# Ive run out of electricity!



## Turbophanx (Jun 30, 2008)

so I tripped circuit breakers last night 6 times. I learned that 3 of the outlets I used at different parts of the house are all tied to the same breaker.

So how can I separate them or at least increase the amount of things I can plug into it?

Time to call in someone to fix this?


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## bfjou812 (Aug 15, 2008)

The best solution is to probably add a sub panel so you take some of the load off the main panel. I would get an electrician to check this out if you have little or no electrical expierence.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Definitely get something done by a professional. Electricity is one of those things not worth taking chances with unless you're trained to do the work.


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

I actually added 3 new circuit breakers 3 years ago at varios parts of the haunt. Beware the Monster!! Once you add more available power YOU WILL USE it UP!! 

here we have NO Power due to Sandy But I have 3 Generators comming in totalling over 15,000 watts just to run our postponed haunt either Saturday or Monday (Some confusion about this). I can't wait to celebrate Halloween ON Halloween. AND I can't wait to actually use House hold Power. This is the 3rd year out of 5 we've had major weather affect Halloween.


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## camsauce (Oct 16, 2009)

Before you go invest into updated electricity wiring I'd first take a pass at reducing your electrical load. Switch your lighting to CFL or LED, use battery powered items, consolidate foggers, etc. Most circuits are 15 AMP. Take all of the items you have plugged in and add up the watts then divide by 120 to get your amps. If you are close to 15 then its time to reduce or move some props to another circuit. Good Luck!


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## Turbophanx (Jun 30, 2008)

5 foggers, 2 are 1000 watt. Everything else is CFL or audio.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

P.S. I vote for no running the microwave during ToTing hours as the quick and easy solution:googly:


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## R. Lamb (Oct 11, 2011)

Same problem here. only 5 circuits in the entire house and the yard haunt loads them to capacity. I have to agree with RoxyBlue about the microwave. My wife turned it on last night and I lost half the haunt. ( I Should probably let her out of the box soon.) We have plans to upgrade the panel someday but life and finances keep getting in the way.


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## MansionHaunter (Sep 20, 2006)

The other thing that needs to be considered about running circuits outside is that they need to be on a GFCI. Indoors is one thing... but as soon as your extension cords and outlets have the potential for getting moisture on them (as is something we face daily here in Oregon) then you need to be sure you're using a GFCI. 

You didn't mention having anything running outside, so if this doesn't apply, then never mind.

But the basic rule applies: don't muck with it. Get a professional to add a sub-panel.


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## Rage (Oct 23, 2012)

One other to notice is that each circuit has a load rating for amperage. If you can use another circuit that may not be so loaded then your balancing the load on several circuits (say like one in the living room and one from a spare bedroom).


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Turbophanx said:


> so I tripped circuit breakers last night 6 times. I learned that 3 of the outlets I used at different parts of the house are all tied to the same breaker.
> 
> So how can I separate them or at least increase the amount of things I can plug into it?
> 
> Time to call in someone to fix this?


Like everyone else has said, have an electrician take a look if you are not comfortable with diving into your breaker panel.

Three different outlets tripping the same breaker means two things. Either all three outlets are on the same string to a single breaker, or the electrician who wired your house originally cheated and ran three different lines to a single breaker. (Two is common on older houses, newer codes don't allow it generally)

Most breaker boxes have empty slots that are not yet filled. Looking at the face of the breaker panel will show any unused knockouts.
Depending on the location of your breaker panel, it's not too difficult to add an additional line on it's own new breaker to power a new series of outside outlets. I'm assuming you weren't running 5 foggers indoors.

As a cost saving measure, if you aren't comfortable with electricity, you could install the exterior outlets, run exterior conduit, and install the hard wiring all the way up to the breaker box yourself (all the labor intensive stuff but not that difficult). Some quick internet searches will give really easy DIY instructions. Then call in an electrician to do an inspection of your work and do the final connection to the breaker box.

Hope that helps some.


***edit***
Just a word of caution, if you do remove the breaker panel to inspect inside, those two big silver wires coming into your main breaker can and will kill you. Those are the real dangerous ones. Please don't touch those.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

I'd put in a vote for taking at stab at load balancing, too. Most houses have 100+ amps of service...older ones maybe a bit less, newer ones a bit more. Sounds like you just happen to have everything on one circuit.

