electricians please help me out ++ easy for you

SHOTTY6868

SHOTTY6868

Well-Known Member
i currently have a 20amp 220 breaker and im using it solely for 1 600watt bringing used amps to 3.5. i wanna add another light onto that 220 circuit. can i just buy another 220v receptacle and jumper over my existing 220v wires and ground and that will be my 2 receptacles for my 2 600w lights?
 
A

auto

Active Member
SHOTTY6868 said:
i currently have a 20amp 220 breaker and im using it solely for 1 600watt bringing used amps to 3.5. i wanna add another light onto that 220 circuit. can i just buy another 220v receptacle and jumper over my existing 220v wires and ground and that will be my 2 receptacles for my 2 600w lights?
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im not sure i gathered much of that but you can have 2400 watts come out of 1 socket, but that will not be your issue, its over loading the circuit (circuit being everything controled by the breaker at the board) "the switch".

a rough guide is johnny can have 10 400watt lights on a power cicuit 2.5mm2 cable (not a light circuit).
 
X

Xephro

Active Member
SHOTTY6868 said:
im pretty sure i can just jumper it and it will remain under the 80% limit. im good, yhea
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Yes you're right.. a 20 amp circuit can safely be used to 80% it's limit or 16 amps. Bumping that circuit's load from 3.5 to 7 amps is totally safe, just be sure the wiring is done correctly with properly sized wire.
 
K

knowBody

Well-Known Member
Will be safe. I am actually an electrician and yes, 80 to 85 percent is the recommended by the NEC. You can go up to 100 percent, but it is recommended to go to 80-85 percent. Even though you circuit breaker is a 20 amp, make sure the wire size being used can hold that load. a 12 awg wire holds 20 amp load. but actually, you are only using a general lighting load, so 15 amps is good enough. 20 amps is for small appliances. 30 amps is for bigger items like clothes dryer, AC heat pumps etc etc.
 
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