Help in ascertaining my amp limit.

[Adam Sackfield]

Good evening,

I am going to be increasing the power consumption in my apartment. I am trying to be diligent in regards to safety and have been reading on how to find out what limits I have.

So I believe I can map out my outlets and then map these to the breakers on the circuit breaker. Great I'm fine with this, however I also need to check the max 'amps' for the circuit breaker. From my research I was expecting to see 15a or 20a, but I don't see those and not sure where I should be looking, on my circuit breaker there are two sections of breaker levers, on the main breaker for section one I see "80 A" and on the main breaker for section two I see "100 A". Are these the max amps?

Also as an aside, there are only two breakers for sockets and they are both in the same section, does this mean I would need to split circuits for my appliances at a certain point?

Attached are a few images of the breakers.

Thanks in in advance for your guidance.

 

[davesparks]

The red one labelled 100A is the main switch, not a breaker, it is just a switch, it switches off the whole consumer unit.
The mcbs (circuits breakers) immediately after it will be for cookers, lights, water heating etc.
Then the device rated at 80A is an RCD, which is a safety device which will disconnect the power to the mcbs after it if you receive an electric shock.
The mcbs after it will be for sockets.

Having two socket circuits for an apartment is going to be more than enough unless your apartment is very very big.

What kind of additional load are you expecting to be adding?

As an end user of a domestic installation you should have very little to be concerned about, the circuits will have been designed so that the MCB will operate (switch off) before any damage occurs to the circuit if an overload occurs

 

[Adam Sackfield]

Thanks for the response and clarity on those numbers.

I would be running a couple of 600w HID bulbs and ballasts, then an extractor fan. Along with general household appliances. Basically an indoor fruit garden. I believe I also need timer with a built in contactor for the lights?

 

[Geordie Spark]

Thanks for the response and clarity on those numbers.

I would be running a couple of 600w HID bulbs and ballasts, then an extractor fan. Along with general household appliances. Basically an indoor fruit garden. I believe I also need timer with a built in contactor for the lights?

So you'll have some hydroponics gear - water, extractor fans, heaters, buckets of fertiliser etc??? :sifone:

 

[hightower]

No wonder the OP doesn't want to involve a qualified spark...... :gettree:

 

[Spoon]

..."fruit garden".... love it... Never heard it being called that before.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Next he'll be asking how to eliminate the inconvenience of the leccy meter.

 

[Bobster]

:smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:Fruit garden... pull the other one, it's got bells on it.:smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:

 

[Barry White]

Fruit garden is that where you plant bulbs and they grow? :sifone:

 

[Adam Sackfield]

Yes that's correct. I'm a little offended at all the insinuations here. I shall send photos of my tomatos and bonsai trees.

 

[hightower]

Steady on fella, just a bit banter

 

[davesparks]

Thanks for the response and clarity on those numbers.

I would be running a couple of 600w HID bulbs and ballasts, then an extractor fan. Along with general household appliances. Basically an indoor fruit garden. I believe I also need timer with a built in contactor for the lights?

I thought you said you were increasing the peer consumption? 2x 600W is hardly a lot of load!
You won't need a contactor for 2x 600W lights, just put each one on a timeswitch and that should be fine

 

[sparksburnout]

Yes that's correct. I'm a little offended at all the insinuations here. I shall send photos of my tomatos and bonsai trees.

Oh my god its like that laughing policeman song! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho hohoooo! Tomatoes???? Oh he he he he he he he he he he hehe,,,,,, Bonsai plants???????? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haha.........
Offended??? oh hoho......... Come on dude lighten up, this is great this. What do you expect? Fruit garden FRUIT GARDEN???? oh ho ho ho........

 

[Lucien Nunes]

As Davesparks says, this is modest load. Even with basic, low power factor control gear you can run both the lamps off one 13A plug, with a current less than that of one fanheater. Extractor fans have negligible consumption, only tens of watts. Check that any timeswitch you use can control an inductive load of say 1500W (some can't, or they will have a rating such as 13/3A meaning 13A resistive, 3A inductive, which wouldn't control both your lamps) and you might get away without the complications of a contactor. If you want to go down the contactor route, seek advice here about the wiring as many people try this and make a hash of it...

 

[Barry White]

Oh yea of little faith (that includes me) see Top 10 Hydroponic Fruits & Vegetables | Easy Grow

seems its taking off must be costly tho whatever happened to the greenhouse?