So, trip that breaker and see what else is still running. Are there other outlets you can use which are still running? You may find while that one circuit serves 3 rooms, you may also have one room with 3 different circuits available.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Something else to consider, get and use true heavy duty extension cords. Standard duty cords are great for light duty work, but they can bog down your setup by adding resistance and making your equipment stop or overheat. I learned that lesson several years ago doing a lecture and show in front of several hundred people, my compressor (it was a demo of airbrushing) overheated in a hurry because of the cord. Embarrassing, but I learned my lesson. The high draw of the compressor was within the limit of my power source, but the lighter weight cord ended up being the culprit. Heavy duty cords cost more, but they are definitely worth the investment.


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## typoagain (Feb 27, 2012)

One thing you might consider the a option that is fairly common among the Christmas decorating crowd, a portable sub panel.

Basically you add a 50-60 amp, 220V circuit with a large plug to your existing panel. Then you build a temporary panel on a portable wall. This panel connects to the 60 amp circuit by a BIG (and expensive) extension cord. You can get as much 110V power from this as many older homes have in their entirety. 

This really gets to be an attractive option if your looking at the possibility of moving in the next 3-4 years.

I chose NOT to do this. I was looking at upgrading my power panel for insurance reasons anyway, so I did that. I also added outlets in my backyard, garage and front porch along with adding power to my storage building, all at the same time. I actually did a lot of the work myself.

That said, load reduction is always the best option. 

LED lights are great. They don't get hot and use 10-15% of the power of Incandescent s. Not to mention they last a lot longer. I am actually building all my Halloween and most of my Christmas props so they use 12V LEDs. Not only does the lighting last nearly forever, but it is a LOT safer than 110V lights. Yes is cost a bit more up front, but in the long run it will save you both time and money.

The nice thing about Halloween is that you actually want it to be dark. Because of this I also starting to use a lot of battery power lights at Halloween. I build then using AA battery packs and 9V transistor (rechargeable) batteries. I have a pair of LED eyes inside of a couple of display items. The AA powered eyes have been running now for about 36 hours and are going strong. The 9V transistors have about the same. I am leaving them on just to see how long they will run.

I also use a lot of rechargeable batteries around the house. With toys, clocks, cameras, etc, they get a lot of use.

If you looking at compressors, remember that a 220v is more efficient than a 110V.

Always make sure that your wiring is big enough to carry the load you have. Even a marginally undersized cord can add a ton of load on the power panel.

So there you have my opinion. Just remember I only claim that it is worth as much as you have paid for it! My best opinion is to as for a LOT of advice and carefully choose what works best for you.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

We had an electrician check our breaker panel & install more exterior outlets. It was less costly than we expected & money well spent.

We also have a generator that can be used. Again, well worth the money. 

I second the LED & battery idea...you might have to reconfigure your haunt or how you light it, but that's at least a stop gap idea. When desperate for more lights, I've lit tombstones and props with candles & flashlights...

**********"Then call in an electrician to do an inspection of your work and do the final connection to the breaker box."*********

Most electricians will not sign off on work they have not installed themselves.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

debbie5 said:


> We had an electrician check our breaker panel & install more exterior outlets. It was less costly than we expected & money well spent.
> 
> **********"Then call in an electrician to do an inspection of your work and do the final connection to the breaker box."*********
> 
> Most electricians will not sign off on work they have not installed themselves.


Some really good advise being posted as I completely forgot to mention about heavy gauge extension cords. They are a must have.

And regarding the inspection, that sentence didn't come across as I had intended. Debbie is 100% correct, you won't find anybody willing to sign off on code work that they didn't perform. That would be illegal and put their job at risk.

What I was trying to say is that most electricians that I have worked with are more than happy to help answer any questions that you may have about wiring or work that you have performed.

Codes vary by state, but most are very similar, and it usually is pretty simple to look up what is required to be done. Most allow homeowners to do a fair amount of work without the need for county inspections and permits. This is on a county by county basis, so I would look into what yours requires.

One other side note, if you do discover that the problem lies within your breaker panel, is that many insurance policies will cover complete replacement. It can cost a couple grand being done by a licensed electrician and will only set you back your deductible.

Hope you get it figured out.


***edit***
Quick search turned up this link on basic code stuff and has some other useful reading if you are interested.
Linky


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