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You would need two more circuit breakers in your main panel and run feed wires to each room. You would also have to determine where you could break the existing circuit for the two new rooms being rewired. How easy or hard this is depends on accessibility of the wiring for the rooms, such as in a basement or attic. This type of job will require skills in wiring and creating safe junction boxes. Don't even attempt if you don't know what you are doing.
What else can I help you with?
What is a arc fault breaker?
All circuit breakers are designed to extinguish the arc created when the circuit breaker interrupts an electrical fault current. High-voltage circuits breakers use various techniques such as stretching and cooling the arc, and replacing the arc's path with a dielectric to prevent it from restriking.
Do you need a circuit breaker in a house?
1 for every 13 outlets, lights etc plus one for each major appliance ( heavy duty ) The minimum *required* number of circuit breakers will be dictated by your local building codes, so there is no one answer that will fit all. If you are planning on building or remodeling a house and are just interested in a back of the envelope estimate, keep in mind that up to a point, more circuits, and thus circuit breakers, are better than fewer. At a minimum, I would use a dedicated circuit for each of: - the furnace - the air conditioner - the refrigerator - the stand alone freezer - the basement lights (or the lights for where ever the breaker box is located) - the sump pump (if you have one) - the water pump (if you have one) - the garage door opener By using a dedicated circuit for each, you minimize the chance of a malfunctioning device or frayed extension cord causing the shut down a critical house hold system. From there it's a matter of how many rooms and outlets. For a family room with an entertainment center, computer equipment, etc., two circuits for the outlets and one for any overhead lights would not be unreasonable. On the other hand you might have two bedrooms share the same circuit for wall outlets and another shared circuit for the ceiling lights. If each room has its own air conditioner, the ideal situation is to locate an outlet by the window which is a circuit dedicated just for that air conditioner. As an aside, ground fault detectors are a must for the kitchen and bathroom, but use self contained ground fault outlets rather than a ground fault circuit breaker for these areas. Ground fault circuit breakers are best for outdoor circuits, like outdoor lighting, swimming pools, etc. While the building codes may dictate a minimum number of circuits needed, based on the size of the house, there is nothing to stop you from having more. What you will need to do however, is make sure you do not exceed the capacity of your electrical service. For that the services of a licensed electrician are highly recommended.
Why circuit breakers do not trip even though there is a fault?
1. Maybe you are using more than you think. Hair dryers really suck a lot of juice. 2. You may have a low-amp breaker with a lot of outlets wired to it. 3. It really depends on how many amps are being pulled vs how many amps the breaker can handle. What you need to do is identify every light and outlet that is wired to that breaker. Next time the breaker trips, leave it off and start figuring this out. Identify every light that is no longer working. Then carry a lamp (better yet, a night-light) around your house and try it in every outlet, identifying the ones that don't work. Before you flip the breaker switch, look at the switch. It should tell you how many amps it can handle before it trips. Overhead light fixture generally suck about 2-3 amps. A celing fan another 2-3 (a combination ceiling fan with light kit, around 5). Add up all the fixtures you identified as being on that circuit, and that's how many amps you are pulling, even when nothing is plugged into an outlet on that circuit. Now, a general rule in electrical wiring is that you're not supposed to have fixtures and outlets on the same circuit. I don't think there's any real danger in doing that, but it just kind of makes it easier to keep everything organized. So it may or may not be true in your house. So you may not have any fixtures at all on the circuit. If you don't, then ignore the lights and ceiling fans. Your load on that circuit is whatever appliances you have plugged in and running at the time. If you DO have fixtures on the circuit, then you can add the amps from those fixtures. Growing up, I lived in a house where the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room were all on the same circuit. That circuit must have been a huge number of amps to support all that. But nevertheless, if you turned on the hair dryer while the clothes dryer and bathroom vent were both on, it tripped the breaker every time. And the lights went out in all three rooms. Solutions? Well, if turning on your hair dryer is what causes the breaker to trip, you can try drying your hair when other things on that circuit are not operating. Or just plug your hair dryer in to an outlet that is not on that breaker. That's the easiest thing to do. You might also think about putting a bigger (more amps) breaker on that circuit in your breaker box (I suggest you don't do this yourself - hire an electrician). Another option is to change some of the outlets and/or fixtures to another circuit, one that doesnt have as much load on it. This will require some re-wiring, which, with a little bit of knowledge, you can do yourself. But if you are not comfortable with that, then again, hire an electrician. Overhead fixtures aren't so bad because the wiring is usually up in your attic. You just need to identify which wires are on which circuits and divert another circuit to include your fixtures. Also, you need to make sure that the old circuit is still continuous (if there was a fixture in between the breaker and an outlet, or between two outlets, and you took that fixture off the circuit, then you have to complete the circuit between the breaker and outlet, or between the two outlets, directly - make sense?). The thing that you have to keep in mind is that, while you are decreasing the load on one circuit, you are increasing the load on the other circuit, and you don't want to put so much on the other circuit that it starts to trip. Oh one warning. Anything that draw a LOT of amps, like a hair dryer or clothes dryer or chop saw, should never be plugged into any outlet that is on the same circuit with electronic devices (TVs, stereos, computers, DVD players). Even if it doesn't trip the breaker (a potential disaster for some electronics), the current change created by turning the high-amp appliance on and off can damage the sensitive components of such electronics. So-called "surge protectors" are not sufficient for protecting your electronic equipment from this - they only protect against minor fluctuations caused by slight changes in the current coming into your house.
