From: Christopher Green 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: New circuit breakers
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 04:38:21 GMT

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:53:56 -0700, "Charles Spitzer"
 wrote:

>
>"Christopher Green"  wrote in message 
>news:c31fa7b1.0410151142.649438ad@posting.google.com...
>> "Scott Smith"  wrote in message 
>> news:<10mvn9tnjuu7e5@corp.supernews.com>...
>>> Thanks FC.
>>>
>>> Is the rated wattage (listed on each device) the "peak wattage"?
>>>
>>> I know the typical lights/outlets split.  What I am wondering is whether
>>> there is any logic to whether/how my *outlets* should be split.  For
>>> instance, one of my laser printers is 11A, and another is 7.8A.  (Per the
>>> markings on the device.)  Should I divide outlets logically into 20A
>>> groupings?
>>>
>>> Thanks again
>>
>> Laser printers draw a lot of power to keep the fuser hot; those
>> nameplate markings may be peak draw while the fuser is heating. If
>> both are out of standby at the same time, you're at 18.8A, close to
>> the capacity of a 20A circuit. If you arrange your work so that only
>> one is active, while the other is on standby, you have some headroom,
>> but keeping laser printers on their own circuit is usually a good idea
>> for interference reasons anyway.
>>
>> -- 
>> Chris Green
>
>over. a breaker is supposed to be sized so that it shouldn't have more than 
>80% constant load. 

Laser printers aren't anything close to a constant load. That peak
current draw is for 10-second or so warmups (big old printers and
color lasers take longer). If both come out of standby at the same
time, though, you're at capacity; if there's a computer on the same
circuit, down it goes. Been there, done that.

-- 
Chris Green