Circuit breaker question

[JoeBlow5823]

You should have clearly and explicitly stated something about wire size then.

Just because you think you've never seen anything smaller as far as mains electrical wire gauge as you're running audio cable, doesn't mean anything. 12ga wire is not used on known 15A circuits normally at all. It is absolutely not the norm, so assuming it is and providing no warning is quite dangerous.

Also, it's Romex

12 ga on 15a is not normal but its also not dangerous at all. The breaker is what protects the wire from seeing to much power. A 15a breaker could never overpower a 12ga wire. You could technically run some 10ga to a 10a breaker if you really wanted to. Whether or not an inspector would throw a fit is another story.

Also, the majority of homes in existence are more than 20 years old......

 

[ComfortCreator]

Thanks gents its all good stuff. Walk then crawl, I tried growing with what ive got now the guy is coming so i can do more without worrying about it. I have as much off the breaker on an extension cord already, I did think of that one.

No trips since I moved some fans off the breaker. But its enough warning I need more power available and as suggested. Hopefully i can add a few circuits dedicated to the grow.

 

[ComfortCreator]

12 ga on 15a is not normal but its also not dangerous at all. The breaker is what protects the wire from seeing to much power. A 15a breaker could never overpower a 12ga wire. You could technically run some 10ga to a 10a breaker if you really wanted to. Whether or not an inspector would throw a fit is another story.

Also, the majority of homes in existence are more than 20 years old......

Living in an old city heck yes everything is suspect even in a rehab lol. House is only as good as the idiots who tried to patch it together...then we have to go through bit by bit having it done correctly.

 

[Ganjamandan77]

You should have clearly and explicitly stated something about wire size then.

Just because you think you've never seen anything smaller as far as mains electrical wire gauge as you're running audio cable, doesn't mean anything. 12ga wire is not used on known 15A circuits normally at all. It is absolutely not the norm, so assuming it is and providing no warning is quite dangerous.

Also, it's Romex

your right its Romex, stoner brain fart. I guess i must be lucky, my house is wired with 14 and 16 gauge and all 20, 30 and 40 amp fuses except for central air which is on a two pole 20A.

 

[spek9]

your right its Romex, stoner brain fart. I guess i must be lucky, my house is wired with 14 and 16 gauge and all 20, 30 and 40 amp fuses except for central air which is on a two pole 20A.

Are you sure about your wiring? 16ga is a smaller diameter, and I've never heard of it used for infrastructure mains-voltage cabling. 14ga is common and the de-facto standard for 15A circuits. 12ga for 20A. 10ga for 30A, 8ga for 40A.

How you have 14 and 16ga wire with 20, 30 and 40 Amp breakers is either a mistake in your assessment of the wiring, or a major fire hazard.

16ga wire has no business in standard household wiring.

Now I'm very curious. Any chance you could snap a photo of the wiring going into your panel? Is it really a fuse and not a breaker panel?

 

[Renfro]

14 gauge is the smallest used, it's for 15 amp circuits.

 

[xtsho]

Damn, now I'm going to have to feel my breaker after my light goes on tonight just to check.

 

[KonopCh]

Do you count solar panels into those breaker numbers? Sorry, I don't know how to ask, englih is not my first language. Let's say you have 20 A breaker and 15 solar panels on roof (which is around 4500 W). Do you have all 20 A available (better say 80% of those 20 A) or less because of solar panels which goes directly into wall socket and not on battery?

 

[Renfro]

Do you count solar panels into those breaker numbers?

Not sure what you are asking really.

If you have a grid tie inverter, the AC power it creates from the DC PV array could be metered separately or it could be on your normal meter. Depends on the setup required by your POCO. I would need to see the installation to tell you.

 

[curious2garden]

Damn, now I'm going to have to feel my breaker after my light goes on tonight just to check.

Stop fondling breakers!

 

[curious2garden]

Not sure what you are asking really.

If you have a grid tie inverter, the AC power it creates from the DC PV array could be metered separately or it could be on your normal meter. Depends on the setup required by your POCO. I would need to see the installation to tell you.

Bing, apples and oranges

 

[Renfro]

Bing, apples and oranges

Not really. When they use net metering you could have one meter or two meters.

In the case of a single meter, power you generate is used by you first, you use that power before drawing any from the grid. If you aren't drawing that much power then the extra goes up to the grid, slowing the meter or reversing it.

If you have two meters then one is dedicated to the PV array and all the power generated goes directly to the grid. You don't get dibs on it so to speak. The other meter shows what you draw from the utility. The reason they do this in some areas is so they can charge you a different rate than they pay you for power you upload to the grid.

 

[curious2garden]

Not really. When they use net metering you could have one meter or two meters.

In the case of a single meter, power you generate is used by you first, you use that power before drawing any from the grid. If you aren't drawing that much power then the extra goes up to the grid, slowing the meter or reversing it.

If you have two meters then one is dedicated to the PV array and all the power generated goes directly to the grid. You don't get dibs on it so to speak. The other meter shows what you draw from the utility. The reason they do this in some areas is so they can charge you a different rate than they pay you for power you upload to the grid.

Precisely, and you are paid far less, interestingly.

 

[Renfro]

Precisely, and you are paid far less, interestingly.

Sometimes, other times incentives actually make is such that you actually get paid more per kWh. It all depends on where you are at.

 

[xtsho]

Stop fondling breakers!

My conversation with the circuit breaker:

Can I touch you
Are you out of touch
I guess I never
Noticed that much
My curiosity's
Got me tonight


Result of touching circuit breaker. Nothing.

Nothing wrong with a safety inspection.

 

[Renfro]

My conversation with the circuit breaker:

Can I touch you
Are you out of touch
I guess I never
Noticed that much
My curiosity's
Got me tonight


Result of touching circuit breaker. Nothing.

Nothing wrong with a safety inspection.

Whats cool is to use a handheld FLIR to inspect your panel. It's sweet. Good for many uses. An IR thermometer works in a pinch. But yeah nothing wrong with fondling them flippy bits now and then lol

 

[xtsho]

Whats cool is to use a handheld FLIR to inspect your panel. It's sweet. Good for many uses. An IR thermometer works in a pinch. But yeah nothing wrong with fondling them flippy bits now and then lol

I have an Ir thermometer. Didn't even thing about that. I've done a bunch of wiring on my own but only after exhaustive research. I don't play around with electricity. I don't have any experience as an electrician. I can get around the block on my own but still I would never give anyone any electrical advice. I don't have the background. I did however run low voltage for years. Running Cat 5 punching everything down to the patch panel and drops. The good thing about low voltage is that the inspectors usually never take a look at it. There are many offices in the Portland area wired by yours truly without the required permit. Orange/white orange green/white blue blue/white green brown/white brown. Memorized forever.