What is switch gear and what is anti slam of circuit breaker?
Switchgear is a combination of electrical disconnect switches, fuses, or circuit breakers used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment. Anti-slam functionality in a circuit breaker refers to a feature that prevents the breaker from closing too quickly or forcefully, reducing wear and tear on the equipment and minimizing the risk of damage or injury. This feature is especially important in high-voltage applications where sudden power surges or fluctuations can occur.
What is a switchgear room?
A switchgear room is a room in a building which contains switchgear. It is typically a locked room in the ground floor of a building where the service enters the property. It would usually contain the supply authority's meters and the main protective devices (fuses, breakers) for the building's electrical installation. The room should not be used for storage or any other use.A different answerA switchgear room is an enclosed space - within an electrical power generating station or substation - in which are located high-voltage circuit breakers, protective relays, battery supplies, etc. The types of circuit breakers located inside switchgear rooms are indoor types and not suitable for locating in the substation compound. In the UK, these types of circuit breaker are typically metal-clad 11-kV oil circuit breakers (OCBs), and are supplied from primary (33/11-kV) transformers located in the substation compound and, themselves, supplied from outdoor-type 33-kV circuit breakers in the same compound.
When a home circuit breaker opens the lights in some rooms go off but the lights in some rooms stay on. Explain why.?
The circuit breakers in a panelboard feed separate circuits. The lights that stay on are on a different circuit than the ones that go off. To fine the circuit that feeds the lights that stay on, go to the panelboard and turn off the breakers one by one until the lights go out. This is the circuit that feeds that circuit of lights. Remember that lights and receptacles can be on the same circuit together.
What does an electric circuit mean?
Current is supplied through metal, usually copper wires. Wiring within a typical house is divided into several circuits. Thus a group of lights in a room or group of rooms may be on a circuit. Also a group of power sockets (into which you can plug in toasters, radios, TV's etc.) may form a circuit. A clothes washer may be on a separate circuit. The clothes dryer may be on a separate circuit. The central Air Conditioning unit cum heating unit may be on a separate circuit. The electric stove and oven may be on a separate circuit and so on. The reason for segmenting the circuits is safety, cost, and Electrical Codes established by the government. Remember also that each of the circuits has its own circuit breaker. The current carrying capacity of a wire depends on its diameter. If the diameter is large it can carry more current. However bigger the diameter, more expensive is the wire. The architect and builder must first estimate the total amperes that will nominally be used by the house and ask the power company to provide say 100 Amp service or 200 Amp service etc. The power company will then provide wires and circuitry to the power box just outside the house capable of supporting that required amperes. The architect and the builder will then design circuits within the house to support the different appliances. Low consumption lights and fans may be on one circuit (smaller diameter wires) with its own circuit breaker for safety. High current consuming appliances will usually be on separate circuits (bigger diameter wires) with their own circuit breakers, again for safety. Now if you plug in an electric stove cum oven into a circuit designed and designated for lights, you will overload the circuit and hopefully the circuit breaker on the lights circuit will pop and cut off the current. If this safety feature was not there, then the light circuit which was designed to carry less current (small diameter wire) will now have to carry a much larger current to run the electric stove cum oven. The current carried will be too great for the small diameter wire and hence the circuit gets overloaded. If the circuit breaker was not there, the small diameter wire will be heated to a very high temperature and a wire accident will be imminent. HENCE IN A NUTSHELL OVERLOADING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS PASSING MORE CURRENT THAN THE CIRCUIT WAS DESIGNED FOR. Recognize that the voltage used also has an effect on the load characteristics of a circuit/appliance. Thus appliances designed for 110V use will pose problems when used with 220V including fire and electrocution. Circuit overloading occurs in audio circuits as well leading to frequency and/or amplitude distortion.
