alt.energy.homepower

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:38:39 -0700, Roy Terry
wrote:

>Pete C. wrote:
>> clare, at, wrote:
>>> On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:10:22 GMT, invalid@ (Beachcomber)
>>> wrote:
>>>> The key concern is overloads. Both 15 and 20 amp breakers will trip
>>>> on direct shorts (if they are working properly).
>>>>
>>>> There is a tradeoff.
>>>>
>>>> 20A circuits have a convenience factor with the ability to delivery a
>>>> considerable greater amount of power to a given situation. A typical
>>>> example today would be a home office with multiple monitors, printers,
>>>> computers and accessories in addition to whatever other routine loads
>>>> (vacuum cleaners, electric heaters, etc.) are placed on the circuit.
>>> The CORRECT solution to this situation is a split 15 amp circuit.
>>> 15 amps to the top outlet, 15 to the bottom. Done by using 14/3 cable
>>> and double breakers. The legal way is a "tied breaker" which means if
>>> you blow one, it trips the other as well. This is to prevent half of
>>> the box being live.
>>> Untied breakers are often used for this reason.
>>
>> Doing that will also put the two outlets on opposite poles / phases,
>> giving 240V between the upper and lower hot connections. I'm not sure
>> how that works with the ratings of the break off tabs on a duplex
>> receptacle. At any rate a hinky solution at best.
>I see people below disagree with "hinky". I don't know the term.
>However, as the "Joe Blow" guy who messes with outlets occasionally,
>I would be quite unhappily surprised to discover by accident that I
>could get 220 between some wires on the same outlet. Yikes. Also, I've
>got some house intercoms that apparently don't work right when plugged
>into "different legs" of the 240. On the other hand, if I were doing it
>to my own house, it won't be a surprise so who cares?
>(just my 2 cents, etc...)

It's no surprise anyway if you know what you are doing. 3 colours in
the box means their's 220 in there somewhere. Splits will have both
red and black "lives" plus the white "nuetral"
>
>>
>> The truly correct solution is to just install more circuits in locations
>> that need them. Basically instead of the all too common situation of
>> every receptacle in a room being on a single 15A or 20A they should be
>> individual circuits or at least two circuits alternated so any given
>> location is within reach of both circuits.


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