Wiring/Rewiring??

sarabu · #1 2006-10-21, 2:01pm

Hmm, not safety per se, more like "technical"...

I have an AIM kiln, it's just killing me in terms of draw. Apparently the person who built this house never anticipated anyone doing anything in the dining room and garage at the same time, and put them on the same circuit. I work in the DR. If I run my kiln, and I'm lucky, I can turn on a light in the DR and hope no kid wants to open the garage door, or run any power tools in the garage, or plug in any ancillary applance in the kitchen (shares a wall and a few outlets with the DR circuit). Right now I have extra task lighting and fans and exhaust on extention cords running across the front hall to the LR. Nontheless, I flip breakers and redirect activity constantly.

This sucks.

OK, I could get a chili pepper, which draws like 8 instead of the the aim's 14 (my circuit is a whopping 15), but I really think I need to address the wiring, so I can run oh, a radio, say, and really my big want: an O2 concentrator so I can get a bigger torch. The extention cords are ugly and trip hazards. And no, I'd rather not batch anneal. That's why I bought the kiln in the first place.

Question: I know NOTHING about wiring. I am just supposing a new fuse isn't going to do this. Ideally, I'd like to have the kiln on one dedicated outlet. Then, enough power to run a concentrator, the exhaust system, any extra fans, overhead lights, task lighting, and the computer (it's the homework/craft zone) in the rest of the room. Outlets (ironically) are plentiful, just wired together. Subtracting any lampwork additions, we've killed the breaker with too many lights, the tv, and the computer on. We need more juice.

Breaker "spaces" are available in the box. Is this something that can be done by an electrician at the box and/or under the house for the most part , or am I talking major renovation and destruction? 'Cause then it's the chili pepper route, and the aim gets garaged. Well, no, that's the same circuit. Waaahhhh...

Obviously, I need to consult an electrician. I just wanted a general idea of what I'm getting into.
thanks-
Sarah

PondRacer · #2 2006-10-21, 2:14pm

Steal 2 more spaces from the breaker box.

Use existing circuit that you are running your stuff on for the ventilation, I would say.

THe other two circuits both 20A; one is for your radio, computer, lighting, what have you. The other is dedicated to just the kiln.

That's how I'd do it...

PondRacer

Tink · #3 2006-10-21, 2:21pm

I'm with Pondracer. That's a good solution.

I put a new circuit in for my studio a few years ago. Little did I know that I would outgrow it so soon. So I'm getting ready to add yet another. I should have just done both at the same time, but I was anxious to get set up

lindag · #4 2006-10-21, 3:24pm

My dh is an electrical contractor - practically everything in my studio has it's own dedicated circuit, lol! It shouldn't be a huge project to add a circuit or two. Call a licensed electrician - electricity isn't something to play around with and you want to make sure it's done right. If you want to PM me, dh will be happy to answer questions.
Linda

Dale M. · #5 2006-10-21, 4:35pm

Yes add 1 or 2 dedicated circuits... Good electrician can do work and probably not even leave any evidence it is a add on job....

Dale

MikeAurelius · #6 2006-10-22, 5:38am

Get an electrician. It may be as easy as moving a wire on the electrical panel to a new circuit breaker/fuse holder. It could also require a new feed to break the connection between the DR and garage. Only an electrician can do this for you.

MikeAurelius · #7 2006-10-22, 5:39am

Current code requires DR wiring to be a separate 20 AMP line, btw. And current code also requires garage wiring circuits to be ground fault. Be prepared that the electician may be required by the electical inspector to bring the wiring up to code.

sarabu · #8 2006-10-23, 6:08pm

I'm not current on codes (are they national or local?), and my house was built 20 years ago. Didn't make good common sense to do it this way, but that's just me. I was just fishing for the info about how this would be done by said contractor- if it's something that could *probably* be done by rewiring breakers, and some guy says- oh, no, you're in for wall-ripping- well, I call another guy. I can rewire a lamp, and then I'm out of the conversation. I have a cousin-in-law, and my neighbor knows a guy- I guess they're my next step.
thanks to you all-
Sarah

KEW · #9 2006-10-23, 7:34pm

It's unlikely that they would have to rip up the walls unless you decided to add outlets in new locations. Worst case would be rewiring to the same outlets which involves pulling wire through the existing conduits.

MikeAurelius · #10 2006-10-24, 4:30am

Conduits are rarely used in houses. Rewiring houses DOES involve opening walls.

Sarah -- don't, please don't just have "some guy who knows another guy" do this work for you. The level of work that needs to be done DOES require a licensed electrician.

Electrical codes are national. And they have changed significantly in the past 20 years.

sarabu · #11 2006-10-25, 7:00pm

No, Mike, I know a guy who knows a contractor, I have a cousin-in-law who is married to a contractor, I got it, I'm good. I do have a fairly good sense of knowing what I *don't* know, that's why I ask questions in the first place. I wrote "contractor" enough that I figured it was understood.

two quotes of my above posts that I thought made my intents clear:

" Is this something that can be done by an electrician at the box and/or under the house for the most part , or am I talking major renovation and destruction? "

"Obviously, I need to consult an electrician. I just wanted a general idea of what I'm getting into"

I know you're looking out for me, but I'm really not that big of a doof LOL
Sarah

MikeAurelius · #12 2006-10-26, 5:42am

LOL - I wasn't thinking you were, honestly

It's when I see "friend of a friend" that I get worried!!