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Old 11-17-2011, 03:10 AM   #1
Allen in MT
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15 amp breaker

We use a small electric heater at times and and when the coffee pot comes on in the morning it trips the kitchen breaker, this also happen across kitchen at plug by table, the kitchen is on a 15 amp breaker, can this be changed out to a 20 amp breaker.
We took out the washer and dryer and they have 20 amp breakers not being used
 
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Old 11-17-2011, 03:43 AM   #2
H. John Kohl
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Your concept sounds great, but what is not discussed is the wire size that support the outlets. When a circuit is installed it is wired with the total wattage is will consume (wattage = Volts times amps). Therefore changing the breaker could put you in danger because the wires may not be "strong enough" to handle the additional power. When not strong enough they could get HOT and cause fires. Since the voltage never changes the breakers are listed by amps therefore wire size is also associated with the amperage it can handle.

Most electrical heaters are 1500 watts which is about 12.5 Amps (1500 watts / 120 volts = 12.5 amps) this is under perfect conditions. The 15 amp breaker gives you a little cushion.

You say you are not using the washer dryer outlets. I recommend plugging the electrical heater in one of those outlet. That is what we did.

Best of luck.
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Old 11-17-2011, 03:43 AM   #3
kdeiss
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I am sure the wiring will not support a 20 AMP Breaker. Locate a plug on another breaker
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Old 11-17-2011, 03:47 AM   #4
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I'm not an electrician but I would be sceptical of the size wire and recepticals in the circuit. a 15 amp cercuit probably only has components rated for 15 amps. (14 ga wire, 15 amp recepticles) 20 amps could overload it. I'd have a licensed electrician look at it.
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Old 11-17-2011, 03:59 AM   #5
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Even if you plug both into a 20 amp circuit, if it is a typical Mr Coffee 10 cup pot, you are still going to kick the breaker. The amperage draw on a coffee pot is typically 10 amps. I think John has your best solution, find an unused circuit that you can use solely for the space heater (and again as John stated: washer/dryer outlet would be perfect). On the note of the wiring requirements, I am really curious if the Amish craftsmen actually differentiate the wiring runs with 12 and 14 gauge wire or default to (hopefully) 12 gauge for the rig for simplicity reasons? Might have to do some investigating unless someone has this knowledge of what is in the walls already? Good topic!!
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Old 11-17-2011, 04:05 AM   #6
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I feel your pain.... I had the same problem, so I tapped into the 20 amp line that feeds the 1/2 time oven. I have warmed things when the coffee machine is still on, it has never tripped the breaker.
This is an easy task if you are handy at all, just turn off the breaker before work and observe polarity.



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Old 11-17-2011, 04:19 AM   #7
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I wouldn't want to bet that they use the same wires for all circuits. These are the same people that put Marathon tires on the rigs because the sidewalls say you can. When we were at the factory tour they told us that now with the depressed conditions they were "only" completing 15 trailers a day. Take the savings from using the specified wire times the length of the wire runs in a 38' trailer times 15 then times 50 weeks or more per year and you have a lot of money. Now multiply that times all the trailer names they make. They wouldn't leave that on the table.
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Old 11-17-2011, 02:21 PM   #8
scductman
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I had the same problem. my wife uses a bunn and it would trip it. what I found out was the wall plugs in the kitchen in mine is on the same breaker so I had to move something. I still plan to do some more rewiring to mine.
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Old 11-18-2011, 02:17 AM   #9
nowinter
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I was tripping the kitchen breaker when running a small electric heater and while we brewed our morning coffee. I saw Ozz's posting regarding using the microwave's circuit. I followed his directions (as shown above) and solved the problem.
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Old 11-18-2011, 03:51 AM   #10
Allen in MT
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Thanks Ozz, that is a great idea, the plug across from the kitchen by the kitchen table must also be on the same breaker.
That's what is so great about this forum, if one has a problem there is someone here or many that have a fix for it
thank you
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Old 11-18-2011, 04:14 AM   #11
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Thanks,
Another easy fix to the breaker overload problem is to tap into the vacuum power. I think there may be something on that circuit, but not much, if anything.
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