electrical help

deejeff442

Active Member
i have in my office my computer,4 tanks so there is alot plugged in .i run 3 250 watt mh 's on my 250 so i sucks alot of electric.i used to have a little space heater in here untill i got my hvac upgraded .when i plugged the heater in it blew the fuse.
now i want to put a bigger sump/fuge under my 250 so i will be running a bigger pump and add a skimmer.i think the 15 amp wont take it as it is probably it is limit.can i just change out the 15 amp to a 20 amp?or what can i do?
i sure dont want to set everything up and not be able to keep is juiced up.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
If there is a 15A breaker on there now then you'll want to check the guage of wire that is being used. 20A breaker needs to be run on 12 gauge wire. If the wire is 14 guage then for safety reasons you shouldn't throw a 20A breaker on there. Worse comes to worse you'll want to run a dedicated circuit or two to that room.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
i have been in home construction for over 20 years and i can do just about everything except electric.oh i can change a light fixture .
now how can i tell what gauge it is?i think they are color coded wire but not sure?
my house is a single story on peir and beam so wiring should be easier if i need to .
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
I can usually tell the guage by looking at it but the easiest way is if you have a pair of wire strippers. Alot of times they will have thickness guages on them and you can tell that way. Typically the colors are always going to be the same no matter what guage it is. Black for Common, White for Nuetral, Green or Bare of Ground. Red usually indicates a seperate feed on the same circuite like for use in things like 3 way switches or 240 V circuits.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
ok so what is the easiest way to check wire gauge.i was thinkin of shutting off the power to this room and pull out an electric outlet from the wall.i will go to my shed and see if i have a wire stripper.i am sure i do but finding it is another story.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Yep that's the easiest way. It depends on the strippers. Some have holes in them for measureing the guage. You find whatever whole the wire fits into and that measures it by the totall thickness with the wire jacket and all. If your stippers don't have those but they do have the guages on the actually stipping part then you'll want to find which one matches up with the size of the actual copper itself minus the jacket. So essentially whichever one allows you to strip the line should tell you what it is.
 

bionicarm

Active Member
Quick and dirty is go to Home Depot and buy a small package of 12 guage wire and compare it to what you have. I think most home outlets are run with 14 guage. You want to be careful regarding your local building code. Replace that breaker on you own, put too much amperage on the wire, heat it to the point you start a fire, you can forget about your homeowners insurance paying the damage. Know any electricians?
 

deejeff442

Active Member
well cannot find the snips.i have so much stuff for my construction business its probably buried out there somewhere.i will pick up a new set this week.i have to set up my sump baffles this week first.before i need the power.it might be ok since i am not really adding much more to the room.i am switching out an old pump i meant 15 years old for a little giant pump which probably draws the same power.plus the skimmer which i use the pump from that already to mix my saltwater for changes.just Rather up grade if it isnt too much work.plus next winter i am putting an addition to the house and will be moving the tank to the living room.but if i can switch the fuse i will.i will let you know when i gauge it .thanks
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by DragonZim http:///forum/thread/382406/electrical-help#post_3337267
If its standard romex wire, isnt the guage usually stamped on the sheathing?
Romex usually does have the guage printed on there somewhere if there's enough of it exposed to see it. These days most homes are already ran for 20 amp circuits but the fact that he said a 15 amp breaker leads me to question if it is or not. Typically you only see 15 amp breakers on the cicruits that control lights.
Did you say that it was a fuse? Fuse boxes were done away with many moons ago.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
excuse my ignorance on electric.its not the round glass fuses :eek:) maybe called a breaker?you know the black block that snaps in.i cant believe how little in know about electric funny.because i can practically build a whole home except for electric and plumbing.the house isnt that old i think 1996.but the fuse panel is newer.i will go look again to make sure what amp it is.the writing and it of what goes where has faded.
 
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