Dedicated Electrical Circuits? How much did you spend?

[Dbichler]

13 AMPS? You must have some large heaters and power hungry lighting?

My 90 system draws about 180 watts (1.5 amps) when the lights are at max intensity during the day. And the heater almost never runs (Central Florida).

Was supposed to be 3 amps lol

 

[Mike konesky]

2-15amp and 2-20amp dedicated circuits, 4 GFCI outlets installed by a licensed electrician for under $500. Shop around. Electrical isn't something you want to do yourself unless you know what you are doing.

 

[Kershaw]

Not always, most boxes allow you to use tandem breakers.

Hopefully the OP does not have an old zinsco panel… now we are talking 5-7 k to change it. At least in my area.

 

[Paul B]

I am an electrician so I charged myself $2,347.92. Then I didn't pay myself so I am in dept. :rolleyes:

 

[Kershaw]

I am an electrician so I charged myself $2,347.92. Then I didn't pay myself so I am in dept. :rolleyes:

Just claim it as a donation and write it off on your taxes

 

[homer1475]

Hopefully the OP does not have an old zinsco panel… now we are talking 5-7 k to change it. At least in my area.

When we moved in my panel was an old fuse type box, you know the old ones you had to unscrew and replace if they blew. Upgrading that to a 200amp breaker style box was not cheap.

 

[Johnd651]

Very true, but if there isn't an open spot for even the tandem breaker, you have to install a new box to accommodate the extra breaker(s).

You don't need a spot if your replacing a single with a tandem.

 

[Montiman]

The biggest thing to consider is not adding the breaker and wiring it is what you need to do to get the wiring from your panel to the location. This may necessitate lots of drywall repair, conduit work and possibly burying lines.

On a some what related note. I keep wanting to run my RO in my garage directly to my tanks ATO but I have a 2 story house and an attached single story garage with the tank on the first floor so I can't simply run the line up into the attic and back down. running the line would mean putting at least 18 holes in the ceiling then drilling through all of those beams, running the line down through a wall. The entire living area would be a wreck for a week and I know my patch work isn't the best. I would happily pay some one $1000 who could be in and out in 1 day and have it look far better than if I attempted the project myself.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

If you competent enough to afford and setup a reef , electrical work should be easy. Material isn't bad, the tools and equipment isn't that expensive either. The hardest part is running the wire from the panel to where every you are running it to. If you are lucky enough to have an attic, should be easy. However, many have to go through walls, which will require dry wall work then cost just went way up.

For me, I am lucky enough where the builder installed 2 circuit panels in my house so I got plenty of space to add additional circuits. I also have an attic above all parts of my house. So its just material as I already have all the tools. I ran 220 in my garage and it cost me $50.

 

[ESH]

Prices in suburban IL are on the high end, but the company I've been using has done good work. Just over 2 years ago to added 2x20amp circuits. One in my living room, another directly below in the basement sump room. Both used existing outlets making it easy to run the line, and my basement is unfinished. I had the spots available in my breaker box to add the circuits. After talking it over with my electrician, I choose not to go with GFCI because if it tripped while I was away it wouldn't automatically reset.
The invoice I have says $802.80, though I recall the final cost being around $750 because they used less materials and the quote was originally for GFCI.

In comparison, I just had a quote to add a wall charger in my garage for a new elec car. The quote reads:
Install client supplied charger on back wall of garage. Install new 50 amp 240 volt circuit and conduit to garage for charger make all electrical connections in wall charger and electrical panel and test.
Quote is: $1681.00.

This one requires new tubing to run the line, is about 15-20 feet in distance, and as others have mentioned, the cost of copper wire is at the highest it's ever been. Copper is in abundance so I think it's the suppliers taking advantage of the current economy to charge nearly double.

 

[G Santana]

I ran one dedicated circuit, it was easy because my tank is in the basement and running the line was nothing more than securing the line to the rafters.
After much consideration, I did not include a GFCI, my primary thinking was that all the GFCI that I have in the house inevitability get tripped, it happens and they have to be replace every so often. In 25 years in my home, I have only had a circuit breaker trip a handful of times. I can't say the same for my GFCIs
Regarding cost, see if you can run the line yourself and if you are not comfortable with electrical, have the electrician make the final connections.
This will save you a ton

 

[alton]

I will just put this out there but to stay up to code you need to be using AFCI breakers or combination AFCI/GFCI breakers for all locations except unfinished basements and garages. And if you are adding an aquarium to your basement, an inspector would not see that as unfinished. Remember the NEC was created to help Insurance companies

 

[Susan Edwards]

spent 1100 to add 2 20 amp breakers to the box and then run into my office with gfi's.

 

[Paul B]

I can't simply run the line up into the attic and back down. running the line would mean putting at least 18 holes in the ceiling then drilling through all of those beams, running the line down through a wall.

