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wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 09:43:40 -0600, zxcvbob
wrote:

wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 02:19:00 GMT, "George E. Cawthon"
wrote:

David DeBoer wrote:

PC, monitor, printer, scanner and USB hub right now.

wrote in message
om...

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 10:15:58 -0500, "David DeBoer"
wrote:

Hello,

I would like to put my computer equipment on its own circuit. Would I
need
a 15 or 20 amp breaker to do this? Are there any restrictions as far as
how
many breakers can be in the box? I know there is room for more. What
gauge
wiring would this require?

Thanks for any thoughts...

It really depends on what you mean by "computer equipment".

BB

15 amp. Very few people use anything more than a standard wall socket
circuit (15 amp) for home computer equipment. What you mentioned is
probably less than 600 watts, so you have 1200 more watts before you
overload the circuit. You need a minimum of number 14 wire for 15 amp
circuits, but number 12 wire would be better and if you put 12 wire in
you might as well put in a 20 amp breaker.

Incorrect and potentially lethal advice if followed. Very few people, including
George "Don't try to teach me anything" Cawthorn, take into account that there
may be more than one outlet on that 15 amp circuit, and in a home setting it's
almost guaranteed that there is more than one outlet on that circuit.

His judgement about power consumption is equally flawed. He's making it up as he
goes, folks.

BB

You wanna explain the "potentially lethal" part?

Bob

You should probably hire a professional.

Here's a simple experiment you can try yourself: Get a bunch of
strings of christmas lights, whose combined draw "should" equal 15
amps. Plug them in series with the last one plugged into a 15 amp
outlet.

Watch the clock and let me know how long before the wires (not the
lamps) heat up enough to ignite something like tissue paper or even
newsprint. Surprise! In many cases that will occur without the circuit
breaker ever popping. If you can, check the temperature along the
length of the light strings, as well as the house wiring.

It's important to know how much of a load you are putting on a
circuit, including any extentuating circumstances. I am not saying
that it will be lethal any certain percentage of the time, but the
percentage is certainly not zero. That's why I qualified it with the
word "potentially" George Cawthon wants to "hazard a guess" as to the
load, thereby creating a hazard.

BB

That will just blow the built-in fuse in one of the strings of Christmas
lights. Even if it didn't blow and the lights caught on fire, it has
nothing at all to do with wiring a 15A vs. 20A branch circuit. IIRC,
those strings of lights are fused at about 2A.

Basically, you're just making this stuff up as you go.

Bob