jarice1978
Member
Thanks Madison. I will get one as soon as possible!
Adam
Adam
3 ft by 3ft by 2 ft of wires!!!
- Thread starter madison
- Start date
scotts
Active Member
Madison, Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
Well there are actually a couple of ways that you could go. First of all is the expensive option and it involves using an electrician. Now all of your stuff is coming off of one outlet. So you might want to have him (assuming the elctrician is a guy) make your outlet a dedicated circuit. This means that this outlet is the only one coming off the ciruit breaker from you panel. Not as hard as it sounds. He could also install the outlet near the side of your tank. Then using a box like this. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...?ItemKey=3A911 install about 10 electrical outlets in the box and this will allow you to poulg everything into the outlets in your box. The box could be painted white to match your walls. Also a wood box can be built under the box to hide the cords. So the elctrical box would sit on the wood box and the cords would run through the wood box and up into the electrical box. I would recommend installing a fan in the electrical box to help with the heat.
A cheaper option would be to make a wood enclosure for all of your outlet strips that would kind of hide the outlet strips.
The cheapest option would be to put a piece of plywood up and mount the outlet strips to the plywood. The plywood could be painted white and with 4 screws mounted to the wall.
The electrial box that I showed in the first option is not exactly what I was looking for but it is close enough and you get the generatl idea.
It sure would not hurt to have someone come in and check out what type of load all of that equipment is pulling when it is all on. Also do you know if it is on a 15 amp or 20 amp circuit?
Sorry if I got you confused, I think I am a little confused myself.
Scott
Well there are actually a couple of ways that you could go. First of all is the expensive option and it involves using an electrician. Now all of your stuff is coming off of one outlet. So you might want to have him (assuming the elctrician is a guy) make your outlet a dedicated circuit. This means that this outlet is the only one coming off the ciruit breaker from you panel. Not as hard as it sounds. He could also install the outlet near the side of your tank. Then using a box like this. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...?ItemKey=3A911 install about 10 electrical outlets in the box and this will allow you to poulg everything into the outlets in your box. The box could be painted white to match your walls. Also a wood box can be built under the box to hide the cords. So the elctrical box would sit on the wood box and the cords would run through the wood box and up into the electrical box. I would recommend installing a fan in the electrical box to help with the heat.
A cheaper option would be to make a wood enclosure for all of your outlet strips that would kind of hide the outlet strips.
The cheapest option would be to put a piece of plywood up and mount the outlet strips to the plywood. The plywood could be painted white and with 4 screws mounted to the wall.
The electrial box that I showed in the first option is not exactly what I was looking for but it is close enough and you get the generatl idea.
It sure would not hurt to have someone come in and check out what type of load all of that equipment is pulling when it is all on. Also do you know if it is on a 15 amp or 20 amp circuit?
Sorry if I got you confused, I think I am a little confused myself.
Scott
madison
Member
Scotts!
I had a handyman come over this last weekend...I was kinda scared to wake up in a house full of fire!
The man did some calculation and said that I was pulling 8.35 amps just from all that mess...not to mention the chiller with surges big time when it first kick on...He also did some rough calculations as to what else might be on that wall...TV's, DVD's lights etc...I might be around 16 amps on that circuit!!! so he changed out on breaker to a 25 amp outside of the house and charged me $25.00 (is that bad?)
Just as you have recommended...he proposed a wood cabinet with 3 shelves...lined with vented metal sheets to contain the fire if it ever happens.
Bottom shelve to store the wires (which he is going to shorten) and the next 2 shelves for the ballasts.
All shelves will have ports for 4" computer fans to cool the units down.
All the plugs will still go into the power strips which will be mounted on the sides of the cabinet
He just haven't got back with the quote yet...I am hopeing it's below $150.00?
Times like these I really wish there is a man around :nope:
I had a handyman come over this last weekend...I was kinda scared to wake up in a house full of fire!
The man did some calculation and said that I was pulling 8.35 amps just from all that mess...not to mention the chiller with surges big time when it first kick on...He also did some rough calculations as to what else might be on that wall...TV's, DVD's lights etc...I might be around 16 amps on that circuit!!! so he changed out on breaker to a 25 amp outside of the house and charged me $25.00 (is that bad?)
Just as you have recommended...he proposed a wood cabinet with 3 shelves...lined with vented metal sheets to contain the fire if it ever happens.
Bottom shelve to store the wires (which he is going to shorten) and the next 2 shelves for the ballasts.
All shelves will have ports for 4" computer fans to cool the units down.
All the plugs will still go into the power strips which will be mounted on the sides of the cabinet
He just haven't got back with the quote yet...I am hopeing it's below $150.00?
Times like these I really wish there is a man around :nope:
scotts
Active Member
Hi M, well first of all changing a breaker out for $25 is a good deal. Too good. Now what I would like you to do is to unplug all of your unnecessary equipment such as your chiller and moon lights and I will 'splain. I see you are in O.C. so with the weather we have been having I do not think you need a chiller right now.
Pulling 8 amps is not too bad. A normal 15 amp circuit breaker should have no problem with that. You might have even had a 20 amp on there which would be even better. Let me start from the beginning, if I am insulting your intelligence I apologize. The power comes into your house at the panel and is distributed from there. Each circuit in your house has a breaker on it that feeds the wires in your house. All of the wires and equipment fed from those wires are sized according to the breaker size. So that if that one circuit is pulling more than the breaker will allow the breaker will pop. While a pain this is actually a good thing, it protects that electrical circuit. Now by changing out the breaker to a larger breaker you allow more power to go into that circuit. What this may lead to is parts of that circuit, such as the wires, heating up and in fact over heating. If you install a larger size breaker, you generally will need to install larger wiring as well.
