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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

I recently added some new, heavier-duty equipment to my garage
woodshop and am now finding that I'm tripping the breakers more often.
There are two circuits in the garage, both 15 amps. The new tools are
rated as high as 20 amps and trip the breakers under loads (no
surprise there). If I upgrade, should I just take these circuits on up
to 30 amps? Is this as simple as merely installing new breakers, or
will it likely require some rewiring? I don't plan on trying to do
this myself, but I would like to get a feel for what's involved and
how much it might cost. The house was built in 1978. I'll be calling
the electricians this week in any case.

Thanks.

Lynn Willis
Indianapolis
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

On Oct 12, 10:55*pm, " wrote:
I recently added some new, heavier-duty equipment to my garage
woodshop and am now finding that I'm tripping the breakers more often.
There are two circuits in the garage, both 15 amps. The new tools are
rated as high as 20 amps and trip the breakers under loads (no
surprise there). If I upgrade, should I just take these circuits on up
to 30 amps? Is this as simple as merely installing new breakers, or
will it likely require some rewiring? I don't plan on trying to do
this myself, but I would like to get a feel for what's involved and
how much it might cost. The house was built in 1978. I'll be calling
the electricians this week in any case.

Thanks.

Lynn Willis
Indianapolis


If you have 15A circuits now, its likely you only have 14 gauge on
those 2 circuits. You have to re wire with 12 guage wire , and then
you can change out the breakers to 20A. Or you can just leave those 2
circuits alone and run a new 20A circuit. 30A is not really practical
for this application.
How far away is the panel? If its close, and if you can run new wire
to it with no problems, its fairly easy and straightfoward for an
average homeowner to do themselves.
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage


wrote in message
...
I recently added some new, heavier-duty equipment to my garage
woodshop and am now finding that I'm tripping the breakers more often.
There are two circuits in the garage, both 15 amps. The new tools are
rated as high as 20 amps and trip the breakers under loads (no
surprise there). If I upgrade, should I just take these circuits on up
to 30 amps? Is this as simple as merely installing new breakers, or
will it likely require some rewiring? I don't plan on trying to do
this myself, but I would like to get a feel for what's involved and
how much it might cost. The house was built in 1978. I'll be calling
the electricians this week in any case.

Thanks.

Lynn Willis
Indianapolis



* You will definitely need to upgrade the wiring to increase the amperage
capacity. I would suggest that you have an electrician install a subpanel
in your shop. This will allow you to easily add more circuits in the future
as you add more equipment. The subpanel topic and garage shop has been
discussed here a lot. Do a Google search of this group to see what has been
said in the past.

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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

John Grabowski wrote:

wrote in message
...
I recently added some new, heavier-duty equipment to my garage
woodshop and am now finding that I'm tripping the breakers more often.
There are two circuits in the garage, both 15 amps. The new tools are
rated as high as 20 amps and trip the breakers under loads (no
surprise there). If I upgrade, should I just take these circuits on up
to 30 amps? Is this as simple as merely installing new breakers, or
will it likely require some rewiring? I don't plan on trying to do
this myself, but I would like to get a feel for what's involved and
how much it might cost. The house was built in 1978. I'll be calling
the electricians this week in any case.

Thanks.

Lynn Willis
Indianapolis



* You will definitely need to upgrade the wiring to increase the
amperage capacity. I would suggest that you have an electrician install
a subpanel in your shop. This will allow you to easily add more
circuits in the future as you add more equipment. The subpanel topic
and garage shop has been discussed here a lot. Do a Google search of
this group to see what has been said in the past.


Sometimes tripping can occur due to
large voltage drops on long runs. If
your breaker box is far from the tools,
heavier wire can help, but then, why
not increase the breaker to match the
wire.
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

Its a cliche that there's no such thing as a dumb question; but you strain
that.

My mother once couldn't get the vacuum to turn on, so she untied a knot in
the cord to make sure the electricity could get through. And then admitted
to doing it.




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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage


"jack" wrote in message
...
Its a cliche that there's no such thing as a dumb question; but you strain
that.

My mother once couldn't get the vacuum to turn on, so she untied a knot in
the cord to make sure the electricity could get through. And then
admitted to doing it.


Back in the early days of electrification people were afraid the leave bulb
sockets empty because they thought the electricity would leak out like gas.


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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

On Oct 13, 12:55*am, " wrote:
I recently added some new, heavier-duty equipment to my garage
woodshop and am now finding that I'm tripping the breakers more often.
There are two circuits in the garage, both 15 amps. The new tools are
rated as high as 20 amps and trip the breakers under loads (no
surprise there). If I upgrade, should I just take these circuits on up
to 30 amps? Is this as simple as merely installing new breakers, or
will it likely require some rewiring? I don't plan on trying to do
this myself, but I would like to get a feel for what's involved and
how much it might cost. The house was built in 1978. I'll be calling
the electricians this week in any case.

