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This wont create a fire hazzard will it?

Can I hook up a 120v magnetic ballast directly to a wall outlet and also the inline fan plug to the same outlet and not have to worry about anything tripping or using 2 much amps.

thanks!

stanard 15 amp outlet wall btw.
 

Dropped Cat

Six Gummi Bears and Some Scotch
Veteran
The rule of thumb is to only load a breaker up to 80% of its capacity.
On a 15-amp service with 14/2 gauge wire one should only load it up
to 12 Amps MAX.

What's the rating of the ballast and fan?
There is a label on all listed equipment with amps and watts.

Also to know what the circuit has wired to it, you
know, how many other outlets and what's plugged in
to them.

Know your wiring and circuits before you start tripping
breakers.

More info by smarter guys than me to follow.
 

Weezard

Hawaiian Inebriatti
Veteran
i have a normal 15amp outlet and the ballast i got is 400watt doesnt say the amps tho

I'm willing to bet that it does.
Look again.
Should be near where the cord connects.

If you still can't find it, I'd say, allowing for losses, figure it at ~4 amps,
Now you will need 2 more pieces of information to get a reasonable answer to your question.

What D.C was saying is that outlet is not the only outlet on that 15 Amp circuit.
There may be several more, in different rooms.

You need to find them and add up the amperage of all loads connected to that circuit.

Lastly, look for the info plate on the fan and add in that amperage.
If it all adds up to more than 12 Amps, your answer is yes, you could cause a fire that insurance companies will refuse to cover.

A cheap and easy workaround is to buy a 12 Ga. extension cord and plug it into an outlet that is fed from a different breaker.
Use that for the fan and sleep easier.

This can have serious consequences so if the above explanation is not crystal clear to you, hire an electrician.:tiphat:

Aloha,
Weezard
 


What D.C was saying is that outlet is not the only outlet on that 15 Amp circuit.
There may be several more, in different rooms.

Weezard

So your saying more then 1 room in the house could be on the same 15 amp circuit?

So for example if i shut the power off to my kitchen and the bathroom also shut off, that would mean both the kitchen and bathroom are on the same outlet?

did i missunderstand ?
 

Weezard

Hawaiian Inebriatti
Veteran
So your saying more then 1 room in the house could be on the same 15 amp circuit?

So for example if i shut the power off to my kitchen and the bathroom also shut off, that would mean both the kitchen and bathroom are on the same outlet?

did i missunderstand ?

Yes, exactly.
They often wire outlets back to back in different rooms when they share a wall.
It's just easier and more efficient during installation.

Turn everything on, then go shut off breakers one at a time and see what gets fed from where.

If you're smart, you will make notes and post them inside the breaker box so you only have to do this once, yah?

Then add up the amps, and get back to growin'

A.,
W.
 
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