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Hi all,
My basement houses my studio - full of many components. Generally, I only hook up a few at a time.
But recently I've wanted to have friends over and power up most of it at the same time - including things like:
1.) computer 2.) mixer (presonus firepod) 3.) 4 effects box processors 5.) electric drums and amp 6.) powered Monitors 7.) about 4 amps in all.
My 20 amp circuit breaker goes to about 5 different outlets, and unfortunately - there is no easy way to run addtional lines in the basement (unless I change the electrical boxes). One powers a refrigerator all the time (unles I choose to temporarily unplug it during a jam - easy enough)
Anyone have some rules of thumb or procedures for safely avoiding fire hazards, damage to equipment, and frequent circuit breaker trips ? (besides move into a new house that is already wired for a studio : )
Also - should 20 amps be enough for all that and I can simply use trial and error from the circuit breaker (shutting off) without introducing safety issues or jeopardizing my equipment ?
As always, thanks in advance.
Last edited by Joe V; 08/05/16 02:56 AM.
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Joe
Let's not take into account things like power factor, inductive reactance and capacitive reactance, and assume we can forget AC theory for your instance. So we'll just say that to calculate power we use the very simple formula that Watts = Volts x Amps.
I assume you have a 115VAC 60Hz supply
The theoretical maximum power you can use from a 20 amp breaker is 115 x 20 = 2,300 watts (2.3KW)
The mixer, effects box, electric drums current draw will be completely negligible (a few watts).
Your computer probably consumes 200-300 watts (max).
Let's say your room, including refrigerator but excluding Amplifiers, consumes 800 watts. That leaves 1500 watts for the Amplifiers before you (theoretically) trip the breaker. I think the neighbors will be knocking when you get near running a 1500 watt sound system.
Again, I've been simplistic, because AC power needs to be calculated slightly differently, but we're in the ball park.
Bottom line: I think you're not going to trip the breaker making music. Get your friends over....
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Yes, a 20a breaker is more than sufficient to run a home studio and more.
Essentially, a 20a breaker can handle 20amps worth of load. You can add lights, small space heater if needed, fans, and more gear without problems. Getting technical, if the load is intermittent, you can run up to the full 20a without any safety issues as long as the wire is 12 gauge, and the recpts and devices are rated for the load as well, and the polarity of the wiring is correct according to the code. You also want to be sure there's a ground wire in the circuit and that it's functional.
If the load is continuous.... meaning it comes on and stays on for 3 hrs or more, then you want to derate the circuit and the maximum permissible continuous load would be 16 amps. This derating is to prevent long term heat buildup in the wire and breaker. Residential applications rarely have to deal with derating. Store lighting is where this really matters. This is a non-issue in a home studio.
Most small studios don't even come close to a 50% load with everything on and lights as well, probably much closer to 20% or there about. Heck, back in the day, we'd run an entire band, with amps, and PA on one 20 amp circuit in my mom's den. If we tried to use the stage lights, yeah, we could trip the breaker after a few songs, but all those lights drew a fair amount of current.
If you're experiencing nuisance tripping, and you're sure the load the studio is adding is only 4 amps or so, you should investigate what else is on the circuit, perhaps in other rooms. Older wiring was not subject to the same rules that today's wiring is regarding on what can be served by a single circuit. Not that it's not totally safe.... but for example, several years ago, you could wire several bathrooms and catch the basement recpt circuit on one circuit. So you're down stairs recording a fantastic solo and your wife or daughter decides to blow dry her hair. 1500w just came on line on the same circuit. Now, with your 4 amps, and the blow dryer on high and the curling iron heating up, and someone else running a vacuum cleaner .... your 20 amp breaker is dealing with 20.8 amps (example only) and it won't let that load run for very long.
So... sight unseen, and based on what you said.... yes, it is very likely safe to run it all on one 20a breaker. Have your friends over and enjoy the music. Only if it trips would you need to consider adding a new circuit. It might not be easy to do, but an electrician who's been in the business for a while can always find a way to get the power to where you need it.
