Converter/Charger installation

[mrcolin2u]

Installing the replacement charger/converter, the 20A a/c breaker had 2 wires one for the charger and one for the TV circuit.
There is a spare a/c breaker, I don't think its a good idea to use two circuit under one breaker maybe I should replace the 20A with two 15A and have separate circuits ?
Thoughts anyone??
Cheers Colin

[amirm]

In AC circuits, the breakers are there to protect the wiring from catching on fire. They are not there to protect the equipment. So if you are using the same wiring and the breaker is appropriate for that, you can indeed share the same circuit.

Of course if the total amount of current you pull is above what that wire and breaker combo can handle, then you should use a new circuit for the new device.

[mrcolin2u]

Originally Posted by amirm

In AC circuits, the breakers are there to protect the wiring from catching on fire. They are not there to protect the equipment. So if you are using the same wiring and the breaker is appropriate for that, you can indeed share the same circuit.

Of course if the total amount of current you pull is above what that wire and breaker combo can handle, then you should use a new circuit for the new device.

I think you need at least 14ga for 20A circuit , not sure these are big enough ??

[InterBlog]

Hi, Colin. Forgive me for not remembering where your previous posts were contributed and whether you've been active on any of the other electrical system threads, but I was wondering *what kind* of converter you were installing as a replacement?

We learned the hard way that what looks good in the box is not necessarily a good choice, in fact it may be a disastrous choice, as this thread explains.

So my thought is, even before you start worrying about the details of wiring, how much research did you do on the replacement unit that you picked?

[amirm]

Originally Posted by mrcolin2u

I think you need at least 14ga for 20A circuit , not sure these are big enough ??

No, 14 gauge gives you 15 amps. You need 12 gauge for 20 amp.

As for it being enough, can you link to the product page for your charger? I can look up the current specification that way and answer your question.

[AIRHEDS]

Originally Posted by amirm

No, 14 gauge gives you 15 amps. You need 12 gauge for 20 amp.

As for it being enough, can you link to the product page for your charger? I can look up the current specification that way and answer your question.

Ditto. 12 gauge for 20 amps; 14GA for 15A. And be sure to ground. Also, 12/2 includes the ground wire. You don't need 14/3, as that includes the red wire commonly used for switching hot in 3-way circuits...