Thanks.

Lynn Willis
Indianapolis


No.
Only if the wiring is of suitable size.
15 amps for #14AWG
20 amps for #12AWG
30 amps for #10AWG
The circuit breaker is there to protect the wiring as well as against
something faulty plugged in. Also your insurance company might not
honour your insurance policy if something happened! Putting in
breakers that are too big might SEEM TO WORK but is unsafe and not in
accordance with electrical code; and is the equivalent of people
putting a penny in place of a blown fuse. Lots of fires that way!
Also as some have mentioned if it is long run from the circuit breaker
box to the tool location, like 50 to 100 feet say. There might be
enough voltage drop on low gauge wiring (like #14AWG) to slow the
start-up of the tools and cause them to take too many amps for a
moment!
But trying to use a 20 amp tool on a 15 amp circuit doesn't make any
more sense than trying to put 7 people in a four seater car! Also not
using more than one tool at a time????
We have #10AWG 115/230 (3 wire plus ground) for a wiring distance of
less than 25 feet, to a sub panel in our workshop. It is fed from a 30
amp double pole breaker. The sub panel has 20 amp fuses to #12AWG
wiring to 115 and 230 volt outlets; because we have a few tools and a
couple of soldering irons that operate on 230 volts. Only time we have
occasionally 'blown' anything is when we have stalled a 230 volt bench
saw; and not always then. The sub panel is also a means of switching
off 'everything' in the workshop (except a row of lights on another
circuit) before leaving that room.
Please be careful.
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

Thanks to all for the kindly advice. I've turned the project over to
an electrician and will soon be circuit-overload free (I hope). I'm
sure my ignorance of this subject was clear to all. I'm at least able
to discuss the topic with the electrician now.

I was surprised by Jack's remark about my question on this subject
"straining" the old adage about "no such thing as a dumb question,"
and am wondering if maybe he's the "dumb-question designator" for the
forum? If so, he's doing a heckuva job. Of course, isn't this exactly
the place for ignoramuses like me to ask questions about home repair,
even dumb ones? If I knew the topic sufficiently, what's the point in
asking the questions?

Thanks again for the assistance.

Lynn
Indianapolis
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

On Oct 15, 3:16*pm, " wrote:
Thanks to all for the kindly advice. I've turned the project over to
an electrician and will soon be circuit-overload free (I hope). I'm
sure my ignorance of this subject was clear to all. I'm at least able
to discuss the topic with the electrician now.

I was surprised by Jack's remark about my question on this subject
"straining" the old adage about "no such thing as a dumb question,"
and am wondering if maybe he's the "dumb-question designator" for the
forum? If so, he's doing a heckuva job. Of course, isn't this exactly
the place for ignoramuses like me to ask questions about home repair,
even dumb ones? If I knew the topic sufficiently, what's the point in
asking the questions?

Thanks again for the assistance.

Lynn
Indianapolis


Oh jeeze, Lynn...now you'll probably get Jack all riled up.

Good job sticking up for yourself.
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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

With a name like Jack you know he had to be a Jack Ass.


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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

wrote:
With a name like Jack you know he had to be a Jack Ass.


And you're an idiot making a moronic comment to a 2008 post.


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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

replying to willisl, Renee wrote:
Was the job expensive?

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for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ge-336207-.htm


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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

replying to jack, Seth Tyrssen wrote:
Okay, I have to ask: did it work?

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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

replying to jack, Eve L Hanson wrote:
Your response is rude, Jack. Shame on you for trying to make someone feel
stupid for asking a question. Not everyone is technically savvy and people
like you just keep others from learning.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ge-336207-.htm




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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage


"Eve L Hanson" m wrote in
message ...
replying to jack, Eve L Hanson wrote:
Your response is rude, Jack. Shame on you for trying to make someone feel
stupid for asking a question. Not everyone is technically savvy and people
like you just keep others from learning.

Sorry, but Jack died ten years ago after his mother wrapped a vacuum cleaner
cord around his neck.


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Default Upgrading electrical circuit breakers to higher amperage

replying to Eve L Hanson, Zeppo wrote:
Eve, that was possibly Jacks intention. Some people have nothing better to do
with their lives than to go through forums and try to get attention by saying
something rude. Psychologist say it has something to do with not getting
enough attention as a child. Rather than commenting on his behavior, which is
what he was hoping for, just feel sorry for him and so many others like him.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ge-336207-.htm


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