GFI outlets

[friskybri]

not for sure if I understand this correctly. Do you use two GFI's for one controller? I put in a 20 amp breakers, wire and GFI's to different locations on the outside of the house. I plan on putting 8 icicle channels, 4 rope light channels and 4 mini light channels for one controller. I used kill a watt to check the amps from everything I have. Total amps drawn on lights for this controller is 16 amps. From what I see most use two different Gfi outlets for one controller. Is it ok to use one 20 amp GFI and plug both sides into the one duel outlet? Most of my controllers wont be pulling more then 20 amps max per controller or 10 per side. How much power does the pc boards pull? If it does need two then I need to go rewire the outlets for two gfi's. Menards has a sale on GFI's 3 for 12.99 for both 15amp and 20amp.

[basic]

1 controller for a 15 amp gfi it works for me, i have 5 lors boxs that 8 gfi 15 amps.I put in a 15amp breaker for 5 boxs. good luck

[friskybri]

Thanks, I will have to run out to menards sometime today or tomorrow. We got iced pretty good last night.

[-klb-]

The controllers themselves draw little enough that most of us never bother to account for them.. If you have 20A GFCI's, and you full on load is under 20A, you realistically should be fine plugging both sides into the one duplex GFCI..

Of course, there is also the NEC 80% limit for continuous duty use, but I don't remember seeing a definition of continuous. Personally, if you are seldom likely to draw over 16A (80%) for over 1 second, and your peak (excluding inrush) is under 20, I think you should be fine...

Where you do have over 20A combined, I would recommend going with two circuits, and of course separate GFCI's...