Total Watts!!!
- Thread starter ryshark
- Start date
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Watts = Volts * Amps
so
120V * 15A = 1800W
180 - 20% = 1440W
(You need to subtract 20% for safe loading of the circuit)
So for a 15A circuit used for nothing but lights... you could get maybe 1000 watts of light + the overhead of the ballasts. That would put you somewhere aroudn 1400 Watts.
so
120V * 15A = 1800W
180 - 20% = 1440W
(You need to subtract 20% for safe loading of the circuit)
So for a 15A circuit used for nothing but lights... you could get maybe 1000 watts of light + the overhead of the ballasts. That would put you somewhere aroudn 1400 Watts.
skoomamonster
Member
I ran a separate 20 amp gfci circuit with 12 gauge Romex to my tank. You might want to get a 20 amp breaker for the lights and a 15 breaker for everything else that way if a pump trips the breaker only half the tank shuts down instead of everything shutting down. When 1000 Watts of lights turn on they are going to draw much more than 1000 Watts at start up and that spike could trip the breaker so you might want to try to not have all of the lights come on at the same time. If you don't feel comfortable working with electricity than hire an electrician the last thing you want is to get electrocuted or burn your house down. It's not really difficult to put in a new circuit as long as you know what you are doing and take your time you should be fine, when we did my circuit, I ran the wire while my dad put the breaker in it was pretty simple.
HTH,
Nick
HTH,
Nick
Eric the half-bee
Passer of gasses
I had the electrician run a sub panel to my fish room to handle needs.
I think I have heard of people changing the normal 15amp circuit breaker with a breaker of higher load capacity. Like the ones they use for your washer/dryer rooms sometimes. I don't know how you do this or if it is possible. Just call a professional and ask them if you can just switch the breaker instead of rewiring stuff.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
NO! you MUST NEVER upsize a breaker to accomodate a higher load!
The breaker is sized to protect the wire it feeds (sized to the smallest wire in the branch circuit)!
#14 wire = 15A breaker
#12 wire = 20A breaker
20A is the largerst branch circuit that you can use to feed 120V cord and plug devices. PERIOD.
MileHighFish
New member
+1 BeanAnimal good advice, you dont want a fire in your wall. I run lights off of a 20 amp (1200 watts +) and i have never had it trip.
MileHighFish
New member
like Toddrtrex said, you can see if another room near by uses a different circuit. A friend does this and it works, his tank is in the living room & backs up to his kitchen. He drilled a hole thru the wall and runs just his chiller off that circuit. That was just enough for him to get by without tripping the breaker each time his chiller would kick in. But if you have the means i would do it right and call someone out.
I had this same issue when my lights kicked on, it popped the breaker. my solution was to buy and switch to Lumatek digital ballasts. These draw far less amperage and still produce amazing light. This was on my 265 gallon.
Absolutely dont upsize a breaker. Call an electrician and have them pull addition line in to handle the added load. Its just not worth the fire hazzard for a quick fix.
Absolutely dont upsize a breaker. Call an electrician and have them pull addition line in to handle the added load. Its just not worth the fire hazzard for a quick fix.
total watts
total watts
Also, consider the obvious; decrease the lighting. I ran a fifty gallon SPS tank for several years with 800 + 440 (1240 total watts) lighting, and several hundred watts for pumps off of two circuits as discussed above. Eventually, when moving to a larger tank I reduced the lighting to to 500 + 220. Honestly, although I was hesitant at first, I've not seen any real difference in growth or color. Sinvce then I've been more power concsious with every aspect of the setup and I am running a 150 on just under 800 watts total.
I've been contemplating 150 MHs in really good reflectors, I think it may work just fine too.
:fish2: :fish2: :fish2: :fish2: :fish2:
total watts
Also, consider the obvious; decrease the lighting. I ran a fifty gallon SPS tank for several years with 800 + 440 (1240 total watts) lighting, and several hundred watts for pumps off of two circuits as discussed above. Eventually, when moving to a larger tank I reduced the lighting to to 500 + 220. Honestly, although I was hesitant at first, I've not seen any real difference in growth or color. Sinvce then I've been more power concsious with every aspect of the setup and I am running a 150 on just under 800 watts total.
I've been contemplating 150 MHs in really good reflectors, I think it may work just fine too.
:fish2: :fish2: :fish2: :fish2: :fish2:
RonMidtownStomp
You can edit this?
Wire is not very expensive, the distance shouldn't matter very much.
REEF-n-Chicago
New member
Having someone run the wire gets expensive.... run it yourself and have the electrician hook the wire into the breaker
RonMidtownStomp
You can edit this?
Funny that it's supposed to work that way.
well the one thing to take into consideration is building codes. In his area or some areas, a licensed electrician is required at some point to sign off or to complete all the work as to meet building codes/requirements.
Here in my area, I have run addional power here and there as needed. I will be running 2 20amp circuits for my new project. No electrian is needed because we fall outside city limits. I made sure that if an inspecter came by chance we would still pass normal codes or building practices
Just food for thought.
Here in my area, I have run addional power here and there as needed. I will be running 2 20amp circuits for my new project. No electrian is needed because we fall outside city limits. I made sure that if an inspecter came by chance we would still pass normal codes or building practices
Just food for thought.
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