popping my breaker

[rdlkgliders]

i have a
150 gal
2 via aqua 750
2 azoo 500 watt

60 g
emperor 400
rena 300 watt

55 g
penguin 350
rena 300 watt

55 g
penguin 350
fluval power head
rena 300 watt

30 g
penguin 280
rena 200 watt

all tanks have lights

i know this is vague and there are several variables
however you guys at mfk are always helpful and sometimes lead me to think in a new direction.
all eqpt (heaters filters ) are in good working order load is split between 2 15 amp breakers.

 

[chesterthehero]

whats the question?

 

[hangner]

are they plugged in to the same circuit?

 

[beblondie]

i have a
150 gal
2 via aqua 750
2 azoo 500 watt

60 g
emperor 400
rena 300 watt

55 g
penguin 350
rena 300 watt

55 g
penguin 350
fluval power head
rena 300 watt

30 g
penguin 280
rena 200 watt

all tanks have lights

i know this is vague and there are several variables
however you guys at mfk are always helpful and sometimes lead me to think in a new direction.
all eqpt (heaters filters ) are in good working order load is split between 2 15 amp breakers.

Congrats

 

[Bderick67]

Don't know if you have a question, but are your breakers or outlets GFCI protected. Are the breakers arc fault circuit interrupters?

are they plugged in to the same circuit?

From the original post

all eqpt (heaters filters ) are in good working order load is split between 2 15 amp breakers.

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

The first tank is more than 1 breaker can handle. And all the rest together will be allmost max on the other. So you need to rewire with bigger wire and breakers or use a 3rd circuit. A 15amp breaker can handle 1500watts at max. If its a old breaker, like 20 yrs old then change it out first to see if that works.

 

[12 Volt Man]

do you have 2 500W heaters on a 150? thats way overkill.

you could cut it back to one 500w and be fine.

 

[invisyblegypsey]

i would change the breakers out if they are old. they do wear out

 

[Pharaoh]

That's a lot of power being pulled through those circuits. I agree, see if you can take one of those 500W heaters off of the 150. Might help your cause.

 

[JakeH]

As a rough estimate, I came up with about 3,500 watts of draw, depending on how much light you are pushing (I guessed). At 110 volts, thats just over 30 amps. Too much for a pair of 15 amp circuits, especially if they are old. I agree with the above...Either lose some gear or run your big tank on it's own 3rd circuit. A 15 amp breaker can hold 1800 watts at 120v, or 1650 watts at 110v when brand new, depending on voltage. However, the 1500watt number used above is a good rule of thumb, since you dont usually know the age/condition of you breakers.
An easy way to avoid tripping breakers is to use a 1 power strip to split each circuit, that way the strip will pop before the breaker. Just move stuff around until you get it right.

If you run the real numbers from your gear & come up with less than 3000 watts, check your house wiring to make sure there are no electrical faults or under-sized wiring behind the wall. A chep plug bug or multi-meter from radio shack will check for basic wiring faults. Wiring size would be a more serious issue, but unlikely if your house is not too old. If you have a fault like a reversed neutral & ground, you may be pulling extra current straight to the ground & you would never know it because the the appliance would still run. Good luck!