Stuck27
Well-Known Member
100% agree with this
Thinking about fixing attic up for growing: Electrical question breaker box
- Thread starter Meast21
- Start date
I'm not touching it. Just looking for ideas. I would never touch anything like that.
Just figure out what breaker is running the upstairs bedroom, and swap out the single breaker for a dual breaker. You will have to run wire, & install an outlet in the attic. Run attic on one side, and bedroom on the other side of the breaker, then each both will have their own breaker and you won't have to piggyback off a single breaker. Or you can do like many people do, and just run wire off the breaker that's running the bedroom, personally, I don't like to piggyback, I swapped out a couple single for duals because they had more than 1 line hooked to a single breaker.
U an electrian?? Is a single breaker the same size as a double breaker? Bc the breaker is stuffed with no room.
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
A mini/double breaker is the same width as a single. It's 2 breaker's in one, split in the middle meant to have two separate wires running separate circuits. Not optimal. Especially for resale. I'm guessing the house needs an electrical upgrade anyways going by your other posts.
My breaker seems likes its newer, but my house's outlets are not grounded... Well if they sell the double breaker it must be legal and safe. How does that work? Would the double allow 20 amps total to both the attic and the 2nd bedroom or would each the attic get 10 amps and the 2nd bedroom get 10 amps?
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
Tide laundry pods have been proven to be unsafe so...
No, it's not shared. It is two circuits.
If your outlets arent grounded, sorry to say, it really is time for an upgrade at some point. If not, it's going to hurt you if you ever decide to sell. More importantly you could have old knob and tube wiring in there, 75-100 year old stuff. I wouldn't be loading up an already full breaker box with minis to draw more power. Bad idea.
I'm not an electrician by trade, to answer your question, if you swapped out your single 20 amp breaker to a dual 20 amp breaker, it will supply 20 amps to each breaker, it's not "ideal" in a perfect world, but it's better than running more than one line on a single breaker, which a lot of people do & It's perfectly legal.
Ok so the double/mini breaker would solve my problem then. I will put that breaker in and use that breaker for the attic and 2nd bedroom. The 2nd bedroom uses basically no electric now except the ceiling light. While the attic would have window AC (prob 5 amps) and not much else up there besides a tv and maybe a computer.
No my house DOES NOT have the old knob and tube.. It has the breakers which are mainly 20 amps per breaker.
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
Are you going to get into the panel and swap that breaker out yourself? Take the cover off and all that? If so , please take pics. I cannot wait to see that rat's nest.
No I'm not... Its def not a rat's nest, it is actually very neat in there.