15 amp circuit breaker - can take this?

[xaflatoonx]

The spot where the tank is going - i have one electrical outlet. I can get another but it would be on the same breaker. This circuit is 15 amps.

Following is the list of items.

List Watts
BM Curve 9 60
RO Varios 8 98
RO Varios 8 98
ATI PM 60" 940
Eheim Jager 250
Eheim Jager 250
Kessil H160 40
Gyre 280 80
Gyre 280 80
MP 40 38
MP 40 38
BM Doser 20
Tunze ATO 45

Total Wattage here is a little over 2k - or 2,037 to be exact.
if i go by the simple formula of Amps = Watts / Volts
it gives me 18.5 amps.

Which is obviously higher than what my circuit can handle.

So question - do i need to get an electrician to wire another outlet from a different circuit breaker to split the list of items above?

Or am i doing something wrong in my math?

Thanks guys.

 

[Big G]

@Brew12

 

[xaflatoonx]

thanks Big G.

would appreciate some guidance here folks. Dont want to set the house on fire. : )

 

[Big G]

thanks Big G.

would appreciate some guidance here folks. Dont want to set the house on fire. : )

I'm no electrician, but I'd add another outlet/breaker just to be safe and for the optimum performance of the equipment, especially as the power levels fluctuate a bit during heavy usage times.

 

[Breadman03]

Okay, so most of those wouldn't all be running at the same time and you could probably get it to run without tripping the breaker right away, but you really need to get that second line run. Honestly, I'd recommend getting dedicated circuits run.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Definitely too much power running through one circuit. It will for sure blow. Breakers flip because of heat so even if you are close they can start flipping. Meaning that a 15 amp breaker isn't going to pop at exactly 15 amps. Maybe 14, maybe 16. Your lights and heaters running will get it really close. You will need another line.

DO NOT JUST REPLACE THE BREAKER WITH A 20amp.

 

[theMeat]

Pumps only draw max amp they are rated for at start up. Once the pump is moving amperage drops. So you’d need all devices to come on at same time to reach your max amp calculation

Could change to a 20 amp breaker, but without knowing the gauge and distance of wiring to outlet from breaker cannot say with certainty that is completely safe.

Maybe Brew12 will chime in with some expertise

 

[TheHarold]

Try it, see if it trips breaker, make plans from there? The heater and lights are probably not running at the same time; IMO, this might be fine.

-a non electricians opinion

 

[xaflatoonx]

Thanks guys.... definitely cannot run a dedicated circuit - the room is pretty far away from the breaker... it will get too expensive.
Thinking of getting a line from another circuit to get pulled in

thanks again

 

[Brew12]

Okay, so most of those wouldn't all be running at the same time and you could probably get it to run without tripping the breaker right away, but you really need to get that second line run. Honestly, I'd recommend getting dedicated circuits run.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. Odds are you would be fine because your flow pumps won't all be at 100% the entire time. Your light also won't pull quite it's rated current. Unfortunately, I think you could get in trouble with it all on one circuit with unwanted trips over time. Your best bet is to run at least one additional outlet from a different circuit.

 

[Brew12]

Thanks guys.... definitely cannot run a dedicated circuit - the room is pretty far away from the breaker... it will get too expensive.
Thinking of getting a line from another circuit to get pulled in

thanks again

That is always an option, and one I have done in my home before. You might be surprised at how little the extra outlet costs as long as you have an attic or a crawl space immediately above/below the tank.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Pumps only draw max amp they are rated for at start up. Once the pump is moving amperage drops. So you’d need all devices to come on at same time to reach your max amp calculation

Could change to a 20 amp breaker, but without knowing the gauge and distance of wiring to outlet from breaker cannot say with certainty that is completely safe.

Maybe Brew12 will chime in with some expertise

Telling someone to simply replace the breaker is irresponsible and dangerous. If the wire was rated for 20 amp (12 gauge) then it would have a 20 amp breaker on it already. Standard wiring for outlets is 14 gauge. Pushing more amperage through smaller wire is how fires are started! And guess what...when the insurance company shows up they will see a 20 amp breaker on a 15 amp circuit (i'm sure they will just be cool though and cover the fire because insurance companies are like that).

