15 amp circuit VS. 20 amp Circuit
Hello,
I’m in a situation where my audio room has one ( three outlets ) 15 amp circuit. It appears to me that the 3 outlets in this room are connected in series , meaning drawing current from one outlet will drain the other two .
For 2 channel audio , I have connected my C12000 pre amp, McD12000 and through MPC1500 conditioner and to one of the 15 amp outlets . This should be okay? However, problem could arise once I connect the McIntosh 1.2k power AMPs to the other 2 outlets.
I would like to know if I need any dedicated circuit for my equipment . It appears I need more power than 1400 watts ( 15 amp circuit can provide ) when I use my home theater Where I will have Four 1000 watt woofers and 3 additional AHB2 amps.
Question :
howmany dedicated 15 amp or 20 amp circuits do I need to ensure smooth power without dimming the lights around the house / prevent possible fire ?
Please provide your suggestion based on the below equipment .
DAC: McIntosh MCD12000
Power Conditioner: MPC15000
preamp : McIntosh C12000
AV Processor : Marantz 7015
power AMP: Two McIntosh 1.2k
power AMP: Three AHB2 , one used in MonoBlock
Streamer : One Streamer
@impaler you do not think this could be a fire hazard as I will be potentially pulling 4000 watts from subs , 2400 watts on AMP 1 and 2 and 1000 from other amps ? A 15 amp outlet can only cover up to 1800 watts max . How is it okay to draw 5000+ watts from 3 outlets that are interconnected to one 15 amp breaker ? |
@joshziggie2021 Don't lisen to @impaler he doesn't know what he is talking about, you will get better performance from your equipment with dedicated 20 amp circuits. The problem with people who use math on this type of problem is they don't realize just how much the current draw is for really short durations, you can't measure it with a multimeter. |
invalid Sorry to agree to disagree. What you are referring to is the instantaneous peak load response and what you would call droop in that particular measurement, measured in microseconds. To some extent effected by wire gauge and contact resistance in the power delivery circuit, source impedance etc. My point was you would need a great deal of that differential to notice a 15 or 20 amp circuit difference. This can be verifiable if you want to take it to that level. Sometimes sound science and engineering are good things so people aren't wasting their money on snake oil. Again no disrespect to your opinion. joshziggie2021 In your particular case, I am indeed puzzled by the specs you are stating. 4kW for subs and 3.4kW from other amps? This represents a truly incredible amount of energy and, in your case if you are experiencing anywhere near these load values, that would best be served by a minimum of a 60 amp circuit at 120VAC, (30 @ 220VAC)Running 6 or 8 AWG cable. Those load values would be similar to a sound reinforcement system for a small stage. Please guys, I do this for a living. I'm very much all about a solid power supply system, but science and math should dictate, not guesswork. |
I feel we often confuse the Watts rating of our equipment with the real world power they use. I have two Hegel H30 mono amps rated at 1150 watts each. In theory, I require 19 amps just for these. I can tell you that they only draw about 5 amps combined when I am running them. With all the equipment the OP is using, I can see the need for more than one 15 amp breaker. I could be wrong but I would bet the sub amps are D Class and don't draw anywhere near 8 amps (1000/120). Your dimming lights suggest another breaker is required but the fact you're not constantly tripping the current 15 amp breaker tells the tale. |
