Im in the process of mounting a lcd tv as well as its components such as game console, dvd player, and such. The components will be on a floating av rack in the middle of the wall, the only power source would be the light switch maybe 3ft away that controls a ceiling fan. My question is, would I be able to safely pull power from that switch and connect the tv and its components to it without over loading the circuit.
2006-10-20 11:34:31 · 8 answers · asked by Minh H 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
NO....NO!...NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! OMG NO. give this idea up before even starting...90% of switches only have the "HOT" leg broken and feeding the light, with the nuetral and ground already being at the light. EVEN if you did by chance have a complete feed, nuetral and ground wire set at your switch, what your asking is TOTALLY against the NEC (National electric code)
2006-10-21 03:24:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most light switch circuits are on 15-amp breakers -- you can find out for sure by finding which breaker in your box controls that circuit, and reading the amperage on the breaker.
Once you know the circuit's capacity, find *everything* that's on that circuit -- it's very likely that there's also a wall outlet or two plus another light or two on the same circuit. Add in the amperage drawn by your entertainment complex to that drawn by what's already on the circuit, and you'll know if you're over or not.
If something doesn't give an amperage draw, but only says "120 watts", you can convert watts to amps by dividing by the voltage of the circuit (120V). So 120 watts at 120 volts would be 1 amp. Leave yourself a 10-20% leeway under the breaker's rating (if it's 15 amps, don't go above 12 or 13 amps usage), or you'll likely trip the breaker fairly often.
You probably won't have any issues, 15 amps is a lot (1800 watts).
2006-10-20 11:42:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the answer is a bit more complicated than that. You need to know if the circuit can handle the additional load, and so far you know that it also needs to supply a ceiling fan. What else is on that circuit? Figure out which breaker (or fuse) supplies that ceiling fan and what else is on the circuit. If it's nothing big, like a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a dishwasher, etc., you're probably ok. Each item on the circuit requires a certain amount of power. Most residential circuits are 20 amp, some are 15. You can actually total up the power usage for each item on the circuit. I don't have a list but it should be easy to find online.
2006-10-20 11:47:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the light the only thing on that particular line? If it is, and it has a 20 amp breaker, then you should be able to add two outlets to the line w/o any problems. Just make sure that you come out of the hot side of the switch.......(before, not after the switch)
2006-10-20 11:41:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The lowest amp lines in homes are normaly 15 amp. You should be able to run the entertainment center on a 15 amp line without problems. If the fuse or breaker shuts off , then you know you are overloading. Most electronic stuff doesn't use that much power.
2006-10-20 11:45:33 · answer #5 · answered by morris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the switch rating but rarely more than 15 amps, and never more than the breaker rating.
2006-10-20 11:44:54 · answer #6 · answered by kate 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depends upon the total number [amount] of amps you are drawing when everything on that circuit is turned on, and how many amps the circuit is able to safely handle.
2006-10-20 11:41:35 · answer #7 · answered by hillbilly 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
USUALLY THE SWITCH ONLY HAS 1/2 OF THE WIRE - SWITCH LEG - CIRCUIT IS BROKEN BY SWITCH,
2006-10-20 11:40:46 · answer #8 · answered by Bonno 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