Electric Setups?

[fishfreak317]

hi all. i am currently having issues where and how to wire all these tanks in my basement. they are all running on same circut, but its a new breaker&wires and outlets. ran specially for these tanks. i figured up there still have several amps still aval on this circut. the problem is i have 2 6slot power strips in each outlet

i am wondering is there a more effiecent or proper way of doing this. becasue this really doesn't look to safe anymore. i thought about running another string of outlets on another circut, but it would look retarded.

i thought about trying those 15plug 4-6ft long power strips (home depot) and just mount them up high all between the accual outlets, and pluging everything into that. that way there is one strip per plug. does this matter? would this route be better then the multiple 2/6plug strips per outlet?

well any help would be great. i defenatly do not know crap about electric.

 

[Oddball]

Adding strips will not allow for additional load on the circuit. Your best bet is to have an electrician install additional circuit breakers to widen the distribution of the municipal power to separate sections of the fish room. I have separate circuits for each bank of sockets along each wall and an additional circuit for an aisle strip of sockets.

 

[CHOMPERS]

they are all running on same circut, but its a new breaker&wires and outlets. ran specially for these tanks. i figured up there still have several amps still aval on this circut.

well any help would be great. i defenatly do not know crap about electric.

The question of the day should be "Who did the original work for you?" If it was an electrician, great. If it was a friend of a friend, then don't max out the circuit. Firemen love telling the stories about circuits that burn up without the breaker tripping. A 20 amp breaker on a 14 gauge circuit will not trip when the wire overheats.


I think you should have an electrician review what you already have and what you can or should do. It will be well worth it.

 

[fishfreak317]

great replies thanx. another problem... i rent this apartment. and i don't believe my landlords will allow me to keep these tanks, if i request a electrician.

umm i had my wifes dad run the new wire and circut/breaker. this house is old, and the origianl wires in the house are old as well. so i try not to plug crap in those wires, except like TV's, and lamps, and such.

well i dunno what to do. we have been looking for a house to buy lately. dunno when this will happen.

well i have more tanks i'd like to hook up. but i guess i might not be able to. considering the electric problem. that sucks.

anyone have some pics of their electric setups?

 

[craigthor]

fishfreak- Hopefully I will be grabbing a new digital camera today and I will snap some pics of my current electrical system for you. I run one 15A Fuse to run my 75 gallon and 10 gallon hospital tank. I have the wall outlet running to an extension cord that I cut and wired in GFCI Breaker to 3 digital timers with outlets for my lights, 3 outlets hooked to a switch for pumps, 1 switched w/ built in outlet for heater, and the GFCI runs a 3 way to plug in my 10 gal hospital tank w/ heater and air pump. so if anything overloads or gets wet it will trip the breaker as I do test it about once a month to ensure it still works.

 

[fishfreak317]

fishfreak- Hopefully I will be grabbing a new digital camera today and I will snap some pics of my current electrical system for you. I run one 15A Fuse to run my 75 gallon and 10 gallon hospital tank. I have the wall outlet running to an extension cord that I cut and wired in GFCI Breaker to 3 digital timers with outlets for my lights, 3 outlets hooked to a switch for pumps, 1 switched w/ built in outlet for heater, and the GFCI runs a 3 way to plug in my 10 gal hospital tank w/ heater and air pump. so if anything overloads or gets wet it will trip the breaker as I do test it about once a month to ensure it still works.

this sounds all fine and dandy. but my problem is i have: 75, 55, 125, 2/30, 2/29, 20, and 12. all running off the same circut. the circut has 4 outlets for all these. lol i would like to add 2/40, 4/30's to the basement fish room. i feel the wire at least 2 times daily, and never heats up. oh these are on a 20amp breaker. sounds like i need to move.

 

[fishfreak317]

Adding strips will not allow for additional load on the circuit. Your best bet is to have an electrician install additional circuit breakers to widen the distribution of the municipal power to separate sections of the fish room. I have separate circuits for each bank of sockets along each wall and an additional circuit for an aisle strip of sockets.

i wasn't implying that i wanted to add more strips. but take away 1 strip per outlet, and install a 10-15plug strip instead. so each would have 1 strip instead of 2.

how many outlets do you have on each row or wall, or w/e? also what size breaker you have on each of these circuts?

 

[wizzin]

The power strips aren't a problem as long as you aren't overloading the circuit. That is assuming the guage of the wire is correct. Do you know the total watts used by all the devices on the circuit? I'd calculate those all up. Find out the total watt demand. Take the total number of watts demand, divide it by 120 and you'll have the amps needed. SO if you come up with a demand of 100 amps, you need 5 20 amp circuits (12 guage wire and 20amp breakers/outlets) for example. This is not 100% acurate, but will get you close. You'll also need to know if the panel can handle it. etc. Hire an electrician.

 

[wizzin]

BTW> if your electrical demands are within the circuit's capacity and you simply want a better outlet system look at something like this:

http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=1948

 

[fishfreak317]

BTW> if your electrical demands are within the circuit's capacity and you simply want a better outlet system look at something like this:

http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=1948

yeah this is exactly what i am talking about. me and bro figured it out that i still have a bit of amps left. most of the stuff used fractions of amps. like lights and filters, the only real power suckers are the heaters. even then ALL the heaters total uses like 7amps.