Computers and circuit breakers

[Master Ghaleon]

In my room with my computer I got my tv, ps3, directv box, 2 lights and a floor fan all on the same circuit. I need to know what kind of things I should not plug into the same circuit with a computer. I know that a space heaters and AC units shouldn't be plugged in since those things suck in a lot of electric and can kill a computer. I know it would be best to use a computer on its own circuit but I don't have that option. I am not even sure that using a floor fan is something I should avoid or not

[Beldaran]

Most households allow up to 20 amperes of current on a single circuit. A space heater takes up to 12-15 by itself, so they are a bad idea.

Each device should have a rating printed on it somewhere that says how much current it draws. If not, you can probably find out via the internet.

There are not "kinds of things" you shouldn't plug in together. As long as the current requirements are below 20, you should be fine. The problem is, things like heaters and vacuum cleaners require 15 amps each. So just be aware of what your devices require.

The amount of amps your PC requires is the Wattage of the power supply divided by 120 Volts.

[AtmaWeapon]

Beldaran's likely way more knowledgeable about this than I am about this (weren't you an EE major or something) but I wouldn't plug anything that draws ridiculous power into the same outlet as the computer. My old house had wiring that's probably going to burn it down one day and when my mom would use the blow dryer on a different circuit then my monitor would freak out and my powerline internet would go down. Same thing if someone used a heater in my bathroom on the same circuit. Again, it's probably because the wiring in that house was ancient cloth-insulated stuff that's really scary.

I guess it depends on how sucky your wiring is. Right now I've got a laser printer on the same power strip as my computer and it doesn't seem to hurt anything; it can draw a ton of power when warming up.

[Nicholas Steel]

What about PAL 240 volts? Is it the same formula of dividing watts by volts?

[RogerA]

Useful formulas

Ohms law E = I R ; voltage equals amps times resistance in ohms

Power P = E I ; watts = voltage times amps, or amps squared times resistance

Also anything with an electric motor like a floor fan can cause interference; so if its not too much power, use an extension cord to run the floor fan and use a power strip with buffers to run your computer circuits. That should help isolate the computer from the fan. That is assuming you have room for two plugs from the same outlet. VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you ever start blowing a circuit breaker or fuse you have too much hooked up to that circuit and you should eliminate items from that circuit. Also just because it's a different outlet does not mean it's a different circuit. Should you ever hear popping or crackling from an outlet, call for expert help to replace the outlet. I'm a ham radio operator and if you want some good advice, check out old ARRL manuals at the library. Electrical safety is the primary concern of a ham radio operator. Any additional questions, email me and I'll be glad to help.

[Master Ghaleon]

My old house had wiring that's probably going to burn it down one day and when my mom would use the blow dryer on a different circuit then my monitor would freak out and my powerline internet would go down..

Say if someone is using the hair dryer on a different circuit and causes the "brown outs" to make the monitor flicker can that still hurt the computer? Even if its on a different circuit?

[RogerA]

Say if someone is using the hair dryer on a different circuit and causes the "brown outs" to make the monitor flicker can that still hurt the computer? Even if its on a different circuit?

Usually not if you have a "good" power strip/surge protector isolating your computer, however, if a brown out is occurring, the hair dryer may be on the same circuit as the computer. If any brownouts are occurring, if you have the money , try to get an electrician to rewire the circuits. Brownouts are an indication that the circuit is drawing too much power which could overheat the wiring causing a fire. If brownouts are occurring, be very careful and try to compensate by turning something else off. Just because the circuit breaker or fuse didn't blow doesn't mean you are safe with a brownout. Someone could have put in the wrong value fuse or circuit breaker. Someone could have changed the wiring and used the wrong size wire for the current. Cheapest thing to do is to chart any brownouts and write down all the electrical appliances that are running including overhead lights, tvs, radios, fans, dishwasher, etc. When you have time you can map out your circuits by tunring off a circuit breaker armed with a flashlight and a simple plug in lamp. See what outlets do not have power when that breaker of fuse is off. Also overhead lights and dishwashers etc. If you need more info please contact me. If you know a ham radio operator, if he or she has time, that operator would probably have test equipment to help you.

[Master Ghaleon]

Cool cool, I have a Monster Digital PowerCenter MDP 800 with GreenPower surge protector.

[Freedom]

all that aside, building codes are that 7 outlets can be on one circuit, (and breaker) so in a bedroom all the wall sockets are already on one circuit anyway, and the overhead light on another.

In a kitchen, the line used in 12 gauge, but in bedrooms and for lighting it's 14.
Generally 15 amp breakers are used with the 14 G but it's acceptable to run 20's since the wire is rated above that
Starting something like a fan spikes the amperage draw, so a 7 amp fan motor will peg up to 15 amps getting up to speed, but circuit breakers are designed to handle the surges
What you concern yourself with is drawing a constant over amp... say 25 amp constant on a 15 amp circuit.

With what you listed as using, you are fine anyway.

As for running things together on the same circuit....
Household stuff generally isn't effected by that much, but you don't want to run something like a 220 well pump on a circuit that feeds also 120
Doing something like that draws more amps on one leg of the 220 and ends up frying the pump motor
But I degress... like I said, in households you see very little of these types of situations to begin with.

If the breaker pops, you're doing too much ;O)
That's what they are there for ;O)

[AtmaWeapon]

You can tell whether the circuit is overloaded by cutting two extension cords and splicing them together so you have a male-male. Now plug each end into the same socket. If the wire gets hot it's an overloaded circuit.

*edit*
If you do this you have to do a live stream video.