calling all electricans
 

ok here is what Im looking at my in wall plugs are on a 15 amp circuit can I take out the 15 amp and install a 20 amp breaker. cause I have 2x 250's and a 1x 400 MH on one plug so if I have the TV on I think that its tripping the breaker so can I up the breaker to a 20 amp.

What size wire?

its white 14/2 i think that is what it says

12/2 is needed for a 20 amp breaker.

No you can not do what you are thinking first of all a 15 amp breaker is only rated for 80 % of 15 amps this is a code rule. Second the wire will not support you running a 20 amp circuit. If I were you you should bring a new circuit to where you need it. Just my honest opinion.

If you have any other questions just pm me

Scott

Just replace the current breaker with what you have the breaker fatigues and the metalic strip becomes weak after time you'll be set. I was having the same issue a whie back. For a 20 amp breaker you need 12 gauge wire i recall.

I guess I should also say I'm not and electrician. But the I just finished wiring my garage and I used 12/2 wire so I could run 20A breakers for welders and other power tools. I read the local code book and it said 12/2 is the minimum wire size for a 20A breaker.

I would look at running a dedicated GFCI circuit from your panel. (Either GFCI at the outlet or at the breaker). 15 or 20amp, whichever you prefer. You'll get 12 amps from a 15 circuit. That's more than enough for your lighting.

ok i can run a circuit that isn't a problem ok .

Keep this in mind to as well when you are calculating the amp of your fixtures that they draw. 110 watts of lighting is 1 amp. soo a 250 watt MH is 2.3 amps of steady draw and then you have to keep in mind how much draw your ballasts have when the fire up.

Now keep in mind that when electricians wire in a house they run a parralel that runs no more that 12 amps max! Every plug in a parallel is concidered one amp and every light is concidered 1 amp and smoke detectors are concidered .25 amps. Pot lights are concidered .5 amps since most of them are 50 to 75 watts max. but the moral of the story is that your tanks is most likely not the only thing that you have plugged into that parallel so you may have more draw than your tank such as your TV which probably draws around 3 amps steady. and your lights draw 8.2 amps steady...so yah that is pushing it.

But yah i would replace the old 15 amp breaker with a new one just to be safe and run a dedicated GFCI 20 amp breaker to the tank with 12/2 wire and leave it at that.