Electricity! eeeep!

[Robin764]

k, I am electrophobic...lol, thought I just made up that word...but maybe I didn't. Anyway in the process of building 150g. We are in a home with 100 amps. Very low end I think, but I've lived in a basement apartment when I bred discus, and had over 500g's of breeder tanks, heaters...(needed to be 84-86 degrees)..pumps & lights, sponge-filters....also 100amp with no problem. I had 120g, 90g, 55g, and several breeder & fry tanks.
I am very lucky to have an aquaintance who does all our electrical work at my job...who is a friend of a co-worker. He is going to come here and help me out with my new fishroom. Third bedroom actually...lol.
My question is this....We do not own the home, so I do not wish to make major changes. I only want to make sure that if any breaker in the rest of the house blows...that fish could be on a separate line? Breakers don't blow atm...but am concerned that with my build, and being in spare bedroom if they did blow...hubby and son might not notice, and I come home to a mess. I work 10-12 hours a day.
I am electronoobic! Haha! I know I made that one up! I do not know what to tell him I need....will be running 3x250mh and actinics...so far mag 12, 300watt heater, skimmer rated for approximately 200g's, qt tank, and required equipment.
Am I worrying un-necessarily, or should I have a more definate plan in mind? Remember I do not own the house, and do not wish to raise their home value...lol, just wanna run my tank!
Any input greatly appreciated.

 

[drparker]

Yes you want it on a separate breaker or even better multiple separate breakers. If he's pulling new wire go with 20amp if using existing you need stay at 15amp. When I rented a house it was not too expensive for me to upgrade the box from 100amp to 200amp service. Since the lines running into the house could handle 200amps. Make sure to use GFCI outlets.

I'm planning to redo my current setup to be on a separate circuit. It currently shares a circuit with my daughters bedrooms above it. If they are both on computers doing their hair and I have MH and chiller running turn on the vacuum and it blows.

Your going to sink thousands into the tank so spend a couple of hundred to get the electricity set, especially with an electrician for a friend.

 

[suzimcmullen]

Wow, could you be my tennant in our first rental property? We've re-wired two of the homes we have owned and it's so expensive! We re-did this house last year for 6000 dollars!

Suzi

 

[Robin764]

lol suzi

 

[drparker]

Yeah, rewiring is a huge job compared to just upgrading the panel and pulling a few circuits, especially if you have to hire a contractor instead of having qualified friends, family or self.

The first house we rented was so old that it had cloth insulated wires, it actually burned down about 5 years after we moved out.

 

[xeonox]

Be sure to use GFCI outlets when dealing with water sources close by(and dont get the cheap ones, get something with a test and reset button, prolly around 15 dollars each). Even though it is a GFCI outlet be sure the electician install a GROUND, ground is very very very very important, dont forget the GROUND (green wire)!!! (just because it has that 3rd hole, doesnt meen that it works, so be sure to make sure the ground works!, normally attached to the incoming water pipe in the ground!)


25 to 30 amp circuit with 8 gauge wiring is nice and should be sufficient, on its OWN single line and its OWN single breaker. In other words, one line to one breaker to one bedroom.

even if you have GFCI outlet be sure to use a good surge protector with good amount of joules (about 10 bux)!!

with those 3 you shold be fine and not have to worry about a thing as long as your electrician wires it properly and you never over load the circuit.

 

[Robin764]

ty xeonox...that's the info I needed!

 

[xeonox]

whoops, its been a while, i was a tad bit off on the gauge, go here for a chart to compare too.


http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

remember if you get the wrong gauge with the wrong amps (overload amps), you can melt the wire and start a fire! hopefully cicruit breaker will tripp before that happens. your electrician shoulld know all this.

it also helps if you live in the city and not the boonies so that way your electic company uses a 3 phase delta or a balanced 3 phase wye to supply your area.