Your Resident Electrician for all your electrical questions!

[Paul B]

A 12 volt car battery can kill you. Especially if it fell on your head.

 

[RamsReef]

A 12 volt car battery can kill you. Especially if it fell on your head.

You will find electricians have licked one to many batteries.

 

[Victoria M]

Hubby has agreed to run another 20 amp circuit to my fishroom, and I am trying to explain why I want 4 plugs that each have their own on/off switch. Am I being dumb? I would love to just flip a switch to turn on my pump to run water to my aquarium, flip a switch to circulate new saltwater, turn off my skimmer with a switch when I want to empty it. Everything else is no big deal. I could also do a dj switch power strip I guess but I can not figure out how to mount it all.

 

[RamsReef]

Hubby has agreed to run another 20 amp circuit to my fishroom, and I am trying to explain why I want 4 plugs that each have their own on/off switch. Am I being dumb? I would love to just flip a switch to turn on my pump to run water to my aquarium, flip a switch to circulate new saltwater, turn off my skimmer with a switch when I want to empty it. Everything else is no big deal. I could also do a dj switch power strip I guess but I can not figure out how to mount it all.

If your husband is running another separate circuit I'm sure he can figure out how to frame in 12 2x2 to make a box to house that light switch

You're not being dumb, it's your stuff, maybe impracticable.

 

[Victoria M]

If your husband is running another separate circuit I'm sure he can figure out how to frame in 12 2x2 to make a box to house that light switch

You're not being dumb, it's your stuff, maybe impracticable.

Umm, where is the emoji that blows razzberries. Impractical, Big huffy breath.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Uh oh, grammer police ;Spiderman

Better get used to it, comprehend what they mean and move along...just sayin, because I totally feel ya...I could correct people aaaaaaall day long on the internet.

 

[Brew12]

Hubby has agreed to run another 20 amp circuit to my fishroom, and I am trying to explain why I want 4 plugs that each have their own on/off switch. Am I being dumb? I would love to just flip a switch to turn on my pump to run water to my aquarium, flip a switch to circulate new saltwater, turn off my skimmer with a switch when I want to empty it. Everything else is no big deal. I could also do a dj switch power strip I guess but I can not figure out how to mount it all.

What you are suggesting isn't difficult. My only concern is that it will make it too easy to turn on and off. I would be worried someone might flip a switch and turn equipment on and off inadvertently.

 

[Victoria M]

What you are suggesting isn't difficult. My only concern is that it will make it too easy to turn on and off. I would be worried someone might flip a switch and turn equipment on and off inadvertently.

Nah, it is my fishroom. No one goes in there unless I make them. lol.

 

[Victoria M]

a year from now I will have a thread that one of my kids flooded the basement by turning on a switch to my refill brutte! lol!

 

[Acro maniac]

I' m thinking about setting up 6 black lights in a canopy. The idea is to run a power strip up to the canopy with 2 analog timers plugged into it, 1 timer for blue and 1 timer for white. Then run a power strip out of each timer to supply the lights.
That's a total of 12 plugs running off one outlet. Is this going to overload the outlet?

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

It's not about the number of actual plugs you can plug into a circuit, it's about the total load on a circuit. So this is a question that can't be answered without knowing specifics about what you're plugging in.

 

[Brew12]

I' m thinking about setting up 6 black lights in a canopy. The idea is to run a power strip up to the canopy with 2 analog timers plugged into it, 1 timer for blue and 1 timer for white. Then run a power strip out of each timer to supply the lights.
That's a total of 12 plugs running off one outlet. Is this going to overload the outlet?

You are likely ok. What matters is that the total system load is under 15 amps. To know if this is safe you will need to look at the maximum current draw from each light. If it is under 2 amps each you are fine.

 

[Acro maniac]

Thanks Brew, I'l have to look maybe it' in the box or on the unit when unboxing. I checked the website but theres no info on power using.

 

[Brew12]

Thanks Brew, I'l have to look maybe it' in the box or on the unit when unboxing. I checked the website but theres no info on power using.

If you share the brand/model I may be able to help you out.

 

[Acro maniac]

Sbreef light 16"basic

 

[Brew12]

Sbreef light basic

16" or 32"?

 

[Acro maniac]

16" or 32"?

16

 

[Brew12]

16

You will be fine. They have 165W in LED's which would pull a max of under 1.5A. In reality, they pull less than that. Add in the cooling fans and losses and you are still well under 12 amps total load. Likely around 8 amps at 100% intensity on both channels.

 

[Acro maniac]

You will be fine. They have 165W in LED's which would pull a max of under 1.5A. In reality, they pull less than that. Add in the cooling fans and losses and you are still well under 12 amps total load. Likely around 8 amps at 100% intensity on both channels.

Awesome thanks Brew

 

[Gordon Cashmore]

After 25 years experiance on the field and 15 years at the office, as an electrican I think I can answer most of your questions.

Thanks to my fellow electricians for helping answering your question's.
And the team is:

Myself and
anemonekeeper



:wink:

I have an older light that I can’t find a starter for. The current one is not working. Any suggestions on how to diagnose and fix or where I can fix it. I live in Birmingham al