When 3 Oil heaters are being used at the same time,the circuit breaker flips after some time.Any suggestions?
Question:We have a 4 b/r 2 story home built 4 years ago. Found 2 power circuit breakers.Formal dining and lounge plus 4 outlets in the kitchen are connected to 1 NOT including Fridge and Oven. The rests (garage, PC+Family+Rumpus+Games+ Laundry room and all of the top floor including all bedrooms and bathrooms) around 20 power outlets are connected to the circuit that trips when we use the heaters (winter time, we prefer the oil heaters). Ducted A/C is 3 phase and separate circuit plus a separate circuit for ducted vaccuum.
Answers:
20 outlets are connected to the breaker that trips? NOOOOOO way.not on a 4 yr old house.unless some idiot wired it. either way, each one of those heaters should have its ONE single circuit run to it.(33yr electrician)
You have a nasty electrical code violation. The number of outlets (lights, plugs) should not exceed 8 for a single breaker.
I would have a qualified electrician look at the house wiring. You have a potentially dangerous situation
Depending on your local codes would depend on how many receptacles you could put on each cicuit. There really is nothing in the national electrical code stating how many receptacles can be on one unless they are for a specified use. For instance, you can put as many convenience outlets on a circuit if they have no spcified use. If you are correct about these receptacles all being on one circuit, yes...the electrician is, was and always will be an idiot. I would never go more than 12 depending on what common sense tells you. You wouldn't put a hall receptacle where you use a vaccum on with an entertainment receptacle that feeds an out door receptacle that you will have 40thousand christmas lights on with while also feeds a receptacle in your living room where you put a 1500watt space heater. That's all common sense on th sparky's part so I would definately have an electrician look at it. It really suprises me that this would happen in a home of only four years old. Heater's are always a problem because they use electricity as a resistor to cause an element to heat up, whether it's a dry element like in your oven or one that heats up a radiant oil tank heater. You said that you have a 3 phase a/c which I find hard to believe because that's generally only for commercial buildings. I live in Omaha Nebraska where there are close to a million people and we only have one house with three phase..that's three hots and one neutral. You sure there aren't just 2hots and a neut.?? Reguardless, you got a mess and need to consult a professional. Generally you can find an electrical contractor that will come out, take a look around and give you a free estimate especially if you are going to use him to take care o your dilema.
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