What does electrical circuits mean?
Current is supplied through metal, usually copper wires. Wiring within a typical house is divided into several circuits. Thus a group of lights in a room or group of rooms may be on a circuit. Also a group of power sockets (into which you can plug in toasters, radios, TV's etc.) may form a circuit. A clothes washer may be on a separate circuit. The clothes dryer may be on a separate circuit. The central Air Conditioning unit cum heating unit may be on a separate circuit. The electric stove and oven may be on a separate circuit and so on. The reason for segmenting the circuits is safety, cost, and Electrical Codes established by the government. Remember also that each of the circuits has its own circuit breaker. The current carrying capacity of a wire depends on its diameter. If the diameter is large it can carry more current. However bigger the diameter, more expensive is the wire. The architect and builder must first estimate the total amperes that will nominally be used by the house and ask the power company to provide say 100 Amp service or 200 Amp service etc. The power company will then provide wires and circuitry to the power box just outside the house capable of supporting that required amperes. The architect and the builder will then design circuits within the house to support the different appliances. Low consumption lights and fans may be on one circuit (smaller diameter wires) with its own circuit breaker for safety. High current consuming appliances will usually be on separate circuits (bigger diameter wires) with their own circuit breakers, again for safety. Now if you plug in an electric stove cum oven into a circuit designed and designated for lights, you will overload the circuit and hopefully the circuit breaker on the lights circuit will pop and cut off the current. If this safety feature was not there, then the light circuit which was designed to carry less current (small diameter wire) will now have to carry a much larger current to run the electric stove cum oven. The current carried will be too great for the small diameter wire and hence the circuit gets overloaded. If the circuit breaker was not there, the small diameter wire will be heated to a very high temperature and a wire accident will be imminent. HENCE IN A NUTSHELL OVERLOADING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS PASSING MORE CURRENT THAN THE CIRCUIT WAS DESIGNED FOR. Recognize that the voltage used also has an effect on the load characteristics of a circuit/appliance. Thus appliances designed for 110V use will pose problems when used with 220V including fire and electrocution. Circuit overloading occurs in audio circuits as well leading to frequency and/or amplitude distortion.
Why would using a small kitchen appliance trip the circuit breaker for the bedrooms and not for the outlet that it is plugged into?
Kitchen outlets are rated at 20 amps and only dedicated for the kitchen. code states that there must be two 20 amp circuits supplying kitchen small appliances. bedroom outlets are fed by a 15 amp circuit most likely and that circuit is most likely feeding two rooms or so.
Why would power go off and on in 3 rooms and no circuit breaker tripped?
You have a loose connection somewhere. May be at the service panel itself. Check the circuit feeding those rooms at the breaker and check the neutral wire connection. If they are good these rooms may be feed out of a junction box which should be accessible if it was wired to code. Find that junction box and check all the connections. These are sometimes very hard to find.
What does overloading an electrical circuit mean?