When I was working (and I don't do that any more Thank God) I worked in Manhattan. I specialized in running lines all over the place without making any, or hardly any holes.

Some places have very expensive wall coverings or mirrors, marble, gold leaf etc and you can't damage it.

One place had leather for all the wall coverings. I don't know how many cows they had to kill for that one.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I would consider myself handy but I realized I had never run conduit before and the learning curve always has a time and material cost. I also would have needed to purchase a variety of new tools that I likely would never use again. I needed some other electrical work done so I paid $3000 to put in 3 controllable security lights and 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits for the tank. It took 2 guys 4 hours and I feel like it was worth it.

This is what I’m worried about! $3K to install 2 sockets that do absolutely nothing to add to the value of the home, and I can’t even take them with me when I sell!

I will just put this out there but to stay up to code you need to be using AFCI breakers or combination AFCI/GFCI breakers for all locations except unfinished basements and garages. And if you are adding an aquarium to your basement, an inspector would not see that as unfinished. Remember the NEC was created to help Insurance companies

Good to know, never heard of AFCI, I’ll have to look into that. Home was built in the 2000’s so there’s a modern breaker box with 4 open slots. The kitchen outlets say GFCI on them but are not GFCI receptacles so I obviously have a combo currently of GFCI receptacles and breakers.

For me it’s either running the line myself and paying an electrician for the final hookups, or paying for the whole thing. Or trying to use 2 different existing circuits for the tank (extension cord, etc.). I’m planning to get a quote but am in the middle of the flooring install for the tank, just wanted to see the range of what people paid and it’s quite wide!

On the plus side, it’s worth it to see what a generator line outside->inside would cost too. I’ve always fantasized about hardwiring speakers + atmos so if I figured out how to do this job it would be useful experience. On the flip side, with my luck, the electrician would say the way I ran the wiring isn’t up to code and refuse to do the hookup :oops:

 

[Onewolf]

I still have to ask why you think you need additional circuits for the tank? Unless it's a godawful huge tank with giant heaters, 1.21 Gigawatts of lighting, chiller, etc, I don't see a tank using more than 5-6 amps so a typical 15 amp household circuit should be fine.

 

[Montiman]

This is what I’m worried about! $3K to install 2 sockets that do absolutely nothing to add to the value of the home, and I can’t even take them with me when I sell!

Good to know, never heard of AFCI, I’ll have to look into that. Home was built in the 2000’s so there’s a modern breaker box with 4 open slots. The kitchen outlets say GFCI on them but are not GFCI receptacles so I obviously have a combo currently of GFCI receptacles and breakers.

For me it’s either running the line myself and paying an electrician for the final hookups, or paying for the whole thing. Or trying to use 2 different existing circuits for the tank (extension cord, etc.). I’m planning to get a quote but am in the middle of the flooring install for the tank, just wanted to see the range of what people paid and it’s quite wide!

On the plus side, it’s worth it to see what a generator line outside->inside would cost too. I’ve always fantasized about hardwiring speakers + atmos so if I figured out how to do this job it would be useful experience. On the flip side, with my luck, the electrician would say the way I ran the wiring isn’t up to code and refuse to do the hookup :oops:

In all fairness I think of the $3,000 I spent about $1200 was for the circuits and the rest was for the lights The lights certainly added value to my home. For some reason my home came with no driveway or yard lights.

The way I see it is I spent $1500 on a chiller and almost $3000 on lights that couldn't run without the circuit. I also knew that the dedicated circuits would provide additional utility for the tank. When I priced out the project myself I was going to spend 400-500 dollars on material alone due to the long stretch of conduit I needed. I also knew that my conduit would look worse than professionals and I questioned my ability to water tight it perfectly. Had the project been all inside an unfinished basement I might have done it myself but here in AZ all our breaker boxes are on the outside of the home and the conduit needed to be wrapped around the house or buried under ground. It was alot of work.

 

[snorklr]

generally kitchen and bath GFCI's are setup so that multiple outlets downstream of them are controlled by one GFCI outlet....sometimes in the same room, sometimes not...so you'll see regular outlets marked that they are GFCI controlled ...i have seen multiple bathrooms run off the same GFCI (you'd think an extra GFCI would be cheaper and easier than over 100ft of wire to link 3 rooms together on opposite ends of the house)...also outdoor outlets may be controlled by those same kitchen or bath GFCIs...generally GFCI outlets are favored over GFCI breakers as they are cheaper and can be inserted anywhere in the circuit

 

[ZoWhat]

You'd be SHOCKED if I told you

 

[cmoore806]

Don't forget the hidden expense of the tools... if you don't already own them, if you decide to do it in your own.

When you do the work yourself, the tools are free