So for now as I said please unplug all of the unnecessary stuff. Also lets see what this circuit feeds, turn off the new breaker and go to all of the wall outlets in your house and see if they are on or off. Just take something like a radio, plug it into the outlet and see if there is power there or not. After you do this you can turn the breaker back on.
Gotta go do the kids homework, but I will check in around 7:00 tonight if you want to talk some more.
Scott
Pulling 8 amps is not too bad. A normal 15 amp circuit breaker should have no problem with that. You might have even had a 20 amp on there which would be even better. Let me start from the beginning, if I am insulting your intelligence I apologize. The power comes into your house at the panel and is distributed from there. Each circuit in your house has a breaker on it that feeds the wires in your house. All of the wires and equipment fed from those wires are sized according to the breaker size. So that if that one circuit is pulling more than the breaker will allow the breaker will pop. While a pain this is actually a good thing, it protects that electrical circuit. Now by changing out the breaker to a larger breaker you allow more power to go into that circuit. What this may lead to is parts of that circuit, such as the wires, heating up and in fact over heating. If you install a larger size breaker, you generally will need to install larger wiring as well.
So for now as I said please unplug all of the unnecessary stuff. Also lets see what this circuit feeds, turn off the new breaker and go to all of the wall outlets in your house and see if they are on or off. Just take something like a radio, plug it into the outlet and see if there is power there or not. After you do this you can turn the breaker back on.
Gotta go do the kids homework, but I will check in around 7:00 tonight if you want to talk some more.
Scott
scotts
Active Member
Lunar explorations? I am still amazed that they could do that using slide rules.
Uh just re-read your post and you don't want to know my real opinion of your handyman, just in case you know him personally in some way.
First off you need to get the correct size breaker back in your panel. I would trust your handyman enough to do that. It would also be good if it was a GFI breaker. But right now you have a more dangerous situation than you had before. However like I said before if you do not run your needed equipment you should be fine. Even if you do not run all of your lights.
Now as far as what you are looking for, how about if you tell me what you want and I will see if I can help tell you how to get there. It might be as simple as a cabiner for your equipment. Sorry but I will not help you plan something with shelves that will help divert the fire. Better to plan to not have the fire in the first place.
Scott
Damn I am a wordy SOB.
Uh just re-read your post and you don't want to know my real opinion of your handyman, just in case you know him personally in some way.
First off you need to get the correct size breaker back in your panel. I would trust your handyman enough to do that. It would also be good if it was a GFI breaker. But right now you have a more dangerous situation than you had before. However like I said before if you do not run your needed equipment you should be fine. Even if you do not run all of your lights.
Now as far as what you are looking for, how about if you tell me what you want and I will see if I can help tell you how to get there. It might be as simple as a cabiner for your equipment. Sorry but I will not help you plan something with shelves that will help divert the fire. Better to plan to not have the fire in the first place.
Scott
Damn I am a wordy SOB.
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally posted by Scotts
Forget what I said about turning off the breaker to see what is on the circuit. Not really needed.
Hey Scotts..is it possible that the wiring was of a large enough gauge to handle 25amps and it just had a smaller breaker on it?
Also to I would definatley Recommend Changing the breaker itself to GCFI!
Also 2 Scotts, IMO if she is only pulling 8amps normal and he only switched to 25amps for the few times the chiller surges, I don't see that as a huge problem.
I'm just playing devils advocate to you ultra safe OSHA standards
rsanders
Member
Originally posted by sw65galma
.
Also to I would definatley Recommend Changing the breaker itself to GCFI!...
I second that. Getting a GFI- adapter will help protect anything plugged in AFTER the device. But from the wall to the device is another story. Getting and installing a GFI circuit at the panel is not that difficult to do.
~R
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally posted by Scotts
65, I can honestly say that I have Madison's best interest at heart. Speaking of that Madison where are you?????
Scott
That I do not dispute. But your tone made it sound like her house was about to explode. Maybe it was just how I read it.
And all I was saying was "yes she should do what you say" , but "it's not as bad as it sounded" (or alteast the way I read it).
That's all. You gave great advice.
scotts
Active Member
Ooos My bad if I came across sounding like that. I hope I didn't scare madison. Sometimes I get on my soap box and it is a lot of fun up there. Also I was trying to explain to her about what goes where and why (Bonus points if you know what movie that line is from. Hint Gene Wilder was in it) So that may have led to some of the high handedness.
Scott
Sometimes I get on my soap box and it is a lot of fun up there. Also I was trying to explain to her about what goes where and why (Bonus points if you know what movie that line is from. Hint Gene Wilder was in it) So that may have led to some of the high handedness. Scott
madison
Member
Sorry, had to travel to AZ for a meeting...Thank god I still had a house to come home too...
The original breaker is back
the handyman is actually my neighbor...he kinda have a crush on my girlfriend...so I think he is going overboard trying to impress us with his knowledge.
Scotts~I am still sleeping like a baby at night you didn't scare me that much
I feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you ALL came together to help me out. Words can't express my gratitude!!!
Actually when the house was built 3 years ago, I upgraded all plugs in the house to GFI
The handyman is going to come over again this weekend with a drawing of some sorts and thrust me...I will scan it and post the pic...can't wait to see all your responses...and once again...Thank you all so much for all the responses!!!
The original breaker is back
the handyman is actually my neighbor...he kinda have a crush on my girlfriend...so I think he is going overboard trying to impress us with his knowledge.
Scotts~I am still sleeping like a baby at night
you didn't scare me that muchI feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you ALL came together to help me out. Words can't express my gratitude!!!
Actually when the house was built 3 years ago, I upgraded all plugs in the house to GFI
The handyman is going to come over again this weekend with a drawing of some sorts and thrust me...I will scan it and post the pic...can't wait to see all your responses...and once again...Thank you all so much for all the responses!!!