Current is supplied through metal, usually copper wires. Wiring within a typical house is divided into several circuits. Thus a group of lights in a room or group of rooms may be on a circuit. Also a group of power sockets (into which you can plug in toasters, radios, TV's etc.) may form a circuit. A clothes washer may be on a separate circuit. The clothes dryer may be on a separate circuit. The central Air Conditioning unit cum heating unit may be on a separate circuit. The electric stove and oven may be on a separate circuit and so on. The reason for segmenting the circuits is safety, cost, and Electrical Codes established by the government. Remember also that each of the circuits has its own circuit breaker. The current carrying capacity of a wire depends on its diameter. If the diameter is large it can carry more current. However bigger the diameter, more expensive is the wire. The architect and builder must first estimate the total amperes that will nominally be used by the house and ask the power company to provide say 100 Amp service or 200 Amp service etc. The power company will then provide wires and circuitry to the power box just outside the house capable of supporting that required amperes. The architect and the builder will then design circuits within the house to support the different appliances. Low consumption lights and fans may be on one circuit (smaller diameter wires) with its own circuit breaker for safety. High current consuming appliances will usually be on separate circuits (bigger diameter wires) with their own circuit breakers, again for safety. Now if you plug in an electric stove cum oven into a circuit designed and designated for lights, you will overload the circuit and hopefully the circuit breaker on the lights circuit will pop and cut off the current. If this safety feature was not there, then the light circuit which was designed to carry less current (small diameter wire) will now have to carry a much larger current to run the electric stove cum oven. The current carried will be too great for the small diameter wire and hence the circuit gets overloaded. If the circuit breaker was not there, the small diameter wire will be heated to a very high temperature and a wire accident will be imminent. HENCE IN A NUTSHELL OVERLOADING AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS PASSING MORE CURRENT THAN THE CIRCUIT WAS DESIGNED FOR. Recognize that the voltage used also has an effect on the load characteristics of a circuit/appliance. Thus appliances designed for 110V use will pose problems when used with 220V including fire and electrocution. Circuit overloading occurs in audio circuits as well leading to frequency and/or amplitude distortion.
Why is the power not working in certain rooms?
The power may not be working in certain rooms due to issues such as a tripped circuit breaker, a blown fuse, a faulty outlet, or a problem with the wiring. It is important to check these potential causes and address them to restore power to the affected rooms.
What function does a circuit serve in your home?
it runs electricity to different rooms and regulates it. Has a max capacity and when reaches it it will trip or break. then you go to the Breaker and switch it back.
What is a arc fault breaker?
All circuit breakers are designed to extinguish the arc created when the circuit breaker interrupts an electrical fault current. High-voltage circuits breakers use various techniques such as stretching and cooling the arc, and replacing the arc's path with a dielectric to prevent it from restriking.
Can you have multiple rooms on one circuit breaker?
It all depends on the load potential on each circuit. There are rules in the national Electric Code on how many outlets per 15 or 20 Amp circuits. As a worse case you will trip the breaker on a regular basis with more potential load. Also the wire size and devices must be compatible on both circuits.----------------------------Answer for USAThe code allows 2 wires connected to one breaker so long as the two wires are the same size and both are either stranded or solid, and not one stranded and the other solid. This prohibits the terminal from being tight on the larger wire and loose on the smaller wire. Many local jurisdictions do not allow this as it often involves this problem and shows a lack of professional workmanship.As for the word 'circuit', on any single pole breaker there can be only one circuit. Even if two wires are terminated, there is still only one circuit. It is no different than if you run one wire out to a junction box and branched off in two different directions from there. And running a single set of wires, hot/neutral/ground, out to a junction box and branching off from there is a more professional installation. It prohibits the look of poor workmanship in the panel and allows for the splicing of different sized or solid and stranded wires. All wires must be sized for the breaker as if it were the only wire on the circuit.When making modifications or repairs to older homes it is sometimes necessary to do what is necessary given the circumstances. Yes, I have landed more than one wire on a breaker. Yes, I have landed different sized wires on a single breaker. But you must be sure the wires are tight and not be guessing.Before you do any work yourselfon circuits, equipment or appliances,ensure the circuit is, in fact, OFF.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Lost electricity to 3 rooms and you checked the circuit breaker and they are all in What else might be the problem?
If the circuit breakers are confirmed to be in the "on" position and the power is still out in those rooms, the issue may lie with a tripped GFCI outlet in one of the rooms, a faulty electrical outlet or switch, or a problem with the wiring in those specific areas. It's recommended to consult a qualified electrician to further diagnose and address the problem.
Can a single pole 20 amp breaker power 10 outlets and three standard light fixtures?
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.In a home this is certainly acceptable. I want to caution you on putting too many rooms on one breaker because if the breaker trips you'll be in the dark with no alternative light or power.In a commercial or industrial setting you need to separate the lights on a different circuit than your outlets.As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
