Rev's 400+ Gallon Basement Inwall

[4Walls]

Sounds overstocked. Keep it under 142.

I was going to say 242, but maybe I'm worng

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I was going to say 242, but maybe I'm worng

I like your thinking!

Just got word that the contractors are coming over today and may be able to get started sooner!

 

[FrankAbagnale]

Heck yeah!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Guys and gals I need some input on where I should put my power receptacles in this fish room!

Ideas?

 

[Live Water]

Do you have a drawing or a blueprint of the room?

 

[billw]

Guys and gals I need some input on where I should put my power receptacles in this fish room!

Ideas?

Plan on their location relative to water! Keep them up and away.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Plan on their location relative to water! Keep them up and away.

Yea, I would do them about chest high. This will allow for drip loops, but they will also be higher than counter height. That way if you want to put a counter on the wall, the outlet will be above it. That is a typical layout for commercial kitchens. Now that I think about it, I'd design a fish room allot like a commercial kitchen. Green board, or those plastic sheets on the walls, tiles baseboards to seal it against water getting into your walls, floor sinks (drains), above counter height wall outlets on GFCI, and finally everything on dunnage racks (easy to clean under, and dries quick after mopping).

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Thanks guys. Basically there is no layout yet except this. The room is 14ft by 12ft and the tank will be centered on the 14ft wall. Everything else is negotiable!

 

[d2mini]

I spread mine out around my fish room.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I spread mine out around my fish room.

How many outlets do you typically have for each dedicated circuit?

Also would you put all those outlets on GFCI? I know there has been debate about it and the outlets tripping while people were out of town?

 

[rockworm]

I use a controller and positioned two of my three circuits so that I could plug my switchable powerbars into each. I use the Profilux controller and have two 6 socket switchable powerbars. I believe you are uaing the Apex, so I suggest keeping the powerbars in mind when locating circuits

I devote one bar to heaters (1100w), one bar to pumps and other medium watt items. I have a third circuit that I use for MH lights and powerheads. I wanted to split the wattage amongst the three new circuits with headroom available for each socket.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I think I am going to go with (4) 20amp circuits just to be safe!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Oh and still thinking about the GFCI issue. Thoughts?

 

[rockworm]

How many outlets do you typically have for each dedicated circuit?

Also would you put all those outlets on GFCI? I know there has been debate about it and the outlets tripping while people were out of town?

I only use a single two socket box for each circuit. I have a small fish room area so everything is within reach of the two boxes. I use GFCI on all my circuits. Now building codes vary, but the electrician did not use arc fault circuits because of the frequent tripping. I got an exemption by claiming the circuits were connected to a sump that would impact life if it tripped accidentally. A marine tank was not the intent of the exemption, but the technicality of sump + life permitted the exemption.

I have observeved that surge protected powerbars tend to trip the GFCI. I have not fully tested this, but discovered that if I replace a surge protected bar with a 1 to 3 socket extension cord, the GFCI does not trip when power gets turned on. I intend to test this more as I still have two powerbars (not the profilux switchable) on one circuit.

 

[ReeferRoo]

For your circuits i would suggest...

First - Look up your local electrical codes, different areas may have different requirements and your local building department should have them listed online.

Then...

1 - 15 amp circuit - Room lighting and regular utility outlets code will dictate outlet spacing, Since it is technically a wet room i would have the first outlet from the panel set as a GFI (that goes for all circuits in the room).

Then...

Look at your component requirements and figure out your upper limits on each item or potential future item.

Like rockworm said he has 1 circuit just for heaters...which makes sense as a 15 amp breaker can handle around 1800 watts and a 20 amp breaker is around 2400 watts. So 1100 watts on a dedicated 15 amp breaker is safe. As you get closer to the breaker limit the more likely you are to pop a breaker when something kicks on.

So if your running 1800 watts in heaters those should be on their own 20 amp breaker or split them between 2 separate breakers and share it with say 2 Mh 400 watt lights each so if one breaker pops due to a short in a light, a heater or even the GFI you will have the other half still running.

So with that logic, the number of outlets is solely dependent on the intended load for the overall circuit.

I like to over engineer everything and its easier to add outlets and run wire now with the walls open then later when its all buttoned up nicely.

Are you planning on doing the electrical yourself? Or are you just laying everything out for an electrician?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Just laying everything out for the electrician. So I only need one GFCI receptacle per circuit and the rest regular outlets?

 

[d2mini]

How many outlets do you typically have for each dedicated circuit?

Also would you put all those outlets on GFCI? I know there has been debate about it and the outlets tripping while people were out of town?

My room was only about 7'x9' but I had 5 separate circuits with one 4-plug outlet on each, except for a couple regular 2-plug outlets. I think there were 6-7 total.
They were all mounted about chest height so they'd be higher than my counters.
They were purposely not on arc fault protected breakers but the outlets were gfci.

You can see some of them here...

 

[ReeferRoo]

The first outlet on each circuit should have the gfi as that protects everything else down the line, assuming its wired so the down stream outlets are on the load side of the gfi.

Your electrician will know what to do and will also know your local codes. You may just want to focus on how many watts you intend to run out of each outlet since you probably have a good handle on the equipment you want to use and where your placing it.

15amp is 1800 watt max and 20amp is 2400 watt max. I think the rule of thumb when planning circuits is not to exceed 80% of those values and wise to probably plan for even less so you have room for expansion and adjustments. You can with sketch out the room and list the loads at each location or put post-it notes showing your intended watts at each location and he willdaisy chain outlets and give you the appropriate number of circuits. With half sized breakers its easy to add circuits to a panel even 20 amp circuits. Just be sure to keep room lighting separate, it isn't fun trying to figure out whats tripping a gfi in the dark .

Side note - i see some comments about surge protectors/power bars tripping the gfi's? Anyone know why? I have never experienced that with a surge protector but am curious about power bars (eb8) as the only reason a GFI would trip is be because either 1. The gfi is faulty or too sensitive and needs replacement (i once went through 3 new lutron WR 20 amp gfi outlets in my bathroom because of sensitivity issues in the gfi's) and 2. There is a fault somewhere down the line.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

They were purposely not on arc fault protected breakers but the outlets were gfci.

Not exactly sure what this means can you explain?

 

[d2mini]

Not exactly sure what this means can you explain?

Code nowadays is to install Arc Fault Breakers. Our new house had them and something as simple as an Apple Macbook power supply would cause the things to trip.
Very annoying, and obviously a bit too sensitive (for my comfort) for a reef tank.
So I told the electrician not to use those when installing the new breakers, and I had switched out a couple of other ones myself.
This was only a few years ago and I've heard they are not as sensitive today, but I don't know that for sure and not sure I'd risk it. I suppose you could always give it a go and see what happens. If they end up being a problem, switch them out.