Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
Hope someone can help me here. Sorry if this gets a tad confusing.
Anyway. I’m setting up 3 pvc enclosures. They will be spaced about one large room. With one wall housing 2 stacked enclosures and another walk with one more. I’m in a fairly new apt that is the top floor of a pretty big house. It’s not super old but def not new. Prob built in the late 60s. A lot of the house and this apt was all redone a few months ago before I took it. The outlets all appear new.
Here is my question. Am I better off using different outlets for each enclosure or does it not matter because they are all apart of the same circuit ? I know this is a guess but it’s all I have right now.
So the only inside wall of the room where the 2 larger enclosures are going is on the wall that the switch controls. I’m afraid to use that because if someone decides to flip it there goes everything. I was going to run a commercial extension chord for the connecting wall which had 4 outlets on it. That would connect a commercial surge protector and hold my thermostats to control my RHP and UTH on each tank. Then I was thinking of either running the separate surge for the third tank either in that same set of 4 so 2 of the 4 outlets would be filled. Or running it from the next wall which has 2 outlets. Any ideas ?
Lastly. I don’t have central AC so I have brand new window units one for this room one for the open area of the house. So I need to also run and plug that AC in pretty soon. I was thinking I maybe can use the switch outlet for that one since it’s important but not as important. I doubt anyone will be hitting the switch but never know. I could always tape it or get a switch lock or something. The tenants prior did use window acs but they weren’t running 3 stank enclosures so I just don’t want to overpower or blow anything and cause power issues. This will all be tested before any snakes are moved or added. Just wondering what you all suggest ?
Thanks.
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Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
I'm not an electrician so I can't guarantee it but I'm pretty sure the a/c is gonna keep tripping the breaker with all that other stuff running with it
Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
c0r3yr0s3
I'm not an electrician so I can't guarantee it but I'm pretty sure the a/c is gonna keep tripping the breaker with all that other stuff running with it
I’m worried about that as well.
i think I’m going to have an electrician come
by to be safe.
Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
Ok, a couple thoughts here... and keep in mind I am not an electrician, but am a facilities manager and deal with some basic electrical issues in the buildings I manage.
You need to locate the breaker box and see what circuits are on what type of breakers. I think most home circuits for wall outlets are going to be 15 amps. Find out how many different circuits are in your apartment and each room. They should be labeled in the breaker box... “SHOULD”
Next you need to calculate the load you are going to put on each circuit with the equipment you are planning to plug into it. Most electrical appliances will have a sticker or plate indicating the maximum wattage they will draw.
You take the wattage and divide it by the voltage (120 volts) and you get the amp load.
This is important because an electrical circuit should not be above 75% load for any extended time or the breaker will trip. On a 15 amp breaker 75% would be 11.25amps.
So for example: If you have a space heater that runs 1500 Watts. 1500W divided by 120V = 12.5 amps (just over 83% on a 15 amp circuit.
On a 15 amp circuit, it may run for a bit but if you plug anything else into it or have any kind of surge, it will trip. This is a constant issue with people who plug in space heaters at their cubicle. 2 Cubicles usually share a 15 amp circuit so with the space heater plugged in and then a couple computers, monitors, someone charging their phone it always ends with a phone call, “John, I don’t know what happened but everything just shut off and I have a client report due.”
It sounds a little more complicated than it really is. Trust me, I don’t like electricity. If I can’t see it, I don’t trust it. You may still need to have an electrician stop by, even if just for your own peace of mind, but you might be able to avoid that if you follow the steps above.
And my personal feeling is the window AC should be on its own dedicated circuit. I would NOT, under any circumstances plug it into anything on the same circuit as your beeps. I don’t care if you have to run it by hooking it up to an exercise bike and pedaling your heart out to keep the room cool. Lol
Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
No problem. I wasn’t sure if I explained it clearly or not. Also, keep in mind if a breaker starts tripping repeatedly it could be on its way out. They redid the house and apartment, but may not have installed a brand new breaker box and new breakers. I’ve changed breakers out before and it’s not difficult. Just make sure you have a volt meter to check for hot wires and shut off power to the breaker box. I have a through the wall type AC and it was on a 15 amp circuit that was not a dedicated circuit. (Was like that before I moved in here). When the breaker kept tripping, I replaced it BUT after talking with one of my electrical contractors regarding use and the gauge of the wire, he said I could install a 20 amp breaker on that circuit, which I did and it hasn’t ever tripped again. That was about 7-8 years ago.
Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
The best advice I can give you is not the answer your looking for hahahah.. But ive dealt with this situation forever and the only thing that helped me was to venture into the basement and look at the buildings Panels. I was in a old School house apartment with a Dirt Floor Basement 20 years ago. There was a panel for each apartment and they were labeled with the apt #.
They have to have that otherwise you would all trip eachothers breakers. So now that you narrow that down its simple.
You can read all the breakers if they are labeled for what Plugs/lights otherwise you turn of one at a time and see what plug that runs and right it down on paper for your reference.
Most likely all the wall plugs for that room will be on one Breaker.. With that said it wont matter how you do your enclosures. What will matter is also running your AC or a Large Appliance on those same breakers as your enclosures. This can cause a issue. Running a power strip for the enclosures like you mentioned will only save you from having to go into the basement if one trips.
As far as the AC, when you find out the other rooms are on separate Breakers run a extension cord for the AC so you dont overload that breaker in the snake room. Also do not run the AC or Enclosures on a breaker that will have a Microwave or kitchen Appliance (Fridge etc..)
Also be carful of women's Hair Driers ect and what breaker that will run off of (Bathrooms/Bedrooms)
This is all very simple and the best way for you to ease your mind once you know whats what.
Go explore as you the tenant have to have access to the panel basically by codes law..
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Re: Plugs plugs and more plugs .... electrical help?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CALM Pythons
The best advice I can give you is not the answer your looking for hahahah.. But ive dealt with this situation forever and the only thing that helped me was to venture into the basement and look at the buildings Panels. I was in a old School house apartment with a Dirt Floor Basement 20 years ago. There was a panel for each apartment and they were labeled with the apt #.
They have to have that otherwise you would all trip eachothers breakers. So now that you narrow that down its simple.
You can read all the breakers if they are labeled for what Plugs/lights otherwise you turn of one at a time and see what plug that runs and right it down on paper for your reference.
Most likely all the wall plugs for that room will be on one Breaker.. With that said it wont matter how you do your enclosures. What will matter is also running your AC or a Large Appliance on those same breakers as your enclosures. This can cause a issue. Running a power strip for the enclosures like you mentioned will only save you from having to go into the basement if one trips.
As far as the AC, when you find out the other rooms are on separate Breakers run a extension cord for the AC so you dont overload that breaker in the snake room. Also do not run the AC or Enclosures on a breaker that will have a Microwave or kitchen Appliance (Fridge etc..)
Also be carful of women's Hair Driers ect and what breaker that will run off of (Bathrooms/Bedrooms)
This is all very simple and the best way for you to ease your mind once you know whats what.
Go explore as you the tenant have to have access to the panel basically by codes law..
iPhone using Tapatalk
Totally agree! There is a chance that if they have always used window air conditioners in that space the outlets near the window may be on different circuit. Although, it is not likely. As you said, the only way to know for sure is to map out everything from the breaker box and understand how the whole apartment is wired. Then he can lay out his bp set up.
