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Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ. |
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Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ. |
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In Reply to: No reason to apologize for being thorough posted by ArdRi on August 6, 2007 at 16:32:46:
The amperage drawn through a circuit is 100% dependent on the electrical consumers. They might actually only draw an amp or two, but the circuit is capable of supplying the rated 15 or 20 amps.
Look at the circuit breaker or fuse for that circuit. You'll see the rating. The purpose of the circuit breaker is to protect the wiring from overheating. If the installation is modern, it'll likely have #12 wire and a 20 amp breaker. If older, it might have #14 wire and a 15 amp breaker or fuse. You could use #2/0 wire with a 15 amp breaker and it still won't allow more that 15 amps to pass. By the way, the code requires that the wire and breaker have 125% of the expected amperage draw...an actual 20 amp expected load would require a 30 amp circuit with #10 wire.
The 20 amp receptacle might have heavier internal contacts. What it has for sure is one T-shaped slot. A device that draws more than 12 amps (80% of 15) needs a 20 amp plug which has one blade in the usual vertical orientation and the other blade horizontal. This is designed to idiot-proof the circuit so that it only fits into the 20 amp receptacle which should only be on a 20 amp circuit. I know, this is usually overlooked, but that's the reasoning.
So, use a 20 amp receptacle if you choose, and sleep easy. If the one you pick has heavier internal contacts, good. (Look at plugs in a hardware store...good quality 15 amp plugs and 20 amp plugs have equally heavy blades, just different orientation of one blade.)
By the way, it might be smart to go through the circuit and clean and tighten the connections. Be sure you're safe. The connection of the breaker to the bus bar needs to be clean and snap on tightly. A very light sanding with fine garnet sandpaper (non-conduction) and/or a dab of chemical contact cleaner like Ox-Gard might help. Ditto for the connection where the wire is held in the breaker and for the neutral wire on the neutral bus bar. ALWAYS switch off the main circuit breaker feeding the panel--working on a hot panel is not recommended for long life. The cable connections to the audio receptacle should be mechanically and chemically cleaned. If it is not a dedicated line to the audio system, it is daisy-chained through every receptacle and maybe light switches and fixtures between it and the panel. You've got work to do. Most contact cleaners are merely solvents that remove oil or grease, they don't chemically remove oxidation. Check the label.
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Follow Ups
- RE: No reason to apologize for being thorough - KLS 10:24:38 08/07/07 (0)
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