Too much for 15A breakers?

[O.B.]

In figuring out what was hooked up to each breaker in my house, I found two breakers that had a lot connected to them. Should I be worried?

One 15A breaker has:

- 3 overhead light & fan combos (one for each bedroom)

- 2 bathroom vanity lights

- 2 bathroom exhaust fans

- 4 outlets (master bedroom)

Another 15A breaker has:

- 2 double-light outdoor flood lights

- 3 outdoor incandescent lights

- 1 4ft fluorescent tube light (4 tubes) - kitchen

- 1 incandescent light in kitchen

- 1 overhead light & fan combo (living room)

- 1 overhead light (front entry)

The remaining three 15A breakers have 4, 4, and 7 outlets (respectively) on them.

[Tom Horne]

I do not see any obvious problems with your branch circuit loading.

-- Tom Horne

[Mark or Sue]

Are the breakers tripping? If not, then no. There is no limit in the NEC for the number of outlets on a residential circuit. For lights, I wouldn't worry at all. For receptacles, I'd like to see no more than 8 to 10 links in the "daisy chain", but that is just me.

-- Mark Kent, WA

[JezzCE]

You should be concerned with what are turned on at the same time. For example, you could drying your hair with a blower dryer (1500 watt) while your wife is trying to vaccum (1000 watt), then the breaker will trip for sure. You should estimated and limited your concurrent usage.

[Toller]

It doesn't matter how many things are attached to the circuit; it matters how much you are actually running. It doesn't appear particularly bad, but if you are concerned, get an amp meter and put it on the wire at the breaker box. Turn everything on and see how high it goes.

I was concerned because one whole side of my cottage was on a single circuit, but when I tested it out, every single device had to be running to exceed the limit, and that wasn't likely.

[Dennis J Sunday]

OB, Total wattage load is going to determine tripping point of breakers. You have some fixed loads (fans and lights) and some outlets in which YOU will place additional load on the 15 amp circuit. You can add up the fixed loads, and get an idea of what you can plug in to place the circuit at 100%. 1800 watts works out to 15 amp at 120 volt.

Best Regards, Dennis J Sunday Home Inspection Systems

[Mark]

Contrary to what others have said, you do have the potential for tripping the second breaker quite easily.

Let's say you're having an evening outdoor party...

If those flood lights have 300W lamps in them, you'll be pulling 1200W with both fixtures on. The other outdoor lights (with 100W lamps) are probably on as well. Now you're up to 1500W, or, at a nominal 120V, 12.5A. Since it's a party, the kitchen lights and entry light will be on as well, pulling (possibly) 360W, so now you're at 15.1A, the limit of the breaker.

So I guess you shouldn't throw a party in the evening.

[zxcvbob]

Or use 175W (or smaller) flood lamps and 60W in the other outdoor fixures (or 13W or 19W compact fluorescents). I'm looking at the box for my spare outdoor flood lamp and it's 100W (GE halogen PAR38). I think you'd have to look pretty hard to find 300W reflector lamps. There's only a problem if "funkjunk" goes out of his way to max out each light fixture.

Best regards, Bob

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

If your worried about it. Go turn on everything that is on each of the circuits and let them run for 15 minutes. If your over loading anything. The breaker will tell you if it is. If the break lets you do it. Hey , live on. If not get it looked at by a electrician as to the problem.

TURTLE

[O.B.]

You are correct. I use between 100 and 150 W bulbs; depending on the lighting situation at each point in the yard (don't need to light the neighbor's yard, just mine).

-OB

[Bill]

No, don't be worried. Breakers will trip if a circuit is overloaded. Keep in mind that *not* everything will be turned on at the same time, so you can have more than 15 amps of "stuff" connected to a 15 amp breaker and be just fine.

Only be concerned if you have a breaker tripping. Then it would be time to install a new circuit. And then you can leave most of the stuff as-is, but install a new 20 amp circuit and outlet to a power hog like refrigerator, microwave, window A/C, etc. Older homes may have a kitchen and bedroom on the same 15 amp circuit. Then you get a computer in the bedroom, the refrigerator kicks on, and pop goes the breaker. [Easy solution is to put refrigerator on its own circuit in this case. Then just one wire needs to be run.]

[HA HA Budys Here]

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Not likely most are 150 or 75 watt, and now the trend is 65 - 90w halogen bulbs and even (I just picked up 4 cases of 6, for 5 bucks a case at the Home Depot) 14w flourescent par bulbs...

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-------------------------------- Sounds like a white trash party to me. Who has an outdoor dinner party under all that lighting? Evening parties should be lit artificially only from afar, otherwise, use candles and torches. It's much classier and won't overload your circuits. Also, you won't attract as many light-seeking insects, and those that do come will be burned to a crisp by the flames. Also, posters who complain about my critique are also likely to be burned to a crisp by the flames...

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