Splitting an existing 240v

[Antrim]

Just looking to bounce an idea off of a few people before I dig into this project. I'm building a room capable of running six 1000w ballasts off of 240v outlets. My room just so happens to be in the basement right underneath my kitchen where there is a dedicated 240v on a 30A breaker going to my cooktop rated at 4kw. Everything is currently wired with 10awg in 1" rigid conduit.

Does anybody see any problem with replacing the 30A breaker with a 50A, Replacing the 10awg with 6awg, Splitting the 240v (one going up to the cooktop and one going down to the room) and then piggybacking six 240v outlets together?

It all sounds doable to me but I've never taken on an electrical project of this size before. Seems the hardest part would be pulling 6awg through, but I think with a little grease and maybe a come-along it should go smoothly. Any tips/tricks/advice/cheat codes you guys could give me would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[eebbnflow]

You could ask Rives . He has a thread for these questions and has proven to be extremely helpful . Check the top of the page for his thread.

I replaced a 30 amp fuse block with 60 amp fuses. I also removed the 10g wire and replaced it with 6g wire to run a 60a sub panel with a 20a and 30a 2 pole breaker . Seek rives he will help you

 

[FireIn.TheSky]

You want to use the same circuit for the cook top and the lights?

 

[Chimera]

BBQ?

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

Just looking to bounce an idea off of a few people before I dig into this project. I'm building a room capable of running six 1000w ballasts off of 240v outlets. My room just so happens to be in the basement right underneath my kitchen where there is a dedicated 240v on a 30A breaker going to my cooktop rated at 4kw. Everything is currently wired with 10awg in 1" rigid conduit.

Does anybody see any problem with replacing the 30A breaker with a 50A, Replacing the 10awg with 6awg, Splitting the 240v (one going up to the cooktop and one going down to the room) and then piggybacking six 240v outlets together?

It all sounds doable to me but I've never taken on an electrical project of this size before. Seems the hardest part would be pulling 6awg through, but I think with a little grease and maybe a come-along it should go smoothly. Any tips/tricks/advice/cheat codes you guys could give me would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Personally, if your box has the room, i'd much rather install new breaker and wiring...

But to answer your question...6 1k ballasts @ 240 i believe are what5.2Amps? so 5.2x6 = 31.2amps. 31.2 + 10% cushion is 35amps.

Soooo, that leaves 15amps for your stove... you put that on a 50amp circuit and fire up your stove you JUST may trip that breaker...

Only was I see this working feasibly is to run those 6 lights 3 at a time.... OR as I said first, run it's own dedicated line.

 

[Antrim]

Thanks guys. I understand the flaw in my thinking now. I posed the same question in another thread and it sounds like I'd be much better off running a sub-panel to the room with individual breakers for each. Much bigger project than I was hoping to get into but I guess it has to happen. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Gry]

The BBQ was eloquence sizzling.

 

[Antrim]

BBQ?

The BBQ was eloquence sizzling.

Not sure I follow. Care to elaborate?

 

[eebbnflow]

Not sure I follow. Care to elaborate?

I think they mean you can't run the cook top and the lights on that circuit together it's either the lights or the cook top . FTW set up a sub panel if you can !

 

[rykus]

Totally do able.... But as others have mentioned, you will loose the convenience of a dedicated proper circuit for your stovetop.

Pretty easy to use still as if your not flipping the lights you'd have 6-12 hrs to cook in, and you could always get a hot plate or bbq for the other 12-18 hrs...

If it's a rental and/or you don't want to scab in some ugly shit, then maybe the 6g to the sub panel and another 30 with the existing ten g out would be easiest... Just have to mind that your stove doesn't overload it during operating hrs... But would be safe..easy to take down n replace.

Single strand is cheaper and easier to pull through... Tie a string to the ten when u pull it through, then use the string to pull the other wires through one at a time... Might get away with a bigger gauge too doing single line... Just use coloured electrical tape to mark each end of each run...

Most 1000's run at closer to 4.5 amps.. But yeah a bit of buffer is good...

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

and imho, it's cheaper to do it correct now, with room to expand later by installing the dedicated breaker or a sub panel, than having to pay for it the hard way later...

I will be needing to run a subpanel in the future if things pan out for me...

 

[Drop That Sound]

Ya, but make sure to pick up one of these to put down in the room http://www.gosunstove.com/, lol jk.. but ya probably you'll need it when you get hungry after all that extra work!

 

[Drop That Sound]

+1 vote on sub panel, as long as your main box can handle it. You might have to relocate some breakers and or add tandem breakers to make room.

I split a 50 amp double pole back into two 120s by running a 50amp RV cord up into a dual breaker 70 amp box for my sub panel. It has 2 Breaker slots but I use a dual tandem 15 amp breakers on each bus so I can run 4 circuits. Thats 60 amps I know, but I know the load and how to balance the system and maybe push 40. Electricity is no joke really.

If the ceiling has exposed floor joist and can access to the Main box it would be easy to run conduit and even mount the box and all your circuits up there too. I like to run everything up high, bare walls as possible. Down low only to GFCIs outlets for pumps and waterproof switch boxes. If you are doing it be safe!

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

+1 vote on sub panel, as long as your main box can handle it. You might have to relocate some breakers and or add tandem breakers to make room.

I split a 50 amp double pole back into two 120s by running a 50amp RV cord up into a dual breaker 70 amp box for my sub panel. It has 2 Breaker slots but I use a dual tandem 15 amp breakers on each bus so I can run 4 circuits. Thats 60 amps I know, but I know the load and how to balance the system and maybe push 40. Electricity is no joke really.

If the ceiling has exposed floor joist and can access to the Main box it would be easy to run conduit and even mount the box and all your circuits up there too. I like to run everything up high, bare walls as possible. Down low only to GFCIs outlets for pumps and waterproof switch boxes. If you are doing it be safe!

Lol! I try to keep all my outlets up high too.