick. It's just doing it's job, as designed.

The fix for this is to take some of the devices off of the DJ strip. They should probably be plugged into a separate outlet/circuit altogether.

My $0.02

I agree.... With a little addition. Circuit breakers, by design will carry the rated load for non-continuous duty only. At continuous duty they can only cary 60% of the rated load. Continuous is defined by "operating continuously for three hours or more". Pumps run 24/7. Heaters are intermittent. Lights run for more than 3 hours. So if pumps, skimmer, power heads, lights, etc exceed 60% of the rated load you will have intermittent tripping.


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[ichthyoid]

That's why we have RMS (root mean square) voltage ratings Rich.

It's the square root of 2 divided by 2, or 0.707 (70.7%).

Basically it's a 'DC equivalent' for an AC voltage device. I use RMS current, or 70.7% of the actual amperage draw because of this, and how I was taught in Navy electronics school.

I don't know about the 60%. I'm thinking that's a conservative 'rule of thumb' number maybe(?).

 

[rdnelson]

ichthyoid;889723 wrote: That's why we have RMS (root mean square) voltage ratings Rich.

It's the square root of 2 divided by 2, or 0.707 (70.7%).

Basically it's a 'DC equivalent' for an AC voltage device. I use RMS current, or 70.7% of the actual amperage draw because of this, and how I was taught in Navy electronics school.

I don't know about the 60%. I'm thinking that's a conservative 'rule of thumb' number maybe(?).

The way I understand it Bill is that the RMS value is a result of the fact that AC current begins at 0, progresses to a peak, back to 0 and then the same in a negative direction. The net result is a lessor equivalent DC value than the peak AC value. The peak on a 120v system is higher than 120v.

This does affect the breakers holding capacity however the 60% comes more from the way the breaker is constructed. A breaker senses a buildup of heat and at a set value it will operate opening the circuit. If a dead short is present current will approach infinity in a matter of milliseconds which produces high heat causing the breaker to open almost immediately. Under normal use, the current in the system will produce much less heat. The heat will build up to a point at which it levels off over a period of a couple hours. If the point at which it levels off exceeds the rating of the breaker it will operate opening the circuit. If it remains below the rating of the breaker nothing happens. As with any mechanical device, each one varies slightly from the other. Through testing, Underwriters Laboratory has determined that a value of 60% will prevent unwanted tripping yet still provide the proper over current protection. Therefore the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the National Electrical Code (NEC) have adopted and published that value.


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[rdnelson]

OK, I am obviously not getting enough rest. LOL. I have been saying 60% when I should have been saying 80%. In other words a 20 amp circuit can be loaded continuously to 16 amps.

Of course if we are talking fuses you can throw all this out the window. Hehehehehehe. Fuses can carry 100% of the rated value indefinitely.


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[ichthyoid]

Ok, so the NEMA and NEC folks have determined that RMS may be a little conservative, at least for breakers.

Personally, I'll stick with 70% of the maximum continuous amperage, as it's never failed me.

FWIW-
In reality, with all of the reactance from motors, capacitors and other 'noisy' loads, the AC voltage waveform usually looks hideous!

 

[ichthyoid]

To summarize:

Most homes have 15 amp breakers (there are exceptions), so with Rich's guidance that would mean you should be able to put up to 12 amps worth of equipment on a single breaker.

* Note:
Most breakers usually supply multiple 'outlets'. Don't ever assume you can get away with plugging in more than 12 amps worth of equipment, just because some equipment is plugged into another outlet.

If you don't know how to determine this, be safe and ask an electrician.

 

[rdnelson]

ichthyoid;889914 wrote: To summarize:

Most homes have 15 amp breakers (there are exceptions), so with Rich's guidance that would mean you should be able to put up to 12 amps worth of equipment on a single breaker.

* Note:
Most breakers usually supply multiple 'outlets'. Don't ever assume you can get away with plugging in more than 12 amps worth of equipment, just because some equipment is plugged into another outlet.

If you don't know how to determine this, be safe and ask an electrician.

Exactly. In residential the anticipated load for cord and plug connected equipment is 3 watts per square foot. Which means you can put all of the receptacles in a 600 square foot area on one 15 amp circuit (some exceptions apply). This means all the receptacles in the dinning room, living room, family room, etc. could be on one circuit. With a TV and Surround Sound running on one receptacle, a computer running on another and all of your aquarium needs on a third, you could easily exceed the rated load thereby tripping the breaker. In commercial it is calculated differently. We are required to calculate 180VA (1 VA is equivalent to 1 watt for our purposes here) per outlet. This means you cannot put more than 10 receptacles on a circuit (we try not to exceed 8).

Edit:

ichthyoid;889907 wrote: Ok, so the NEMA and NEC folks have determined that RMS may be a little conservative, at least for breakers.

Personally, I'll stick with 70% of the maximum continuous amperage, as it's never failed me.

FWIW-
In reality, with all of the reactance from motors, capacitors and other 'noisy' loads, the AC voltage waveform usually looks hideous!

Nothing wrong will be more conservative than regulations require. And your comment about reactance is right on the mark. The race to make my product 5 cents cheaper than my competition means I will use materials that result in poor power quality and I don't care. It is the end users problem right? But they will buy my product because the can save 5 cents. :lol2: