Adding more circuits to house..does this increase the power?

Question

I am constantly having to run down cellar to reset the breakers when I use too much power...I have 6 zones and was wondering if I could make another zone to add to breaker box...and does this cost a lot? Would I need to put in more plug outlets or could it be added to existing zone to "double" the power? Thanks!

Answer 1

separating the (ckts) circuits is exactly what you need

first you should know current should be no more than

80% of the breaker value by code

if you happen to have a current clamp you will be able to mesure this at each breaker

but as it sounds you only have six ckts call an electrician

to split your ckts up it will fix your problem

it will lower the current across each branch

its simple division and if you have an unfisished basement

the work will not be to bad

please give more info

Answer 2

Your power or voltage will always be the same and 120v straight out of a receptacle. By adding another breaker to your panel you will, like you said, have a whole other zone for that new breaker to use, thus taking some power draw away from the other electronics. You dont have to install new receptacles, just split that trouble zone the way you would like to use it, and use those existing outlets on the new breaker.

Answer 3

Yep you could add another circuit to installation quite easily, i'd have an electrician look for you thou, just to see is he can split the power ccts up at the distribution board (split the load over two breakers) or alternatively a new cct can be run into the cavity and the ccts can be split at a junction box in the roof where it is able to be done. Also i see some have said change your breaker... NEVER change the rating of a circuit breaker (unless an electrician looks at it and on assessment notes the cables Maximum current carrying capacity is not exceeded and also the length etc is ok). The circuit breakers rating is there to protect the cable(stopping fires etc overheating and all the nice things) and you if there is a fault.

Could be cheap if the cct only has to be split at the board, More expensive if you have to run new ccts in.

Answer 4

you have to much load on the breakers. if your wiring is up to it you could add a larger breaker, or add another breaker to even out the load but you really need to get a electrician for this

Answer 5

You can add circuits, (zones), but it won't solve

your problem unless you rewire the circuits you

have so that the individual breakers each carry

less load, or carry the new wiring to new outlets

in the problem areas.

Sorry, but you're looking at an expensive job.

Answer 6

Adding more circuits does not increase the power, it only spreads the exisiting power.  The existing power is determined by the amps coming into the house from the power line.  Look at your main panel box and look at the main breaker at the top that is all by itself.  If you look closely on the switch, you'll see a number like 100, 150 or 200.  Hopefully it's not smaller than 100.  This number is the number of amps coming into the house.  The bigger the number, the better.  This total amp is then spread throughout the house by the "branch" breakers.  The reason that you reset the breakers is because the line that your resetting is pulling too many amps through that branch.  If you look at each branch breaker switch, you'll see a number that is usually either a 15 or 20.  This is the number of amps that that branch (breaker) will allow.  Again, the bigger the better.  Even though your total amps may be 100, each branch has it's own maximum and this is determined by the breaker switch and by the wire size that the breaker switch is utilizing.  What you should do to totally solve the problem, if the same breakers are always tripping, is to have an electrician (and only a llicensed electrician, not anyone else) either 1) remove outlet(s) from the breaker(s) being tripped and put them on another breaker that is less utilized, or 2) remove outlets from the breaker(s) being tripped and put them on a new breaker branch.  Cost for either job is probably about $200 - $400.  The outlets that should be removed are those that are being used when your circuit trips.  For instance, if you have a dishwasher and a microwave on the same breaker, chances are that you can't use both at the same time because the total amps that both uses is probably greater than the breaker line allows.  In this case, remove the outlet that the microwave uses and put on another line or it's own.  Certain appliances now require it's own line, like a refrigerator, because they pull a large number of amps.  The appliances that pull the most amps are those that require heat, like an iron, toaster, curling iron, blow dryer, etc.  Each of these appliance alone can require 6-12 amps.  So two of these at the same time on the same line could easily trip the line.  If this is the case and say every time you use your curling iron, you trip the breaker, try this easy fix before calling an electrician.  Use a different outlet for the curling iron until you find one on a line that is being less utilized.  You'll know when you find one because neither line (the one previously being tripped or the new found line)  will ever trip again.  Note, never change a lower amp breaker to a higher amp breaker because the wire size of that branch remains the same and can only handle the  proper size breaker.  If you change a 15 amp breaker to a 20 amp breaker, the wire size still continues to handle only 15 amps, but the breaker, having been increased, won't trip and the wire can overheat and cause a fire.

Answer 7

No.

Unless your able to do some wiring on your own you should hire an electrician. More than likely he/she would install a new main breaker panel. This could be very expensive. My guess is you have a 100 amp service coming into your house. That may need to upgraded to at least 200 amps.  

Be cautious, rewiring older homes incorrectly has been know to cause fires because too many "shortcuts" were taken. Get a reputable electrician who knows what they are doing.