15 Amp or 20 Amp dedicated circuit for tank?

[nickoz]

I am in the process of choosing the electrical needed for the tank in a new house. I am putting the tank upstairs and the sump and equipment downstairs. I was thinking about running two dedicated circuits, one upstairs for the lighting and any other equipment running upstairs and another running downstairs for the sump, pump, skimmer, heaters, etc.

Have you found that 15 Amp is enough or should I upgrade to 20 Amps?

-nick

 

[tdragon]

well im not an electrican but i think its 1000watts to 1 amp. but i would go with the 20 just in case you ever ned more.

J

 

[Fingolfin]

I am in the process of choosing the electrical needed for the tank in a new house. I am putting the tank upstairs and the sump and equipment downstairs. I was thinking about running two dedicated circuits, one upstairs for the lighting and any other equipment running upstairs and another running downstairs for the sump, pump, skimmer, heaters, etc.

Have you found that 15 Amp is enough or should I upgrade to 20 Amps?

-nick

Why using a dedicated breaker for your tank? Have you ever heard of "don't put all the eggs in one basket"? Distribute your electrical sinks over more than one breaker. By doing so, even one is tripped you'll still have another breaker or two running.

Plus, 15 amp breaker is a standard.

 

[RichConley]

I agree with fingolfin

1 15amp on the lights
2 on the sump equipment.
if you can, put a heater, and a return pump on each. (of you have 2 return lines)

This way, any of the 3 breakers can fail, and theres no issue.

The lights trip, you can turn them back on when you get home.
either of the other ones, you have reduced flow, and the heater has to work really hard, but you still have flow and heat.l


my $.02

 

[stang8s]

I doubt many people have their tanks on more then 1 breaker. Houses are wired with all the outlets in a room to one breaker sometimes even a couple rooms to one breaker. Unless your running cords into other rooms. I suppose people with basement sumps are the exception. Then all the sump stuff would be on one and all the lights/tank stuff on another.

 

[reefsmurf]

well im not an electrican but i think its 1000watts to 1 amp. but i would go with the 20 just in case you ever ned more.

J

This could be wrong but:

Power=Voltage*I (current)
so for 15 amps, assuming everything is 120 volts:

Power = 120 Volts * 15 amps = 1800 watts

 

[PenMan]

The 20 A circuit should not be much more expensive for new circuit. You do need to a lower gauge wire (thicker) for the 20A. If I remember correctly you need 12 AWG for 20A and 14AWG for the 15A. The breakers are a little more expensive also. We will pop a 15 A circuit at startup if our three 250W MH are plugged into the same circuit with a other household items. Start up peaks are what you have to watch. Tank lights and pumps have huge startup peaks and you will have problems if the power goes out and everything tries to start at once.

Reefsmurf is correct 15A X 120VAC = 1800 watts

 

[denvig]

This could be wrong but:

Power=Voltage*I (current)
so for 15 amps, assuming everything is 120 volts:

Power = 120 Volts * 15 amps = 1800 watts

This is correct and the max that you should put on circut. A 20 amp would do 2400w. You should plan on about 80% of these loads on the circut.

 

[RichConley]

I doubt many people have their tanks on more then 1 breaker. Houses are wired with all the outlets in a room to one breaker sometimes even a couple rooms to one breaker. Unless your running cords into other rooms. I suppose people with basement sumps are the exception. Then all the sump stuff would be on one and all the lights/tank stuff on another.

Totally completely true.

BUUUT, hes just starting up, and has the benefit of not having to go with whats already there. He can do it a better way.

Go with multiple breakers. 15A will probably be fine, but if 20A isnt much more expensive, than go with that.

 

[Jim Tansey]

Run a couple of 20's the cost between 15 & 20 is next to nothing. I wired my own house and I don't have any 14 Ga wire used in any outlets, and also all rooms are wired with at least two circuits per room.

Jim

 

[tdragon]

reefsmurf thanks i was not sure if that was right or not. that info will be good to know.


J

 

[Deafasa]

I have a dedicated 15 amp circuit (you are going to use a ground fault breaker or outlet correct) running my 55 gallon tank. I do not have metal halide lighting though. Even with three 400 watt Metal Halide Ballasts on the upstairs 15 amp circuit you should be okay. At worst you would have to stagger the startup times of the ballasts.

Have said all that, if you are installing a new wire run anyway, why not use a 20 amp circuit?

 

[littlep93056]

In my new fish room I have four 20 amp circuits for my 210 gallon tank & one 20 amp for the 72 gallon bow in the living room & all circuits are wired with 12/2

 

[montec24]

I live in an old house, my tank used to plugged into one outlet which was on the same circuit as 3 other rooms (my computer, tv, two other tanks). Decided to run new wiring from the second floor to the basement and put in two new circuits. Didnt really cost me that much extra to run two wires at the same time, use bigger wire and two 20 Amp breakers. I now have the tank plugged into two differnet 20 amp GFCI's. I feel a lot better.