Swap Circuit Breaker in US???

[cadguy]

Greetings from across the pond!

I just bought a home and am working on creating an office in the basement. (I work from a home office, and right now all power is coming from a poorly located extension cord as there are no outlets in this room.)

As I work from home, and use several computers and many accessories in my business, I want to be sure I do this right for the safety of my equipment and the house.

It appears that 1/2 the basement is on one 10amp breaker. As nearly as I can tell, this serves 4 60W ceiling lights and about 6 wall outlets (2 of which are GFCI). At cursory review, the circuitry may be questionable, as simply plugging in a power bar (outlet strip) in a plain outlet causes the adjacent GFCI to trip. But that's a separate issue...

My current question is this:
Can I use the single circuit to power those lights and outlets (although they are unlikely to be used) as well as my office? I will have several computers, 2 laser printers, etc.

Can this all be on one circuit?
If so, is 10amp sufficient?
If not, is this a DIY or a pro job?

I have done a fair amount of basic wiring, but never anything inside the panel. (Not sure if it is legal or prudent to do so unlicensed.)

Thanks!

 

[ZenStalinist]

10 amps at 110 volts is not sufficient for powering even a single outlet.
Outlets are rated at 15 amps - I think 10 amp circuits are for lighting only, maybe fixed appliances also that use less than 10 amps. You should use 15 amps to power one outlet, this includes double outlets. As for bigger circuits I'm not sure, it might be 20 amp circuits, but I am not sure. Therefore, I think your wiring may be incorrect.

I believe that you're supposed to use separate circuits for lighting and outlets, and I know 10 amps is appropriate for lighting.

Adding a breaker can be a DIY job, though I stronlgy suggest you buy a good book about home electrics first (i.e. a book dedicated to the subject, not just a DIY book with a section about electrics) and familiarize yourself with everything.

You should also check that the wire guage is appropriate. It's likely only meant to handle 10 amps.

My advice would be to check over the wiring, and what condition it is in, and then create a 10 amp circuit for the lights, and a circuit for the outlets. Info as to what AWG wire to use or what breaker to use for the socket circuit I'm not sure of, you should ask on an american forum. It is legal in the USA to DIY about everything to do with your electricity except the supply company's equipment. However, given the federalized nature of your country, it may be illegal on a state (I don't think any states ban DIY electrics), county, or city level. This isn't usually the case, but is probably worth looking into.

 

[Paul_C]

Hi Cadguy,

There is no problem with a single circuit feeding the outlets you list, provided that the anticipated load is not excessive, but as ZenStalinist pointed out, standard receptacles are rated 15A and that is the smallest size of circuit breaker that should be feeding the circuit. Where more than one receptacle is on the circuit, it is also permissible under the NEC (National Electrical Code) to run the circuit as 20A, provided suitably sized cables are used. There are exceptions, but in general you would need to use #14 cable on a 15A branch and #12 on a 20A circuit.

Under NEC rules, if any of the receptacles on the circuit are 20A types (as indicated by a T-slot neutral) then the circuit should be 20A rather than 15A anyway.

It is quite normal in American wiring to have lights on the same general purpose 15 or 20A circuits as receptacles.

Regarding the total load, a 15A circuit is good for up to 1800 watts, a 20A circuit for 2400W.

As for whether you need to obtain a permit for the wiring and/or have it inspected, this will depend very much upon where you live and the details can vary considerably with state/county/locality. Best to ask at City Hall.