Can someone tell me if it is safe and legal for me to extend this line to provide outlets for the air conditioners?
Thanks!
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I have two 8.4 Amp, 110V air conditioners to install at home on the same end of the loft. In the ceiling there is a 30A circuit feeding five 100w light bulbs in ceiling fixtures, and that's everything on the circuit right now. (There are no outlets on the circuits, just the five fixtures for the five bulbs.)
I imagine your window AC's are 'cord connected' and use a standard 15A rated plug connector.
At issue here is the 30A circuit - all the wiring, receptacles, cord connections would be required to be rated 30A....Not Likely given your ACs probably have 15A rated plug connection. The mfr. label on the ACs should indicate the maximum circuit rating (prob. not over 20A).
At issue here is the 30A circuit - all the wiring, receptacles, cord connections would be required to be rated 30A....Not Likely given your ACs probably have 15A rated plug connection. The mfr. label on the ACs should indicate the maximum circuit rating (prob. not over 20A).
Am kind of curious though - what are you doing with a 30A rated circuit for a few light fixtures?...I'm wondering if that circuit was ever sized properly (i.e. what size is the wiring on that circuit? ...since this is a lighting circuit it just may have been wired with #14 [thus a 15A max rated circuit]and someone put the wrong breaker in....something to check).
[This message has been edited by dana1028 (edited July 10, 2003).]
After I posted the question I began to wonder about the rating of the wiring too.
No, it isn't sized properly, it's 12 gauge.
This is a loft where the landlord started a haphazard conversion 25 years ago and still hasn't finished. I'm sure the breaker was an error.
My new plan was to re-route the lights to a 20A circuit that usually carries about 10A, and then run new conduit also with 12 gauge wire and dedicate it to the air conditioners.
BUT, from what you are saying running them on the 30A breaker is most likely problematic even if I'm staying within 20 amps for the wiring. (The ac's arrive tomorrow so that's when I'll know the max. circuit size.)
I am currently in court with the landlord on other matters and I doubt I'll get quick action from him to swap the 30 for a 20. As a stop gap measure would it risk life and/or air conditioner to proceed as planned but put a 15 amp power strip between each unit and it's receptacle, (and seal up the other outlets in each strip). I say 15 instead of 10 because I've never seen a 10 amp power strip. It would be temporary as the landlord is required to upgrade the power to our unit anyway and the breaker would be swapped out then.
[This message has been edited by Opie (edited July 10, 2003).]