EDIT: you do not need to worry about power factor or inductive or reactive aspects of the load. That is related more to the design of electronic circuits than to the finished products. Trust the name plate ratings on the equipment. If it is UL listed, that's really all you need to consider and for code requirements, the nameplate ratings are used in load calculations for power wiring designs in homes and businesses. Unless you are running a computer farm in your basement, neutral conductor harmonic currents will also not play a factor in this equation.
The math you need: Voltage times current = watts 120vx20a=2400w. Check the voltage to get your most accurate number. Add the mfg's nameplate ratings in current or wattage to get your total load. If lights are involved also, add the wattage and include that in the calculations. Watts divided by volts = amps. 60w divided by 120v =.5a
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/05/16 03:21 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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wow gentlemen - thanks so much for such a prompt, detailed response...with respect to the refrigerator - can I also plug my monitors and/or electronic drum module all into the same outlet - does using different outlets even matter for a room on the same breaker - e.g. any more than the conveniece of extra places to plug things in ?
...and is there any easy way to check if the ground wire is functional - I'm assuming all outlets have to be checked; I've read that improper grounding can introduce noise and hum.
Last edited by Joe V; 08/05/16 03:22 AM.
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yes. the refrigerator might case a voltage drop when it starts and is running, but it probably will not affect the studio gear at all.
all recpts on the same circuit are going to be the same electrically.
to check for proper wiring, go to Lowes and buy a recpt tester. They cost a few dollars.... I think about $8 or so. Plug it in and the lights that light will tell you if the circuit is grounded and if the polarity is correct. It also tells you a few more things depending on what lights are lit or out.
Handy test tool to have. I'm an electrician and I use one for a real quick check of a questionable circuit. It tells me at a glance if the circuit is operating properly and is grounded.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/05/16 03:28 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Hey Joe, Some sound advice here, but without knowing the actual current draw, it's all guesswork. How big is the fridge? A full-size fridge will pull some serious power when the comp kicks in. You could get one of these: http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html Start with the fridge. Write down it's power draw when the compressor is on. Do the same with the other gear. For ease, you could plug all of your audio gear into a power strip and test them all with the Kill-A-Watt. Add up the total wattage draw. You will now have an approximate (because amps pull more power as you bring up the volume) estimate of your total draw. When you have that, consult with Herb (who does electrics for a living) about the safety of that draw on a 20 amp breaker. This little thing can save you a ton of money as well. Test everything in your house. You will be surprised at the stuff that is wasting electricity while it's OFF! If it were me, I'd just unplug the fridge for a while.  Regards, Bob
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Great to know Herb is an electrician.
I use all the methods here, including the Kill-a-Watt to determine amperage draw, and the $8 tester. I have a bunch and travel with a tester, and check all outlets at a gig for correct wiring before ever plugging in.
To avoid ground loop, it is actually better to run all your audio equipment on the same outlet if you can (get a Furman power strip), and at least the same circuit.
And do whatever you have to do to remove anything that's a big current draw, especially an intermittent one. Absolutely have no refrigerators, air conditioners, hair dryers etc. on the same circuit with your studio. This is to avoid clicks and pops in your recording, as well as effect of the current draw.
When the session is done, to save power overall, Bob is right - watch out for devices that draw standby power when off; your PC and its peripherals is one of the worst of them.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Matt you mentioned a Furman power strip - are there features that make some power strips worth spending more on ? I am aware of total 'protection' measure of Joules where higher is better - but how high is enough and are there other important features ? And does plugging one into another of the same brand 'double' the protection effectively ?
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For the duration of the practice session, run a 100' extension cord to an upstairs plug (on a different circuit) to plug the refrigerator in to.
'Cause if the beer ain't cold, I ain't coming to practice...
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Although the Furman I use is 20 amps and requires a 20 amp outlet shape, any 'regular' Furman (with a regular power plug) is better than just a power strip because they all have overload protection. They will blow out in an overload rather than passing it to your equipment. I also like seeing the voltage readout; I can see if a brownout is occurring.
