I know breaker boxes are supposed to prevent overflows but my home office is growing in size and I'm getting a little concerned that those wires might be hot pretty much all day long. Is it possible they are not rated for my level of use even though they have not tripped a breaker?
Dying in a fire is not on my todo list for the day. Thank you.
A simple means in determining whether you're using too much power in your home is the "mirror" meter...by looking in the mirror you can tell by the color of your lips...if they're purple you're probably close to hypothermia...if normal color then you're killing the planet by being warm.
Volts x Amps = Watts Normal household 120v circuits are 12 or 14 gauge wire and can safely handle about 20, or 15 amps of current respectively, with a bit of room for overload to trip the breaker (which is rated for 15 or 20 amps in a normal household). 220v wiring for things like large appliances is a bit different, and uses both "hot" legs referenced to neutral to provide more energy. But, find the value of your circuit breaker in amps and multiply that number by the line voltage, which is ~120v in the US. This will tell you that a 15A circuit can safely handle a MAX of 1800 watts. Almost every electrical device has a rating of either max amps or max watts that it consumes. It's possible for a circuit breaker to be faulty, but unlikely. But, you should not exceed the 1800 watt mark (or 2400 for a 20A circuit) when you add up the wattage of all devices used on that single circuit.
A simple way to find what plugs are hooked up to what circuit is to plug cheap night-lights into all the sockets and shut off one breaker. Then all you have to do is make note of what shuts off with that breaker.
That lets you add up the total wattage used on one line easier.
Or radios into the various different plugs instead of lights as potatowhisperer notes. Regardless, assuming you have decent breakers in the breaker box and not those antique pushbutton Bulldog brand breakers that didn't work that well, your breaker will trip when you overload it.
And hopefully I can get the watts for the circuit off the breaker box.
The circuit breaker itself is rated in Amperage. Multiply that by 120(volts) to get your wattage. Do note that not all electrical wiring is the same however, and that some contractors will cheap out on it.
You know that, I know that, the illegal mud installing it doesn't care, and likely the jew in charge of the company doesn't bother. And then they'll install 14awg for a 20A line, and all sorts of fun can be had.
Look at the wattage of your devices and divide that by 120. That will tell you how many amps they draw.
Most residential circuits are 15A max, so if your total is under that, you're good. If you go over that, the breaker trips. (Sidenote, the breaker is to protect the circuit, not your equipment).
Can you get away with it if the total is higher? MAYBE. All depends on if those devices are using their max power draw all the time. For instance, I don't dare do anything intensive with my PC when my space heater is on. The heater pulls 12.5 amps on its own, and my PC can pull up to about 7 amps or so at full chooch, although it usually doesn't.
But if your house was built to code and your breakers aren't total crap, then what will happen if you overload the circuit is you'll be taking a trip to the panel to reset said breaker.
It'd be worth a trip out there anyway to see what the main breaker is rated at, too. If it's anything under 150A, you might want to see about getting your service upgraded. Otherwise you could be keeping every circuit under 15A and still pulling more than the main breaker can handle, resulting in the power going out. And if the main breaker DOES trip, be sure to turn off all the other breakers before you turn it back on, then reset them one at a time. This avoids a huge current spike that can damage things.
Get a clamp-on ammeter. You can find them for under $20. Pull the cover off your breaker panel and clamp on each wire coming out of the breakers individually. Record your results. Does the current approach or exceed the rating of the breaker? Is the size of the wire appropriate for that load? Do you see aluminum wires other than the service feed? Any visual evidence of melty things?
You can get thermal imaging cameras for your smartphone for $200. Scan the panel for hot spots. Scan the whole house. Scan outlets and fixtures and walls and attics and crawlspaces.
Disclaimer: Fucking around with electricity can be hazardous and deadly. Only qualified persons should go poking around inside electrical panels. Proceed at your own risk.
