Breaker size and wire guage?
Question:48 160watt bulb tanning bed running 8 guage wire on 40 amp circuit, has tripped on both tests, after about 8 minutes run time. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
Answers:
33.9 amps for bulbs plus the tranfromer that controls the operation of the bed and the fans would exceed the maximum load ratings of 75% to 80% of the total amps of the breaker this unit should be wired with no. 6 wire on a 50 amp breaker... once you exceed 30 amps on a forty amp breaker the breaker will heat up and kick out...considering there is other items drawing power on this bed other than the lights you just need to upgrade the wire size and breaker...
60 amp breaker 12-2 wire
You start out saying "48". What does the 48 mean? 48 160W lamps in a single tanning bed? The wire, 8g, is appropriate for a 40a circuit, but I don't know that the circuit is properly engineered at 40a since the tanning bed is more than just lamps and I'm unsure what you're getting at with the "48."
What does the manufacturer's tag on the tanning bed say about required ampacity? 120 or 240v?
A 40 amp breaker should carry 40 X 240 = 9600 watts, slightly less if including a safety factor. So if the machine nameplate says more than say 9000 watts, it is drawing more than 40 amps. Just the bulbs aren't drawing enough power to trip breaker as 40 X 160 = 6400 but there are ballasts and maybe fans and other things too. But I don't think it should trip the 40 amp breaker. Try a new breaker and call the company and see what their techs think.
I am not an electrician, but I believe you need a dedicated 100 amp service box for this kind of use, You should check the manufacturers instruction and see a license electrician. it could be a transformer in the unit. either way, be smart and play it safe.
Hey Bobby, are you a bored firefighter from this persons town, looking for excitement? 12 ga wire on a 60 amp breaker? Good way to burn the house down. 12 ga is good for 20 amps dude.
It's really not funny if someone takes the bum electrical advise I've seen on these boards.
48 bulbs at 160 watts each connected to 240 volts would be a 32 amp load. A 40 amp breaker and number 8 wire sounds fine.
Ideas? How far is the run of wire? Long runs can cause voltage drops and raise current. Anything else beside the bulbs on the circuit? Weak circuit breaker tripping at a lower current? Is circuit breaker a GFI type? Is that tripping due to moisture? If I was there I would use an ammeter to check the total current draw. And a voltmeter to check the voltage at the unit under load. 8 minutes suggests the unit is pulling just a little more current than the circuit breaker wants to give it.
Hard to help all the way from here. Email if you want to ask more questions. An electrician may be required.
If the breaker is tripping, it's not the wire size thats causing it.
8ga wire should provide 40-55 amps depending on exact wire you're using. Bad / small wire would give you too little voltage/current.
48 bulbs * 160 Watts = 7,680 Watts
Watts = Current * Voltage so...
7680 = XXXX amps * 230volts
7680/230 = 33.9 Amps
This is slightly above the typical 75% loading factor but nothing I would worry about.
You can verify this by looking at the data plate which should be located close to where the cord enters the machine.
Double check to make sure breaker is not a GFCI (it would have test/reset buttons on it) If it's a GFCI circuit it could be something related to the amount of heat built up in the machine that causes an arc.
If it's not a GFCI, I would look seriously at the breaker itself.
Seems someone mentioned 240 volts & 120 volts. I'm wondering what this Tanning bed is rated for. 120 volts is one hot wire & one neutral wire & a ground wire. 240 volts is Two hot Wires & and ground wire.
You need to check to voltage used and have an electrician hook it up for you properly.
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