A 15 amp breaker can easily be maxed out with one reef tank. This is why every tank in my house has two separate dedicated 20 amp circuits to it with 12 gauge wire.
Electrical outlet popped everything Shut Off
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timry2
Active Member
If everything was fine up until you added the two pumps, could be an overcurrent situation. Have your electrician amprobe the circuit to see what the existing load is without the tank on the circuit. If you can get a dedicated 20 amp circuit for your tank you will be better off. Another option is if your tank is adjacent to a wall that is on a different circuit you maybe able to add a receptacle from the adjacent circuit so you can split the load. Thats if you are experiencing an over current situation.
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I split things up right now. My wife doesn’t like the extension cords running down the hallways . I tell her it’s temporary
I am thinking of installing a 20 amp breaker tomorrow. I believe I have 12g wire.
I am not sure if it’s overload. I narrowed down the surge protector was the culprit as of right now. Tomorrow I will plug in the pumps to see if that triggers anything. I’m debating if I need those pumps.
How hard is it for a dedicated 20 amp circuit to be installed?
If you have conduit and enough room, it’s as easy as pushing two wires from the fuse panel through the conduit to that outlet
Make a list of everything that is plugged into that outlet. If I think I seem correctly looked like you posted you have 20 to 24 things plugged in that outlet. Please post us the list of those things and I’m almost sure they are overloading it.
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Plugged into that outlet or plugged into that breaker. When I’m looking at the diaphragm for the breakers, it says Living room receptacles. Wouldn’t I need to write everything in an electrical outlet
Yes, everything for that breaker that the fish tank was originally on
Flip that breaker manually and verify everything in the living room that it turns off because just because it says living room does not mean it’s all of the outlets. For instance, my house says a whole bunch of things, but they are not true.
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Curve 7 Skimmer : 16 watts
Kessil H380 Refugium light : 90 watts
Jebao Return Pump : 65 watts
Eheim Heater : 150 watts
Maspect Gyre : 52 Watt
Metal halide x2 : 500 watt
Sicce 1.5 : 57 watt
Sicce 1.0 16 watt
Sicce .5 : 8 watt
Aqua UV 57 + 25 : 82 watts
2 mp40 : 74 watts
2 Eb832 bars : 200 watts
Reefbrite LED : 180w
total : 1490 watts more or less . I could not find Kamoer pump
Just adding my television 380 watts = 1850 watts on a 15 amp
And you said you also have a TV and some things on the same circuit?
1490 just for the tank, plus a TV can easily push you over a standard 15amp breaker load.
I’d highly suggest having an electrician run you a dedicated 20 amp breaker, or two, for the reef tank.
in my tank personally, I have 2 circuits, one is for life-vital equipment, and the second is a GFCI for everything else, powerheads, lights, skimmer, etc.
1490 just for the tank, plus a TV can easily push you over a standard 15amp breaker load.
I’d highly suggest having an electrician run you a dedicated 20 amp breaker, or two, for the reef tank.
in my tank personally, I have 2 circuits, one is for life-vital equipment, and the second is a GFCI for everything else, powerheads, lights, skimmer, etc.
So both my 500 watt heaters pull 7.5 amps when on together. So 1000 watts 7.5 amp.
I’m sure this is not how it works but if you double the thousand watts to 2000 watt that would be 15 Amp popping the breaker but when things turn on the draw more amperage there’s a difference statistic it’s a start up amperage and then after running for a few seconds, they go to the normal running amperage, so in your case you’re about on the edge and a spike would pop the breaker.
Out of everything you listed every single thing runs constantly except for your heater that turns on and off throughout the day that could be the amperage on initial turning on of the heater that’s putting you passed it
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I like that !
I know. I see that I might need to hire someone to do this. … Sigh …
it needs to be done!
Electrical is definitely not something to be done yourself without a very comprehensive understanding, especially around water. So I’d super highly suggest you hire an electrician.
And if your outlet is directly behind the tank, I’d even suggest adding a dry box or other sort of water proof enclosure for the plugs, just in case something ever got splashed over the back of the tank.
I replaced both outlets that feed my tank with a fully waterproof connector and replaced and sealed the ends of the power cables plugging into them with a mating connector (Neutrik TrueONE TOP, for anyone curious!)
And if your outlet is directly behind the tank, I’d even suggest adding a dry box or other sort of water proof enclosure for the plugs, just in case something ever got splashed over the back of the tank.
I replaced both outlets that feed my tank with a fully waterproof connector and replaced and sealed the ends of the power cables plugging into them with a mating connector (Neutrik TrueONE TOP, for anyone curious!)
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I’m scratching my head now. When I woke up the surge protector ran from the other room, that breaker was tripped , and the other extension cord with the new pumps was hooked up to a GFCI in which was also tripped
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The GFCI in the restroom is temporary.
spawn79
Community Member
If you haven't yet, make sure you check all the control devices and their plugs including the wires for any damage (melting, abnormal heat, smell) at all. If there was a short or overcurrent in the system it can cause all kinds of problems including frying other electronics on other plugs in the circuit.
Oh yeah and check your heaters. Best way would be to put them in a bucket of cold water to make sure they stay on for an extended period of time. In the midst of all this one could have failed or is going wonky. Even the expensive heaters fail pretty frequently, randomly and sometimes often depending on the factory quality that day.
Oh yeah and check your heaters. Best way would be to put them in a bucket of cold water to make sure they stay on for an extended period of time. In the midst of all this one could have failed or is going wonky. Even the expensive heaters fail pretty frequently, randomly and sometimes often depending on the factory quality that day.
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The heater is plugged into the apex. That outlet hasn't went out since yesterday.
Right now the bed room breaker is triggering , so i'm 1 by 1 removing the devices to see what one triggers the breaker.
Yes. Looking at the watts now I definitely need to schedule an electrician. When I do a quick google search , it's not a little job
This is the way. I'd bet money something on that circuit has either a short or break in the cable somewhere.
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