Certified Master Electrician here to help!
- Thread starter Newjack
- Start date
Jack,
I'm building a new home and plan to have a dedicated circuit for me tank(s). I don't plan anything massive (prolly 180g max) but I want to make sure I have adequate service for the tank. What would you suggest? The footers were just poured yesterday so I have a few weeks before I have to worry about electrical stuff.
Thanks in advance,
Allen
I'm building a new home and plan to have a dedicated circuit for me tank(s). I don't plan anything massive (prolly 180g max) but I want to make sure I have adequate service for the tank. What would you suggest? The footers were just poured yesterday so I have a few weeks before I have to worry about electrical stuff.
Thanks in advance,
Allen
Newjack
Member
I would suggest using a dedicated circuit for the tank. I would use 20amp rated (12 AWG) wire. WRGFI (Weather resistant GFI) receptacles on a standard 20 amp breaker. I would suggest using 2/12 MC cable (happy medium of safest and price) but if you want to save some money use ROMEX. If you want to use the best use EMC but is not usual for a house. If there is more than 6 things to plug in I would suggest doing a double DIN box so you can put 2 GFIs in. GFIs do not like a lot of devices plugged into one.
To add extra protection you can install a weather proof box with cover.
To add extra protection you can install a weather proof box with cover.
Newjack
Member
SUPER NICE OFFER NEWJACK!
I've been thinking "I better NOT get one more thing that has to be plugged in"
Ive mentioned this before in a thread lol. Overloading is a big issue with tanks. I have had so many warranty calls about how there tanks dedicated circuit stopped working. I go look and there's been a small electrical fire in the attic. I go look at the tank and its wayyy overloaded. I will ask "I thought you said just 4 devices not 12?" there first response is "I didn't want to pay for 20 amp wire and breakers."
Newjack
Member
Also to add. Older houses are the worst for this. Lots of states still have not changed it but some have. Old houses uses 14 AWG wire witch does not do very well. you may have seen those pics were someone put like 4 splitters on a receptacle and 10 things plugged in. Then talk about how it burned the house down. Now they require to install 12 AWG wire in all new houses or in 35%+ renovations.
Kongor
Member
My house was built in 1939 but since I had a ton of free breakers in my box (was super suprised the house had 200amp service for the age) I added a 20amp for my tank and another 20 amp for my sump. Cost me 20 dollars? maybe but not having to worry about my tank nuking because someone blows a breaker vacuuming with the AC on while microwaving helps me sleep better lol
That's awesome Newjack. I too am a sparky in the uk, I run a electrical business over here and its always interests me when I hear and see how other nations do it. Our wiring is a lot different to yours I will say, with voltage being the most obvious, but it the other things in terminology like you use "ground fault interrupters" where as we use either rcd or rcbo which is a residual current breaker. I have to say earth fault leakage trips have been phased out a long time ago by rcd etc.
It's all very cool.
Anyhows I would say now I let a cat out the bag, if anyone is needing electrical advise on anything over this side of the pond then feel free to ask too.
Two sparkys forging a global elctrical support advise service can't be bad hey RS family
It's all very cool.
Anyhows I would say now I let a cat out the bag, if anyone is needing electrical advise on anything over this side of the pond then feel free to ask too.
Two sparkys forging a global elctrical support advise service can't be bad hey RS family
Thanks for the advice Jack. I'll pass this along to my electrician when we have our meeting. This should be a very simple process because the main break box is only a few feet away from the tank (through a couple of walls though). I was thinking a pair of gang outlets should suffice and will request all be "weather proof" without a doubt.
Can you show me a picture of a "double DIN box"?
Mental Notes:
20amp dedicated circuit
2/12 MC cable
WRGFI (Weather resistant GFI)
and because potentially more than 6 devices double DIN box
How would this work with me using my GHL ProfiLux and it's dedicated powerbar (6-outlet)? Do I just calculate the powerbar as a standard "power strip" and add up all the plugs (potential items plugged in) to get a total # of items?
Can you show me a picture of a "double DIN box"?
