Your Resident Electrician for all your electrical questions!

[Young Frankenstein]

I can't imagine I'd need to upgrade as this is a small house (1400 sq ft), I just want to pull another dedicated to the fish room and split up some existing circuits. Right how the whole front of the house (built in 1906) is on 1 circuit. In the back the swamp cooler, window air conditioner, kitchen, and bathroom are all on one circuit, if you try to run the microwave while the air conditioner is on or if the wife fires up her hair dryer we pop that one. The fish room is currently on one 20A circuit and in order to expand, I'd need another circuit. It's just when they wired this place they just kept stringing stuff together. We have never popped a fuse anywhere else in the house so I assume that many of the others are only hooked up to a few overhead lights with very little draw. This house is old, added onto 3 times (assuming last time in the 70's or 80's) and there are wires running all over, some live, some not. I did have an electrician pull the wire to the fish room from an existing circuit that didn't have any draw on it but the box won't accommodate any more breakers. I appreciate everything!

For residential you can use twin breakers, they take one space and give you 2 circuits, GE makes brekers that fit in a federal panel.

 

[MyReefToYours]

Cool, thanks for you help!

 

[shecter]

Wow much more than I expected. The stove wouldn't be an issue its a gas unit. Is it harmful to the equipment if I get say a 5 to 6000 watt generator and just run my fridge and tank off of it? Run extendion cords or plug strips or whatever? I'm just looking to keep my food and my tank in good standings. I lose power here a few times a year. Sometimes for up to a week. But I definitely don't have a 5 to 10k budget to throw around.

 

[Reef Breeders]

Wow much more than I expected. The stove wouldn't be an issue its a gas unit. Is it harmful to the equipment if I get say a 5 to 6000 watt generator and just run my fridge and tank off of it? Run extendion cords or plug strips or whatever? I'm just looking to keep my food and my tank in good standings. I lose power here a few times a year. Sometimes for up to a week. But I definitely don't have a 5 to 10k budget to throw around.

That is fine, and what I do.

 

[skinz78]

Wow much more than I expected. The stove wouldn't be an issue its a gas unit. Is it harmful to the equipment if I get say a 5 to 6000 watt generator and just run my fridge and tank off of it? Run extendion cords or plug strips or whatever? I'm just looking to keep my food and my tank in good standings. I lose power here a few times a year. Sometimes for up to a week. But I definitely don't have a 5 to 10k budget to throw around.

Yeah if this is all you wish to do I'd just do the basic manual transfer switch that I linked.

 

[shecter]

Wouldn't the transfer switch still need to be wired in the panel and whatnot? I don't want to pay 3 k in labor

 

[mainereefer]

ok I switched out some circuit breakers for the "new" safer ones now when my actinics are on and the whites come on on one of my tanks it trips the new breaker('s) if the blues come on after the white lights are on it is fine.
I tested the light with an omes meter nothing spikes with the light turning on, but still pops the breaker? I have never had any problems with the old breakers

now my actinic light comes on and I have to shut it off when my whites come on then turn it back on going to switch back to the old breakers

unless you have some idea of what is going on

 

[Reef Breeders]

I am replacing an old federal panel right now, actually. The new square D is mounted, and the re wiring is in progress

 

[skinz78]

I am replacing an old federal panel right now, actually. The new square D is mounted, and the re wiring is in progress

Pics!

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Not according to NEC but easier, not recommended, some times to save $ people retrofit, leaving the old box and changing the guts and cover. Anyway here are some drawings from a while back, if you have any questions myself and my friend anemone keeper will be able to answer them. I have build ed all of the drawings.

 

[dmorrison]

I work in a fish store with fire hazards left and right do to the electrical set up. we have power strips every where and no drip loops any suggestions on how to cover up the power strips?

 

[Young Frankenstein]

I work in a fish store with fire hazards left and right do to the electrical set up. we have power strips every where and no drip loops any suggestions on how to cover up the power strips?

Not for a power strip, I have seen ridiculous stuff in such stores, life and fire hazards, employees getting shocked and no GFI's. It will be expensive to have "boots" for all the plugs, bubble covers, or other N3R rated wiring, but is safer. The power strip nope

 

[Reef Breeders]

Pics!

I've got the before on my phone, I think I forgot the after. It took almost exactly 6 hours, I know the labor times well I guess, LOL

 

[mfinn]

Wouldn't the transfer switch still need to be wired in the panel and whatnot? I don't want to pay 3 k in labor

I found a electrician in the phone book who came over to my house and wired my transfer box to my main panel for $100.

 

[Reef Breeders]

I found a electrician in the phone book who came over to my house and wired my transfer box to my main panel for $100.

I hope he did it right, lol, I guess if you had the materials and generator already, and it took about an hour, that is reasonable.

 

[uall8up]

My question is....will you come to my house and add 4/5 more outlets per room?? Just sayin!!! :bigsmile:

 

[bige]

So if you walked into my house and saw 6 power strips full and all linked back to one outlet, what would you say? What suggestion would you have to make it better? Not that its on my tank

 

[Reef Breeders]

So if you walked into my house and saw 6 power strips full and all linked back to one outlet, what would you say? What suggestion would you have to make it better? Not that its on my tank

an average power strip has say 6 outlets, so that is 36 plugs. I would tell you to run another circuit, and put three outlets on it, one for each set of power strips, or build a power station instead. Really as long as it is heavy duty, and you do not run a huge load off of them, you will be fine. Just keep them high and dry, and remember, the wires in themm are pretty thin, usually 16AWG, so keep the load as low as possible.

 

[bige]

an average power strip has say 6 outlets, so that is 36 plugs. I would tell you to run another circuit, and put three outlets on it, one for each set of power strips, or build a power station instead. Really as long as it is heavy duty, and you do not run a huge load off of them, you will be fine. Just keep them high and dry, and remember, the wires in themm are pretty thin, usually 16AWG, so keep the load as low as possible.

Can you elaborate on the power station please?

 

[mfinn]

I hope he did it right, lol, I guess if you had the materials and generator already, and it took about an hour, that is reasonable.

Yes, I had everything ready, location, which circuits to use, and materials.
The main reason I added my 2 cents worth is to show it doesn't cost a ton to have it done by a licensed electrician.