Electrical Needs

[captainron19]

OK so at what point have you determined that your normal household electrical system is not enough to handle your display?

Just wondering. I have a 200 Amp service in my house and for my display last year I utilized 4 outlets outside with each one being a dedicated 20 amp circuit.

Since I doubled my arches this year from 4 to 8 those 2 controllers could not longer share an outlet since they pull around 11amps each. A buddy of mine is an electrician and he installed all the outlets for me and is coming Friday to install 2 additional 20 amp outlets on their own dedicated circuits.

Based on my calculations.... if all lights were on, I am pulling 54.88 amps.

[testraub]

As an electrician, I'd say your fine. I have a 200A service and "KNOW" that with EVERYTHING in house ON, I draw under 100A. Heck, if you run outta space in your current panel, Just add a sub-panel. Personally, if I had to do it all over again (which the Wife WILL NOT allow), I'd rewire the house differantly then before.

BTW: I have over 10 outdoor receptacles, But that's just me being MR. OVERKILL!


Tom Straub

Attached files

[CKSedg]

LEDs are the ultimate answer. You can run a fairly large show on two or three circuits.

[Mwhite7097]

So last year, I ran my 48 channel show (95% LEDs) from one outlet. This year I have added another 72 channels (again, 95% LEDs) for a total of 250 strings of LEDs and 16 strings of incans. Do you think I' ll be safe on 2 or 3 different outlets? I can put on different circuits if need be but would have to run cords thru the house.

[jeff bush]

98% led, 12,000 lights, 32 channels only pulling 11.57 amps

It's the only way to go if you can afford it.

[captainron19]

I do mostly have leds except my arches.regular incandescents and my mega tree which usea phillips energy efficient incandescent

[Max-Paul]

Mwhite,

I would say yes your ok on one outlet. I say that assuming all icans are minis, not any C7 or C9 strings.

[Mwhite7097]

Yes all are minis. Thanks. I don' t want to pop a breaker in the middle of a show. I still may try to find a separate circuit for some controllers.

[Max-Paul]

you know a simple test before Lights On is to use the HWU and go from controller to controller and turn all lights on. If you can turn all of your lights on and leave them up for say 5 min. and your breaker does not trip, then your a surely good to go. That or get a "Kill A Watt" and do a survey of all of your loads, one at a time and then make a Excel file listing all of your loads with an auto sum in the watts column.

I did the all on and waited to see if the breaker would hold. I had a good feeling all would be ok. Running about 97% LED.