Mental Notes:
20amp dedicated circuit
2/12 MC cable
WRGFI (Weather resistant GFI)
and because potentially more than 6 devices double DIN box
How would this work with me using my GHL ProfiLux and it's dedicated powerbar (6-outlet)? Do I just calculate the powerbar as a standard "power strip" and add up all the plugs (potential items plugged in) to get a total # of items?
The one area where I partially disagree is putting everything on GFI. Twice I have lost almost my entire tank because I was away on vacation and the GFI tripped killing power to everything. Twice I came home to a giant mess to clean up.
After that experience, I put my main return pump on a non-GFI circut. It is an external mag drive pump, so there are no shaft seals and there is no cord in the water, and the pump is at least grounded. Everything else is on GFI because there are power cords going in or close to the water.
A tank will easily run for a week or two with out lighting or even a heater, if the room isn't too cold, and it will run without most other stuff too, but loose all water circulation, and your on borrowed time.
After that experience, I put my main return pump on a non-GFI circut. It is an external mag drive pump, so there are no shaft seals and there is no cord in the water, and the pump is at least grounded. Everything else is on GFI because there are power cords going in or close to the water.
A tank will easily run for a week or two with out lighting or even a heater, if the room isn't too cold, and it will run without most other stuff too, but loose all water circulation, and your on borrowed time.
I'm no electrician but I do what Dave does, run my main pump on the non gfci outlet which is on a totally different breaker. It's my lifeline and I don't want it tripping when my wrasse splash water all the time.
Don't want it catching on fire either
Don't want it catching on fire either
Newjack
Member
MR salt is right. and sorry meant double gang box not DIN. DIN is for car stereos lmao. Also may I add its not as long as its under the max load capacity, its needs to be under overloading capacity. Needs to be 15% less. so for a 20 amp circuit you don't want to be pulling more than 17 amps on the wire. As for GFI it depends witch one you get. If you cant find one to support your current then I would advise stepping down to a GFI breaker instead. Just note GFI breaker and GFI outlets usually wont work on same circuit.
I dought you will have a problem with it as long as your not running anything huge on it. Look at the back it and see if it has a little push in breaker or anything. If so it should have a number on it. That number is its max amps so you will want a receptacle that is equal or greater. If its not there look for it elsewhere. Its required to have it.
I dought you will have a problem with it as long as your not running anything huge on it. Look at the back it and see if it has a little push in breaker or anything. If so it should have a number on it. That number is its max amps so you will want a receptacle that is equal or greater. If its not there look for it elsewhere. Its required to have it.
Newjack
Member
my response to Davek and PSU4ME
If it was tripping then its because it was overloaded or got wet or got really hot. I still don't know if I would put it on a non GFI unless the tank is far enough away. I would put it on a dedicated GFI and see if that help. Motors are going to draw the most current. Its up to anyone how they wanna do it but like psu4me says.. You don't want it catching on fire. Then everything is gone not just a tank crash.
If it was tripping then its because it was overloaded or got wet or got really hot. I still don't know if I would put it on a non GFI unless the tank is far enough away. I would put it on a dedicated GFI and see if that help. Motors are going to draw the most current. Its up to anyone how they wanna do it but like psu4me says.. You don't want it catching on fire. Then everything is gone not just a tank crash.
In short the simple answer is not to create one point of failure which has the potential to ruin everything. If you run the whole tank on one "GFI" then you have one point of failure. Think redundancy, and plan to run at least half a tank on one and the other on the other one. Newjack thinks like I do in this respect. I'd rather lose my tank than my own life or worse anybody in my family's. gfi is a form of live saving equipment which is a small price to pay I think. Also I don't know if its a requirement or not but here in the uk we recommend getting your homes electrically tested in what's known as a electrical condition report. Things like trips get tested with a calibrated meter and we can check to see if your current protection is faulty. I.e trips with far shorter milliamperes than required which is a common cause of false tripping. Also insulation resistance would be checked to see if there are any "leaks" within the cable network.
Go with two and halve your problem.
Go with two and halve your problem.