SteelerFan Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Just ran a dedicated circuit for my HT. I had a tough time getting the wire run but I finally got it. This weekend I'm going to run the other end into the panel. My question is I used 12ga wire and 2 different guys at Home Depot told me it was fine to use a 25 amp breaker with it. Are they right? It's about a 60-65 ft run. Don't want to burn down my house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Over 20 amps to 30 amps should have 10 gage wire. You should be ok, with just running your theater stuff on it, but you won't pass code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 I wasn't sure about what the code read. I knew a 30 amp required 10ga but I didn't know anything over 20ga did. I'll just exchange the 25 for a 20 to be safe. Thanks for the response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 per the National Electric Code (NEC) 15 amps for #14 Copper 20 amps for #12 Copper 30 amps for #10 Copper 15 amps for #12 Aluminum and copper clad aluminum 25 amps for #10 Aluminum and copper clad aluminum after any connection factors for ambient temp and # of conductors have been applied So use #10.....and check local building codes as they may be different but will be based on the NEC.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted March 5, 2004 Author Share Posted March 5, 2004 Well I exchanged the 25amp for a 20 on my way home today. I spoke with one of the electricians at work and he told me it's in code to use a 30amp with 12ga in an industrial setting, the wire will handle the current but that's because the kind of wire they use in industry has a thicker cover than the nomex used in residential. I'm learning all kinds of stuff. He asked me what the outlet was for and I told him I could possibly be running a 200x7 or even a 300x7 amplifier plus a pre/amp. He said use the 20amp breaker and stay in code, there is no way an amp like that will ever trip the breaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Man, I'd rather upgrade the wire than downgrade the breaker. Amplifiers draw a LOT of instantaneous current, dude. You don't want to trip the breaker right in the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 ---------------- On 3/5/2004 5:57:55 PM SteelerFan wrote: Well I exchanged the 25amp for a 20 on my way home today. I spoke with one of the electricians at work and he told me it's in code to use a 30amp with 12ga in an industrial setting, the wire will handle the current but that's because the kind of wire they use in industry has a thicker cover than the nomex used in residential. I'm learning all kinds of stuff. He asked me what the outlet was for and I told him I could possibly be running a 200x7 or even a 300x7 amplifier plus a pre/amp. He said use the 20amp breaker and stay in code, there is no way an amp like that will ever trip the breaker. ---------------- He's off his rocker. The Sherbourne 7x200 amplifier requires two 15-amp outlets. The 5x200 version has a single 25amp power cord. They both draw massive current, particularly in transient usage. If you want to limit the dynamic range of the amp (and risk tripping the breaker as I mentioned above) then by all means, use a 20-amp and 12-gauge. One thing I learned from my uncle (a master electrician and a master carpenter) at a very young age - it's always better to overbuild than underbuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Can't you get around all that by just using a MOnster Power line conditioner or something of the like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 No, you can't. Too much current draw for the breaker is too much, and it will trip the breaker. If you're using a big SS amp like that one, it would trip the Monster's internal breakers, too. That's why I recommend a custom-built power conditioning system for any of my clients that buy the Sherwood amps. We make 'em with 12 pound transformers for each outlet in the amp section - they ain't cheap, but they're the only thing that will get the job done other than an industrial UPC system - and those run into the low six figures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 I'll just stick with the 20 amp for now. Just for an experiment I plugged 2 1500 watt hair dryers into it and fired them up full blast and didn't trip it. The hard part was getting the wire thru the first time, I can always go back later and change it out for 10ga and slide in a 30 amp breaker if I feel the need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Good luck with it, then. Hopefully I'm wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 The Grif said: "One thing I learned from my uncle (a master electrician and a master carpenter) at a very young age - it's always better to overbuild than underbuild." I think my electrician listend to your uncle, but took him waaaay too literal. I needed to have another circuit added and had the guy who did the electrical on my house do it. While he was there I pointed out to him that he had my dedicated HT power run (I requested a single 30 amp run to the audio rack) mis-labeled in the breaker box. He said no, it was labeled correctly. I said no, it wasn't. The label says 220v for HT. He said, yes, that's right. At this point we look at each other and he says, "Ruh-roh. I've got 220 running up there. Guess I need to change that huh?" Man...part of me wonders what the 'ol Denon would've looked like plugged into 220v. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 ---------------- On 3/31/2004 2:51:18 PM Tom Adams wrote: Man...part of me wonders what the 'ol Denon would've looked like plugged into 220v. Tom ---------------- Like a smokey fire....hehehehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 ---------------- On 3/31/2004 2:51:18 PM Tom Adams wrote: Man...part of me wonders what the 'ol Denon would've looked like plugged into 220v. Tom ---------------- Like Krispy Kritters? There are heavy duty (30A+) power conditioner systems out there that require 220VAC, and then convert it to 120 for the components. minn_male and I were discussing a few on another thread. Of course, you don't want to know how much they cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 The National Electrical Code is just a guideline. It is not necessarily adopted in part or whole by any particular community or county. You should check with your local building department for specifics. Some communities are more stringent than others. For the most part, any peak transient current demands should be easily met with anything powering any Klipsch system through a 20 amp circuit in a domestic environment with 12 gauge wire. Whether that meets code or not depends on your building department (if your community is not incorporated it probably is under county jurisdiction), not the National Electrical Code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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