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper 4 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:16:03 ago (+4/-0)
[ + ] StopTheEvilAgenda
[ - ] StopTheEvilAgenda 3 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 11:59:26 ago (+3/-0)
Normal household 120v circuits are 12 or 14 gauge wire and can safely handle about 20, or 15 amps of current respectively, with a bit of room for overload to trip the breaker (which is rated for 15 or 20 amps in a normal household). 220v wiring for things like large appliances is a bit different, and uses both "hot" legs referenced to neutral to provide more energy. But, find the value of your circuit breaker in amps and multiply that number by the line voltage, which is ~120v in the US. This will tell you that a 15A circuit can safely handle a MAX of 1800 watts. Almost every electrical device has a rating of either max amps or max watts that it consumes. It's possible for a circuit breaker to be faulty, but unlikely. But, you should not exceed the 1800 watt mark (or 2400 for a 20A circuit) when you add up the wattage of all devices used on that single circuit.
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 2 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 12:19:42 ago (+2/-0)
That lets you add up the total wattage used on one line easier.
[ + ] beece
[ - ] beece 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 12:49:42 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Lovemachine
[ - ] Lovemachine 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 12:21:08 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:04:21 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Lovemachine
[ - ] Lovemachine 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 12:57:37 ago (+0/-0)
oh btw yes, it's me, OP. I use different accounts on my phone and computer because it's easier. Cut my dick off already.
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 1 point 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:06:16 ago (+1/-0)
The circuit breaker itself is rated in Amperage. Multiply that by 120(volts) to get your wattage. Do note that not all electrical wiring is the same however, and that some contractors will cheap out on it.
[ + ] StopTheEvilAgenda
[ - ] StopTheEvilAgenda 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:12:28 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer2
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer2 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:17:03 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] SkullFuckerSupreme
[ - ] SkullFuckerSupreme 2 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 11:42:52 ago (+2/-0)
What would happen if you had to run your own lines for solar??
Hmmmmm.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=calculate+breaker+load+online&source=web
[ + ] Stonkmar
[ - ] Stonkmar 2 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 14:21:56 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] SkullFuckerSupreme
[ - ] SkullFuckerSupreme 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 17:07:52 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Anus_Expander
[ - ] Anus_Expander 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 18:31:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] uvulectomy
[ - ] uvulectomy 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 14:35:32 ago (+0/-0)
Most residential circuits are 15A max, so if your total is under that, you're good. If you go over that, the breaker trips. (Sidenote, the breaker is to protect the circuit, not your equipment).
Can you get away with it if the total is higher? MAYBE. All depends on if those devices are using their max power draw all the time. For instance, I don't dare do anything intensive with my PC when my space heater is on. The heater pulls 12.5 amps on its own, and my PC can pull up to about 7 amps or so at full chooch, although it usually doesn't.
But if your house was built to code and your breakers aren't total crap, then what will happen if you overload the circuit is you'll be taking a trip to the panel to reset said breaker.
It'd be worth a trip out there anyway to see what the main breaker is rated at, too. If it's anything under 150A, you might want to see about getting your service upgraded. Otherwise you could be keeping every circuit under 15A and still pulling more than the main breaker can handle, resulting in the power going out. And if the main breaker DOES trip, be sure to turn off all the other breakers before you turn it back on, then reset them one at a time. This avoids a huge current spike that can damage things.
[ + ] oyveyo
[ - ] oyveyo 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 14:32:46 ago (+0/-0)
Get a clamp-on ammeter. You can find them for under $20. Pull the cover off your breaker panel and clamp on each wire coming out of the breakers individually. Record your results. Does the current approach or exceed the rating of the breaker? Is the size of the wire appropriate for that load? Do you see aluminum wires other than the service feed? Any visual evidence of melty things?
You can get thermal imaging cameras for your smartphone for $200. Scan the panel for hot spots. Scan the whole house. Scan outlets and fixtures and walls and attics and crawlspaces.
Disclaimer: Fucking around with electricity can be hazardous and deadly. Only qualified persons should go poking around inside electrical panels. Proceed at your own risk.
[ + ] Thyhorrorcosmic103
[ - ] Thyhorrorcosmic103 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 13:40:23 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HeyJames
[ - ] HeyJames 0 points 2.4 yearsJan 21, 2023 12:58:09 ago (+0/-0)