Breaker Wattage Limits

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BobL43

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Sorry, I should have said jadnashua, but my mistake.

He seems to be very good at explaining things, and the thing I like most is that he knows what he is talking about.

Jim Port's post of putting her in fear was disappointing to me.

jadnashua is the best.

Sorry for the mix up.


The Girls call me Don Juan, and I have to tell them to quit, because my girl wants to know how they know.


Have a Great Evening.


DonL

I agree with you about jadnashua.

Now about Don Juan, I don't want to know. Good for you:p
 

hj

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Jim Port's warning was applicable to the friend's suggestion to change 15 amp breaker to 30 amps. That warning also applied to the days when people would just screw higher amperage fuses into the socket when the smaller ones kept blowing, (and if that did not do the job, a penny in the socket with the a burned out fuse to hold it in place was the ultimate solution). Sometimes a little fear is a good thing, if it does what it is supposed to.
 

BobL43

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and its always better when you learn from other people's mistakes, although your own are remembered much better. if you've never made a mistake, you've never done anything
 

Ballvalve

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The neighbor proved himself an idiot with the 30 amp breaker.

But life and limb would likely survive if it was a 20 amp breaker. If the runs are short. But I do not suggest it.

We all pull 16 to 20 amps regularly through fake 16 gage chinese extension cords that are really 18 gauge without much trouble.

Take a look a this interesting wire ampacity chart and explain.

http://sites.google.com/site/interf...-graphics/awg-wire-sizes-vs-available-current
 

BobL43

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The neighbor proved himself an idiot with the 30 amp breaker.

But life and limb would likely survive if it was a 20 amp breaker. If the runs are short. But I do not suggest it.

We all pull 16 to 20 amps regularly through fake 16 gage chinese extension cords that are really 18 gauge without much trouble.

Take a look a this interesting wire ampacity chart and explain.

http://sites.google.com/site/interf...-graphics/awg-wire-sizes-vs-available-current

The difference with an extension cord is being that it is open to the air, it may be able to dissipate the heat that it generates across its length due to the voltage drop it creates. I cannot run my C&H air compressor with a cheap extension cord, as it drops enough voltage to not allow the motor to start up against a head of pressure. But, my 12 gauge cord is just fine, even at 75 feet.
Wires in the wall may not have the ability to get rid of the heat they generate if they are overloaded. And again, some household items with motors will actually draw more than their rated current when you run them on reduced voltages, and that will make them run hotter than normal. A 4 pole motor will try to run at its (with slippage) speed of 1725 RPM against the load. Doing its job at a reduced voltage and trying to drive that load at 1725 RPM, will draw more current.
But yes you are correct, that we all use cheap extension cords and usually have no problem. In the unlike case that one of those started smoking, you'd hopefully see it and unplug it.
 

hj

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quote; We all pull 16 to 20 amps regularly through fake 16 gage chinese extension cords that are really 18 gauge without much trouble.

You DO? If you do it for any length of time have you EVER felt the cord to see how hot it is?
 

Ballvalve

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When we lost our last true tungsten mine, Which pretty much won the second world war [high above Bishop, California]
At the sad day of the auction I bought a few miles of 10 gauge flexible mining cable, worth probably 10,000$ today, for 600 bucks. It also included about 60 spools of 16 through 4 gauge thhw wire.

Now THATS the way to make a extension cord. Had one in the sun and rain for 5 years and just like new.

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1888125349
 
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