Electrical question

[AdelitaGSD!]

Seeing if my current outlets will be ok to add my reef setup onto without adding another separate outlet. Also how it would work if I do add another one.

My living room currently has a 15amp. Will that be enough for my 92gal reef along with 2 lamps (on switches), TV, subwoofer, and possibly electric fireplace.

Or possibly looking at installing a separate GFCI outlet on its own breaker. Would it need to be a 20amp or would 15amp be ok. If I did that could I have some stuff on that and some stuff on the existing outlet. Is that right to have “life support” stuff on a different breaker?

Thanks!

 

[Woodyman]

Seeing if my current outlets will be ok to add my reef setup onto without adding another separate outlet. Also how it would work if I do add another one.

My living room currently has a 15amp. Will that be enough for my 92gal reef along with 2 lamps (on switches), TV, subwoofer, and possibly electric fireplace.

Or possibly looking at installing a separate GFCI outlet on its own breaker. Would it need to be a 20amp or would 15amp be ok. If I did that could I have some stuff on that and some stuff on the existing outlet. Is that right to have “life support” stuff on a different breaker?

Thanks!

With a TV, sub, lamps, and fireplace I wouldn't add my tank setup to that breaker. But you may be able to, depends on how many amps/watts the current pulls and how close it is to ~12 amps.

Safer bet would be to just add the tank to a separate 20 amp.

 

[blaxsun]

Without knowing what you plan to run on your 92-gallon setup I couldn't even hazard a guess. However, right now my 200-gallon system is drawing 4 amps (400 watts), which includes three G5 Radions, a return pump, skimmer, two reactors and an Apex system. The amp/wattage roughly doubles when the heaters kick-in.

 

[The Farmer]

A single 20amp circuit with 3 duplex outlets should be enough, depending on your heaters

 

[theMeat]

The fireplace could be a big user, depending on what you get.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Seeing if my current outlets will be ok to add my reef setup onto without adding another separate outlet. Also how it would work if I do add another one.

My living room currently has a 15amp. Will that be enough for my 92gal reef along with 2 lamps (on switches), TV, subwoofer, and possibly electric fireplace.

Or possibly looking at installing a separate GFCI outlet on its own breaker. Would it need to be a 20amp or would 15amp be ok. If I did that could I have some stuff on that and some stuff on the existing outlet. Is that right to have “life support” stuff on a different breaker?

Thanks!

It depends what else is on the circuit. Is the circuit dedicated only to the lounge room or are other outlets also on it elsewhere in the house.

Personally if possible, I'd have a dedicated circuit with GFCI for the tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Seeing if my current outlets will be ok to add my reef setup onto without adding another separate outlet. Also how it would work if I do add another one.

My living room currently has a 15amp. Will that be enough for my 92gal reef along with 2 lamps (on switches), TV, subwoofer, and possibly electric fireplace.

Or possibly looking at installing a separate GFCI outlet on its own breaker. Would it need to be a 20amp or would 15amp be ok. If I did that could I have some stuff on that and some stuff on the existing outlet. Is that right to have “life support” stuff on a different breaker?

Thanks!

@Brew12

 

[AdelitaGSD!]

Ok. We may just install a gas fireplace down the rd.
So will the current 15Amp for all the living room outliers be ok. I’ll only be able to use the bottom outlet at the top one is on a switch (for lamps).
Hopefully that will work.

 

[Woodyman]

Ok. We may just install a gas fireplace down the rd.
So will the current 15Amp for all the living room outliers be ok. I’ll only be able to use the bottom outlet at the top one is on a switch (for lamps).
Hopefully that will work.

How many amps will the tank draw (total with all equipment)?

How many amps do you draw currently without the tank?

This isn't as important, but is good to consider, how many outlets does that breaker feed and where are they located?
For example if you make it work, then randomly plug in a high demand appliance/equipment in another room and then the breaker starts tripping because you never accounted for that equipment and the other room.

 

[WVNed]

@Brew12

Last seen Jan 1, 2022

 

[Paul B]

Yes it will be fine. Of course if you run vaccuum cleaners, room heaters or nuclear submarines from there, you will have a problem. Normally living room outlets just run the TV and maybe some lights.

Put the tank in and see what happens. You will be fine. Now if your living room circuit also runs your garage, deck outdoor lights, swimming pool or other things, it would be a problem. But generally a 90 gallon tank will be fine on a 15 amp circuit.
(master electrician 50 years)

 

[WVNed]

There is no way to know how many amps will be drawn without measuring it.
Add the watts of each device that can run at the same time which can be found listed where you bought them or usually right on them.
Under 1000 and you are okay.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

That electric fireplace is a large space heater basically and its going to use a LOT of amps on its own. The stereo system can be a potential drain as well depending on wattage draw when your cranking the volume.

I'm in a older condo and use a single 15a breaker for my 120g, average usage is about 3.5 amps with everything on except heaters, if the 250w heater kicks on I'm at 5.5-5.8a draw. Upside only other thing is a small 1/2 bath that's on the circuit so overload isn't a issue.

 

[FiddlersReef]

Yes it will be fine. Of course if you run vaccuum cleaners, room heaters or nuclear submarines from there, you will have a problem. Normally living room outlets just run the TV and maybe some lights.

LOL -- the visual of a nuclear sub with a hellaciously long extension cord is awesome.

 

[AdelitaGSD!]

Ok. We may just instal lol a gas fireplace down the rd. So will the current 15Amp for all the living room outliers be ok. I’ll only

 

[AdelitaGSD!]

We are getting our basement finished so since he’s doing electrical anyway and he said it would be no issue to just put in another 20amp outlet in the living room corner on its own breaker. Yay!

Once that’s on what would you plug into it and what would plug into the other 15amp living room outlet?

 

[AdelitaGSD!]

Update: put in a GFCI 20amp.

 

[The Farmer]

How many circuits do you have on that wall?

 

[snorklr]

i like to split stuff up in such a way that you dont lose all crucial stuff if one circuit trips...for instance return pump on separate from power heads in tank so you dont lose all flow if theres a problem...return pump on separate from heater as heater most likely to short out and kill circuit ....

 

[The Farmer]

I believe 2 20 amp circuit’s is a perfect baseline for any aquarium. Regardless of the size there is potential for a failure with any electronic and water mishap