Need help with electric!!!!

[9supratt4]

Ok......so I had a friend who is training for his electrical license over to look at my problem. Here are the details:

I have a 200Amp serive, but in the box already are enough breakers for 375Amps. Obviously it's not all being used because I would be tripping my 200 Main all the time. What I wanted to do was install a piggyback 20amp breaker to run the 2 outlets that I will be using for my system, but now I am concerned on pulling more than the 200amp service and tripping the main breaker, because that would then be 395 total amps in breakers in the box.

The equipment I need to run is:

Coralife Aqualight Pro 834 Watt Fixture
3 250 Watt Visi-Therm Heaters
Sedra 5000 pump 50 Watts
2 VorTech Powerheads total of 18 Watts
2 Eheim 1362-310 Return Pumps total of 160 Watts

Which I calculate all the equipment pulling 16.5amps.

Anyone have any ideas?? Is there any way to tell how many amps my entire house is pulling and if its well under the 200??

Please help!!!!

 

[JRWOHLER]

Hey I know the answer to this. I had an electrician over to wire my tank outlets. They have a tool that goes around the main line coming into the fuse box that will show what you house is drawing in at a particular time. Mine was very low it did spike once the AC kicked on but overall I am pretty set.

 

[9supratt4]

I had a feeling they had a tool like that. Do you happen to know what it is called or if I can rent it at my local rent-all??

 

[stcreef]

Yeah you need an amp/watt service recorder attached to record 24/7 for a period of time to see what your peaks are.

 

[BobCReef]

Your electritian friend should have access to one but i don't know what it is called. For instance my 200 amp panel has a 200amp sub panel, a 150 amp sub panel and 100 amp subpanel. Have never tripped the main. Of course my electric bill was $1400 last month but i didn't trip the main ;D

 

[Lord Viper]

Also you are not using the total amount of amps per circuit that is a fail safe incase it goes above that amperage you light circuit might be using 5 or 10 amps on a 15 amp or 20 amp circuit.

 

[diverrk]

Electrician for 21 years here.  I'm actually surprised your friend couldn't answer this.  In a simple answer you would have to have every light, appliance and whatever else you have on in the house to even come close to tripping your main and even that's hard to do. Anyway your 200A panel is actually providing 400A's.  It has 2 service legs and each one is capable of 200A's . Adding up all the breakers isn't acurate.  If you were to place an meter on each hot leg from the breakers you'll see that each one isn't actually drawing that amperage.  For instance a if you have an air conditioner that is rated for 15amps on a dedicated circuit, it would not actually be drawing 15 amps.  Thats it's protection rating , it most likely will only drawing 10 or so amps.
In other words a breakers amperage is set to protect the wire attached to it.  That doesn't mean the "load" is or ever will pull that much amperage.  Just because you see a 40A breaker in your panel, doesn't mean its pulling 40A's. It means there is a #8 wire attached to this breaker and it can't take more than 40A's without being damaged. A 15 amp breaker should have no smaller than 14awg, 20amp 12 awg, 30 amp 10awg 40 amp #8 awg .....


Your calculation for total amps for all equipment is pretty accurate.  You could if you want go to Lowes or Depot and buy a clamp meter.  You clamp it around each hot leg coming off the breaker, and add up the amperage.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100047661

Hope this helps
Rich
Local #3 Electrician for 21 years

 

[9supratt4]

See.....I talked to him about having the 2 hot legs and he said that I don't have that. Either he doesn't know what he is doing or something.

I just plugged in all the pumps and lights and 1 heater into the outlets and nothing tripped. So I think I'm going to be ok.

 

[ricwilli]

Electrician for 21 years here. I'm actually surprised your friend couldn't answer this. In a simple answer you would have to have every light, appliance and whatever else you have on in the house to even come close to tripping your main and even that's hard to do. Anyway your 200A panel is actually providing 400A's. It has 2 service legs and each one is capable of 200A's . Adding up all the breakers isn't acurate. If you were to place an meter on each hot leg from the breakers you'll see that each one isn't actually drawing that amperage. For instance a if you have an air conditioner that is rated for 15amps on a dedicated circuit, it would not actually be drawing 15 amps. Thats it's protection rating , it most likely will only drawing 10 or so amps.
In other words a breakers amperage is set to protect the wire attached to it. That doesn't mean the "load" is or ever will pull that much amperage. Just because you see a 40A breaker in your panel, doesn't mean its pulling 40A's. It means there is a #8 wire attached to this breaker and it can't take more than 40A's without being damaged. A 15 amp breaker should have no smaller than 14awg, 20amp 12 awg, 30 amp 10awg 40 amp #8 awg .....


Your calculation for total amps for all equipment is pretty accurate. You could if you want go to Lowes or Depot and buy a clamp meter. You clamp it around each hot leg coming off the breaker, and add up the amperage.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100047661

Hope this helps
Rich
Local #3 Electrician for 21 years

GOOD INFO diverrk.