Would 20 amp line be good?
- Thread starter roc4558
- Start date
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
I would run two circuits if it's feasible. Keep your return pump and and in-tank powerheads/circulation pumps on two separate circuits. That way, if a GFCI trips on one circuit while you're not at home, you'll still get some water circulation in the tank. Same deal for your lights and heater: keep them on separate circuits if possible.
20a is enough for everything probably. I agree with Scott though. If you're running the lines anyways, you may as well run 2.
ygpm Scott
mr.maroonsalty
New member
When I'm leaving the tank I'll run an extension cord from a non gfci circuit and plug my essential power strip into that, that was a hard knocks lesson I learned.
backdraft79
New member
I ran 12-3. 4 outlet box, 2 outlets each on there own 20 amp breaker. No GFI bc the breaker will do its job if there is a problem.
reefman5511
New member
ALWAYS use a GFCI around water! They give added protection that a circuit breaker won't. That's why they are required by building code now for areas where there is electricity near water like kitchens & bathrooms.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
That's true, but breakers and GFCIs have different jobs to do - you can't sub one for the other.
A breaker will keep you from burning your house down, when a short happens - i.e. when hot and neutral have a conductive path between them. If hot starts conducting to ground, a breaker WON'T trip. But, a GFCI will. A GFCI keeps you from electrocuting yourself if your body becomes part of that path to ground - a breaker WON'T do that.
mr.maroonsalty
New member
+3... They are not the same, or else having to use a gfci in any area of water would not be standard building code!
roc4558
New member
Ok well im all done . I fixed all the plugs in the house that where wired wrong which was 14. Then i put new 2 amp breaker in and ran 12-2 to a 20 amp gfci which runs my skimmer , return pump,heater and fuge light and a k4. I switch the plug upstairs to 15 amp gfci and have just my lights running through it. Should i put the lights on the 20 amp line or there fine? Allso ran a grounding probe and new heater and new heavy duty surge protector . Couple hundred i didn't really wanna spend but hopfully it works.
If a hot shorts to ground it will trip a breaker just like it does to neutral but in both cases it has to draw enough amps to trip the breaker..which in some cases is enough to kill a person. A gfci senses a current imbalance between the hot and neutral ( it doesn't monitor the ground at all) and trips if it see a difference of small amount..something like 5mA. That's why a gfci offers better protection around water. A GFCI will work on a circuit that doesn't have a ground wire since it doesn't really know or care what the grounds doing. It just cares there is more current leaving the breaker then is coming back on the neutral. If you grab the hot and neutral wires of a gfci protected circuit it will not trip because it doesn't sense a problem, but if you grab the hot and ground it will trip since it senses the imbalance... of course almost 25% of installed gfci breakers/recepticals don't work do to voltage surges so make sure you test them monthly.
Plug in gfci devices give you flexibility to segreate pieces of equipment without tripping the entire circut should one of them loose amperage. I use these $9.95 outlet adapters:
http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=423
For clarity, A gfci will not trip until a ground is established in a tank by you , a probe, etc. since there will be no loss of amperage to trip it. The arguments as to wether or not a probe should or shouldn't be used with a gfci are long and unsettled. However, it is very clear that a gfci with or without a probe is very good protection. A probe without a gfci could do more harm than good.
http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=423
For clarity, A gfci will not trip until a ground is established in a tank by you , a probe, etc. since there will be no loss of amperage to trip it. The arguments as to wether or not a probe should or shouldn't be used with a gfci are long and unsettled. However, it is very clear that a gfci with or without a probe is very good protection. A probe without a gfci could do more harm than good.