I use my Furman in conjunction with an APC UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
As for plugging one Furman into another, I don't know. Maybe Herb does. The APC people did tell me to plug theirs in first, NOT into a Furman, but as I mentioned, the 20 amp plug on the Furman makes doing that not possible. I can tell you, this system survived a lightning hit that blew out quite a bit of stuff in my house and my neighbor's house, but my audio equipment was OK except for one small firewire circuit board. I was impressed.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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For the duration of the practice session, run a 100' extension cord to an upstairs plug (on a different circuit) to plug the refrigerator in to.
'Cause if the beer ain't cold, I ain't coming to practice... Floyd is right (on several levels).
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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For additional ease of mind just remember that RV campers with a single AC unit normally use hookups that are 30 amp breakers.
The camper will sometimes have the AC, Hot Water Heater and Refrigerator, lights (Some interior and exterior at the same time), two TV's and microwave all going for short periods of time.
Here at home, I have a permanent 20 amp circuit installed for camper and can leave the AC and Ref on full time with no issues on 12/2 wire. In my situation at home, I do not need 30 amps because I don't use the electric water heater or microwave. I can watch TV and run some lights without issue.
Power wise, I can have the Ref/ AC and lights on and carry my desktop or laptop and all other recording gear and use the camper for recording with no power issues.
It was installed by an electrician and the camper users manual has a page listing all of the power appliances in the camper and their wattage and amp ratings.
We chose the 20 amp rating for two reasons.
1. There was already a 110/12/2 rated buried line in place from a breaker box to where the camper is parked and so the camper could be on its own 20 amp service.
2. At home, there is no need to have all of the available appliances running.
BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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Although the Furman I use is 20 amps and requires a 20 amp outlet shape, any 'regular' Furman (with a regular power plug) is better than just a power strip because they all have overload protection. They will blow out in an overload rather than passing it to your equipment. I also like seeing the voltage readout; I can see if a brownout is occurring.
I use my Furman in conjunction with an APC UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
As for plugging one Furman into another, I don't know. Maybe Herb does. The APC people did tell me to plug theirs in first, NOT into a Furman, but as I mentioned, the 20 amp plug on the Furman makes doing that not possible. I can tell you, this system survived a lightning hit that blew out quite a bit of stuff in my house and my neighbor's house, but my audio equipment was OK except for one small firewire circuit board. I was impressed. I also have an APC UPS and I have two Furman Rackrider RR15X units, one plugged into the other. I have one Furman plugged into the UPS and the other plugged into the first. I have been running this way for a number of years now with no problems. I also used the Kill-A-Watt tester to determine what I needed.
My wife had her driving test today.
She got 8 out of 10.
The other 2 jumped out of the way!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Floyd,
Man I only got three things to say.
1.) You are crazy.
2.) Oh Hayle yeah.
3.) I got a new song I need you to co-write and sing and play on. Go plug the refrigerator in.
I guess that's four things.
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Again.... check the nameplate rating on the refrigerator. If it's running on that circuit and so is the studio gear, keep on trucking.
My new, really big refrigerator only pulls 5 amps from the circuit. Don't worry about the starting draw of the compressor since most circuit breakers are time delayed specifically for that purpose. Meaning, most breakers will support considerably more than their rated for during the brief inrush current of a compressor or motor starting up.
I've seen some go well up to double for a half second as a motor started. As long as it drops back quickly, all is good and the breaker doesn't trip.
Don't run a drop cord up the steps. It's not needed and it makes for a very dangerous tripping hazard for people.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Not if you duct tape it to the wall...
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or "J" hooks from the ceiling. 
 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
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Ahhh - so I decided to pick up a Furman PL model - only question is to get the 15 or 20 amp. Assuming the Fridge and lights are in the same circuit, but different outlets (e.g. they will NOT be plugged into the furman) - is it a good guess that 15 Amp Furman would be adequate for just the music stuff ? It's half the price, and will have only the computer, music amps, very low volume PA (Precendent series 600 AB amp), and effects boxes. I play at pretty low volumes anyway, in the basement.
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That regular 15 amp one should be fine. I only have the 20 amp one because that's the outlet I had when they ran the dedicated circuit for me.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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