AS stated above, if you have a basement or attic then running a new wire is pretty simple. If you don't it gets really tricky fast.

 

[theMeat]

Telling someone to simply replace the breaker is irresponsible and dangerous. If the wire was rated for 20 amp (12 gauge) then it would have a 20 amp breaker on it already. Standard wiring for outlets is 14 gauge. Pushing more amperage through smaller wire is how fires are started! And guess what...when the insurance company shows up they will see a 20 amp breaker on a 15 amp circuit (i'm sure they will just be cool though and cover the fire because insurance companies are like that).

AS stated above, if you have a basement or attic then running a new wire is pretty simple. If you don't it gets really tricky fast.

Please don’t jump all over me for giving advice, when the advice I gave him was to make sure it was safe before doing it. Saying if it was safe to have a 20a breaker it would have one installed already is silly.
Also agree with Brew that having 2 breakers is always safer for tanks sake

 

[jetsfan]

Hello. I am a electrician for many years. For the most part 100 Watts is 1 amp. If the tank was the only thing you would probably be fine. Everything doesn’t run 24/7. It’s about what else is on that circuit throughout the house. If the wire is a number 14 gauge you can NOT change the breaker to a 20

 

[jetsfan]

There are a few ways to get a ckt back to the panel. Feel free to reach out. Happy to try and help

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Please don’t jump all over me for giving advice, when the advice I gave him was to make sure it was safe before doing it. Saying if it was safe to have a 20a breaker it would have one installed already is silly.
Also agree with Brew that having 2 breakers is always safer for tanks sake

It is not "silly" at all. Electricians are not going to run 12 gauge wire and then pop a 15-amp breaker on that circuit. Most homes only have 20 amp circuits in the kitchen and bath. Most just the kitchen.

Either way.. suggesting that someone could just replace the breaker is not sound advice, especially when they obviously don't know much about electrical standards.

 

[theMeat]

Either way.. suggesting that someone could just replace the breaker is not sound advice, especially when they obviously don't know much about electrical standards.

I did not suggest he just replace breaker. But instead said without knowing what wire and distance wouldn’t recommend it

 

[PhilT]

I have one of these
https://www.amazon.com/APC-11-Outlet-Protector-SurgeArrest-P11U2/dp/B017VXU6GG.

It has a warning lite if it gets over 15 amps from its outlets. Didn’t even know about it til I saw the lite and read what it was for! I had 2 radion xr30s on it and moved them to a different outlet and it’s good now. The other items plugged in were, mp40, vortech m1, 300w neotherm heater, simplicity skimmer, tunze ATO, kessil h80 fuge lite, Finnex heater controller (just using for temp readout and overheating alarm), smart outlet for the kessil.

 

[Randy the reef guy]

I am also not an electrician but I am wiring my outlet tomorrow for my new build as well. I'm going with a dedicated 20a circuit and replacing the wire with 10 gauge since I will be running about 100 feet. From what I understand 12 guage wire is the minimum and you have to be pretty close to your breaker to use it.

 

[Wiskey]

I have 4 gfci outlets on 2 circuits for a tank that pulls less than 10 amps. One curcit is deticated with 12 gauge wire and it runs almost everything on the tank and charges the apc battery backup which only runs my tunze pump but can keep it going for 3 days. The other circuit runs the return and another flow pump, this circuit is shared with my office outlets.

I’ve lost tanks to breakers, and gfci pops when I was on vacation. My current 75 g mixed reef tank is nowhere near as nice as my 180 sps reef was about 9 years ago, but I’m much smarter now about power.

A tank can live for a few days in temperate climates without everything,..... but flow. This year we were evacuated for a week due to fires that burned up to less than 500 yards from our home. I don’t know how long power or internet was out but my Apex was down most of the time. When I got home the fish were hungry and the skimmer cup was full. Otherwise all was well.

Whiskey