circuit breaker questions


  #1  
Old 12-07-06, 02:00 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
More information is needed.

You have a 20 amp circuit to your garage. That's fine. Where do you intend to run the wire for this water feature?

Please answer that question, and we'll go from there.

If you want to run the wire to the garage, then I advise against it.

If you want to run the wire to the house then forget about the circuit to the garage. It is not important.
 
  #2  
Old 12-07-06, 02:04 PM
P
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 520
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
circuit breaker questions

Hello, I have 2 questions. I have a 20amp circuit feeding my detached garage. This summer I want to add a water feature to my back yard and want to use this circuit to power my pump. Somebody told me they make a GFIC breaker that would replace my current breaker. This would then protect all my outlets in the garage as well as the pump-is this true? Also is using one of those single size breakers that converts 1 circuit to 2 an acceptable way of adding another circuit to my full panel?
Thanks
Steve
 
  #3  
Old 12-07-06, 02:38 PM
P
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 520
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I wanted to use some uf from the garage to the water feature but want the pump to be GFIC protected. What do you recommend?
 
  #4  
Old 12-07-06, 02:49 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The water feature needs to be GFCI protected no matter what.

I recommend that you either feed the water feature from the main house, or that you upgrade the feed to the garage to be either a sub panel or a multi-wire circuit, and then feed the water feature from the garage.
 
  #5  
Old 12-07-06, 05:50 PM
P
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 520
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
so if I understand what your saying, you want that pump on it's own circuit. What about the GFCI? Should I use a GFCI breaker or GFCI outlet where the pump plugs in? What is your opinion of those double circuit single breakers?
 
  #6  
Old 12-07-06, 05:51 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
You aren't paying attention. Please answer the question about where you will run the wire from for your water feature.
 
  #7  
Old 12-07-06, 06:10 PM
P
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 520
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
There is a junction box inside the garage where that 20 amp circuit enters. I wanted to tap into that with some 12-3 underground feeder wire and dig a trench out to the water feature. The pump I want to use only draws 4 amps and I only have a few lights and outlets in the garage.
 
  #8  
Old 12-07-06, 07:15 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central New York State
Posts: 13,245
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I do not recommend that you tap this circuit. You will regret it.

However, if you want to go ahead and do it.

If you I suggest that you put a GFCI at the point of use, rather than in the garage.
 
  #9  
Old 12-07-06, 08:01 PM
HotxxxxxxxOKC's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 7,754
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
His garage outlet power should already be GFCI protected, shouldn't it? He could just tap off that circuit and be fine if the load requirement hasn't been exceeded?
 
  #10  
Old 12-08-06, 03:05 AM
P
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 520
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
as of now my garage circuit is not GFCI protected, thats why I thought of the GFCI breaker that would replace my current one. I thought I could kill 2 birds and protect my garage outlets as well as my pump.I wanted to tap into that garage circuit, run through a switch and then out to the water feature. I could then turn the water feature on/off from the garage.The pump draws such low amps that I thought this would be ok as I don't run high amp power tools etc. from the garage. Those GFCI breakers are kind of pricey but if they protect everything on that circuit I thought that might be the way to go.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: