DIY electricity system

[taylapong]

Calling all those experienced in dealing with electricity. Basically, this is the situation... i've only got one socket where i want to set up my tank, but i'm not sure if it's enough for everything. Furthermore, i don't know if the socket shares the same circuit breaker switch on the main board.

I'm thinking of setting up the tank, but wanna do it so it's safe... here's what i'm hoping to do:

1) have the main plug changed to those industrial waterproof ones

2) build a waterproof casing over the extensions that i'm going to use so that any spills won't affect it

3) install a circuit breaker/ground fault interrupter in case electrical thing has a short or something...

Does anyone know where i can learn how to do these things? websites, resources etc? and where i can get the materials?

My load will be quite typical... pumps, chiller, 2x150MH, skimmer, pwerheads

[spoon]

not that experienced but ......

usually our HDB flats is wired up with 3 to 5 sockets outlet sharing to a 15 or 20amp circuit breaker in radial or ring circuit formation.....

u could do a simple calculation of ur total current usage using the printed wattage usaged of individual equipment . basic formula Power = voltage x current ...then u can purcahse ur extra circuit breaker to install

usually any slight leakage in ground fault or residual current will cause ur home residual circuit breaker to trip instantly

can check up in our local library bout home domestic electrical fitting and installation.......safety first

[spoon]

oops ......if i'm not wrong, in the market there is selling of multi socket outlet extension with surge protection......need to be confirm..by fellow reefers.....

maybe this will ease ur planning

[ZeRoCoOl]

Calling all those experienced in dealing with electricity. Basically, this is the situation... i've only got one socket where i want to set up my tank, but i'm not sure if it's enough for everything. Furthermore, i don't know if the socket shares the same circuit breaker switch on the main board.

I'm thinking of setting up the tank, but wanna do it so it's safe... here's what i'm hoping to do:

1) have the main plug changed to those industrial waterproof ones

2) build a waterproof casing over the extensions that i'm going to use so that any spills won't affect it

3) install a circuit breaker/ground fault interrupter in case electrical thing has a short or something...

Does anyone know where i can learn how to do these things? websites, resources etc? and where i can get the materials?

My load will be quite typical... pumps, chiller, 2x150MH, skimmer, pwerheads

Installing a CB at yr wall plug is quite useless, cos there is already one at the main CB of yr home.

Wat U wan are dedicated wall plugs that can handle the higher amps usage for the tank. And also seperate ELCB protection from the home circuit

but normally, typically, using plugs from 2 different circuit will not cause any tripping. Only cause of concern is when yr whole house trip, then yr tank is affected.

Some reefers here get electricians to seperately wire a ELCB for their tank. So the tank circuit and the house circuit is seperated. IF anyone trip the other is not affected

2 cents

[taylapong]

Spoon> I'm not sure if the surge protection thing is for that... I always thought that was to protect your EQUIPMENT from lightning surges etc, but not to protect you from a shock. my main concern is safety for my family, myself, and of course, my livestock.

zerocool> thanks for your advice... so your suggestion is to wire up a completely different circuit for the tank, so that if one shuts down, the other won't be affected? do you happen to know if that's expensive? Or if it requires to rewire and break down walls etc?

Also, is it really necessary to arrange to allow the socket to handle a larger load? Is it dangerous to just run everything on one socket?

[spoon]

run a separate ELCB solely for ur tank is the best ...two separate circuit in one home...u need to do a wiring tapping from the powergrid main or at ur main CB. but if ur home is oredi decor nicely.....hmmm.

a good example is ur home aircon....they are wiring up with dedicated higher amps socket plug

for me did try to run the wire separately......but too bad the main RCB in oredi wireup tightly near the cornish. need to tear down some home decor run the wire and patch up back the cornish..... i end up make use of the oredi available house socket...

can consult a good electrician on how to best run ur separate circuit.

[SoTongBall]

It will be good to have a surge protector before or in parallel with the ELCB, it can protect and prevent nuisance tripping due to external transcient (eg during thunderstorm).

Pro & con for having dedicated ELCB.

Pro:

House & tank electrical cable will be isolated, will not interfer with each other. Can shut down the main without affecting the other circuit.

Con:

I'm sure my parents will nt notice the tank's ELCB has tripped bcoz they will be happily watching TV the whole day, tot everthing is fine until I'm bk from work...

If my hse got only 1 ELCB, my parents will know immediately when it tripped coz no TV to watch

[spoon]

agreed with SoTongBall. there is always pros and cons in any electrical set up......

aquarium eqpt may also trip ur dedicated ELCB....

the best is when there is someone in the house once a while glance at ur beautiful tank set up and see that everything is OK

[Bernard]

Con:

I'm sure my parents will nt notice the tank's ELCB has tripped bcoz they will be happily watching TV the whole day, tot everthing is fine until I'm bk from work...

If my hse got only 1 ELCB, my parents will know immediately when it tripped coz no TV to watch

IS that posible to add in a buzzer so that it will sound if there is a power trip?

[nakazoru]

IS that posible to add in a buzzer so that it will sound if there is a power trip?

A UPS will do that.

As for surge protection, I believe new apartment and HDB has that, if I'm not wrong. Older flats be more careful. Best to check with HDB or town councel. But I may be wrong.

[Bernard]

UPS to power up all equipments sure run road man....

[nakazoru]

UPS to power up all equipments sure run road man....

UPS for your most critical piece of equipment to "tahan" for a while maybe at best 4 hours.

If you need all equip, then go buy a small standby diesel generator.

Asking for a "buzz", so UPS comes with it.

Load calc for UPS and diesel gen is off course

But "Buzz" is not...

[taylapong]

wah but aren't UPS quite expensive?

[Bernard]

UPS for your most critical piece of equipment to "tahan" for a while maybe at best 4 hours.

If you need all equip, then go buy a small standby diesel generator.

Asking for a "buzz", so UPS comes with it.

Load calc for UPS and diesel gen is off course

But "Buzz" is not...

But for the UPS, heard that some pump can't be use due to what wave?? don't plan to get a pcs of a few hundred dollars UPS and blow my pumps off.

Generator?? hehehe.....actually thinking of it Only problem is, where to put and how to make it auto start if a power trip happen.

[SoTongBall]

Do note the battery spec, usually good 10 years design life battery rated at 20 or 25 deg ambient temp. Every increase of 1 deg, lifespan shorten. Battery that last 5 years in typical singapore hot weather of 30 deg is consider "lucky". Cheap battery may hv a much shorter design life spec or no spec at all.

It is rather difficult to predict the battery heatlh, usually die of sudden death. Measuring the float voltage does note indiciate the battery health. Weak battery cannot hold the capacity will be flat within very short time frame, worst scenario, can't backup at all. Only way is to do a discharge test to measure the backup time according to spec. Deep discharge will also "kill" the battery....hv to know the limit when to stop the discharge test.

UPS without healthy batteries is rather useless. It will be good to replace the battery every 2 yrs to be on the safe side, just my 2 cents

[ervine]

i just re-did my wiring.. got an electrician to come in and brought in a seperate line just for the fish tank and another just for the computer...

the ELCB unlike reefers here was placed next to my exisiting MCB box outside so not so unsightly... actually he even made two switches one for fishtank, one for computer just in case...

In the end I managed to remove 2 extension cords and an amazing 8 multiplugs!! It was quite a serious firehazard if you ask me...

[taylapong]

Wah... UPS... sounds like a serious investment... just cheking, as long as there is water circulating in the tank, everything should be fine right? I mean, is it really THAT critical to get a UPS in the event the power goes out for a couple of hours? I mean... surely the corals and fish can survive for a couple of hours without light and circulation right?

DOn't mean to jump to conclusions... i was just wondering...

Ervine: Was it expensive to do all that? How come can remove the extension cords and multiplugs? Unless you got the electrician to install a whole bunch of new sockets into your wall too? hehe...

Everyone: Perhaps you guys can post pics of how your electrical wiring's done up.. maybe that will be a good resource for future reefers... most wiring i've seen are in the member's forum... very hard to search (somemore some are REALLY REALLY long

[ervine]

Ervine: Was it expensive to do all that? How come can remove the extension cords and multiplugs? Unless you got the electrician to install a whole bunch of new sockets into your wall too? hehe...

yeaps... i now have 16... yes.. SIXTEEN wall sockets... 8 for my computer, 8 for my fish tank...

price wise donno yet, coz electrician not done fixing everything else in the house...

[SoTongBall]

may I know the 18 sockets are connected to how many MCB?

[ervine]

may I know the 18 sockets are connected to how many MCB?

i think he split them into 2 sets of 8... i.e. 8 sockets to one CB and the other 8 to another...

not sure if that's the best way but that's what the electrician recommended...

[Bernard]

i think he split them into 2 sets of 8... i.e. 8 sockets to one CB and the other 8 to another...

not sure if that's the best way but that's what the electrician recommended...

So what is the MCB Amp rating for each set of 8?

[ervine]

So what is the MCB Amp rating for each set of 8?

sorry bro... i'm no technician so I told him what i needed and left him to decide...

[Bernard]

sorry bro... i'm no technician so I told him what i needed and left him to decide...

Is ok bro.

Actually I'm thinking of using 2 x 20A MCB to 4 sockets each. That why want to find out the amp rating you're using.

[SoTongBall]

I'm not an electrician, learn abit here & there through diy projects. I would like 2 voice up my views on the usage of MCB for household. I views maybe wrong....

The main purpose of the MCB is to protect against overloading, to break the circuit if it draw above the rated current. It will protect the load & prevent unnecessary fire if right MCB rating was used correctly. The cable rating must match or higher rated than the MCB. If not, cable already burn due to high amp, but MCB still not trip due to current drawn still below the MCB rating.

Most of the extension socket rated at 13A. As such, I would prefer to go for 10A MCB. This will ensure the MCB will trip before the extension socket got chance to get heated up. If use 20A MCB, i know the 13A fuse in the 3 pins plug will blow when overloaded, seem quite safe. But the tolerance for fuse is rather great, may differ by a couple of amps and usually those extension socket don't rate the cable rating.....

If I'm going to run 8 wall sockets for my fish tank, I would use 2 X 10A MCBs. 4 wall sockets per MCB. Bery kiasu, but rather be safe than sorry... just my 2 cents Any electrician here that can enlighten me on this...... thanks