[K Shep]

When I built my attic I hired an electrician to install a dedicated circuit and help pull wire from the garage/electrical panel area up to the new space.  He split a 15 amp breaker and ran the wire.  I purchased a room air conditioner (recently) for the space, summers get hot with my amp helping with the heat.  So I had an air conditioner on the same 15 amp circuit as my audio system and my computer.

So today I had a friend give me a hand installing a dedicated circuit in my electrical panel and run 12 gauge wire up to the attic.  Now my audio gear is on its on circuit and everything else shares the existing 15 amp circuit.  I also had my friend rearrange my panel and I have an additional 20 amp dedicated breaker unused for future growth.

[mjosef]

Soooooo...hear any difference in the sound?

And the shoulda, coulda thing is/was...shoulda pulled two lines at the same time, same effort for twice the juice. 

[K Shep]

Soooooo...hear any difference in the sound?

I will measure the...oh I'm joking!  I believe we should have the cleanest pure power we are able to pull off.  I am able to do the work myself so I did.  No I haven't sat and listened for a difference.  But I now know that I have a 20 amp dedicated with just my system ran from it.

And the shoulda, coulda thing is/was...shoulda pulled two lines at the same time, same effort for twice the juice. 

I think what you mean is I should have ran the dedicated the first go around.  I didn't own a stereo when I built the attic.  So yeah hindsite is 20/20 but it doesn't apply here.

[srb]

And the shoulda, coulda thing is/was...shoulda pulled two lines at the same time, same effort for twice the juice. 

I think what you mean is I should have ran the dedicated the first go around.  I didn't own a stereo when I built the attic.  So yeah hindsite is 20/20 but it doesn't apply here.

Actually, I think what he might be saying (?) is that this time you should have run two dedicated lines just for the stereo!

BTW, in either case, I have one 20A dedicated circuit for my stereo, and am quite satisfied!
 
Steve

[K Shep]

I have one 20A dedicated circuit for my stereo, and am quite satisfied!
 
Steve

Knowing I have a pure run from my panel is very satisfying.

[Wayner]

I noticed that you have a garbage disposal on the same side of the box. I can't tell from the pictures, but is there 240v going in (2 sets of 120) or what's the deal? If the disposal is run at the same time you are cranking some tunes, you may have some noise issues.

Wayner 

[K Shep]

I noticed that you have a garbage disposal on the same side of the box. I can't tell from the pictures, but is there 240v going in (2 sets of 120) or what's the deal? If the disposal is run at the same time you are cranking some tunes, you may have some noise issues.

Wayner 

Yes, 2 sets of 120.  Wayner, In a perfect world should I have the disposal on the opposite side of the panel?  Notice my kitchen plugs are that same side too.  A microwave or blender might add noise as well?

[K Shep]

A friend asked if the addition of breakers is easy.  My answer is no, as long as you know exactly where the power is coming in to the panel.  But I recommend you hire an electrician if there is any question.

Has any other members worked on their own electrical panel?

[Big Red Machine]

Yes, is that a Cutler Hammer box?

[K Shep]

Yes, is that a Cutler Hammer box?

Yes it is. I learned Squard D and Cutler Hammer breakers fit in my particular box.

[Nuance]

Glad to hear everything went well, Kirk.  You are a "Jack of all trades." 

[Wayner]

A friend asked if the addition of breakers is easy.  My answer is no, as long as you know exactly where the power is coming in to the panel.  But I recommend you hire an electrician if there is any question.

Has any other members worked on their own electrical panel?

Yes, as an electrical designer, I have installed several breakers into my own home service, as well as having my head in many automated industrial machines that run on 208 or 480 volt 3 phase stuff.

Great advice for novices. There is great danger inside the service box. If you are unsure of your doings, I also suggest getting a "qualified" electrician to install what ever you need.

Wayner

[Nick77]

Yes, is that a Cutler Hammer box?

Are there panels to purchase if wireing a whole house from scratch? Better breakers?

[ctviggen]

A friend asked if the addition of breakers is easy.  My answer is no, as long as you know exactly where the power is coming in to the panel.  But I recommend you hire an electrician if there is any question.

Has any other members worked on their own electrical panel?

I've done tons of work on my own house's electrical.  However, I did have an electrician upgrade the breaker box from 100A to 200A.  I've added many additional circuits, though.

The problem is there's a lot of info to figure out.  The National Electric Code has most of this info, but there are also building codes (which tell you how large holes can be through joists/studs, etc.).  So, it takes a while to determine the knowledge necessary to make these types of modifications. 

[macrojack]

Nice to be self-reliant but important to know your limitations. Mistakes can be fatal. Don't you find that fact a little bit discouraging? I sure do. Tim Ryan takes care of my major electrical issues for $50/hr.

[jtwrace]

....and don't forget to read the fine print on your home owners insurance policy.  You might be surprised!!!

[K Shep]

Are there panels to purchase if wireing a whole house from scratch? Better breakers?

An audiophile grade panel, not in my opinion.  If you read Wayner's earlier post you'll hear from an experienced electrician, that it is a good idea to wire a panel with noisy motorized circuits on one side and (my words) lights and plugs on the other side of a panel. And if you look at the photo I took, you'll see that I have a 20 amp breaker marked "audio".  That breaker (circuit) feeds just my equipment.  IOW one 12 gauge wire runs from the "audio" breaker up to my attic to a single receptacle (plug).  While the other 15 amp circuit powers 3 receptacles in my attic, one receptacle has my computer, external hard drive and monitor plugged in.  The other receptacle has a mini air conditioner on it and the third receptacle is a spare.

So if starting from scratch they way you lay out circuits in your panel is important in order to eliminate any possibility of noise in your system, IMHO.

[ctviggen]

Nice to be self-reliant but important to know your limitations. Mistakes can be fatal. Don't you find that fact a little bit discouraging? I sure do. Tim Ryan takes care of my major electrical issues for $50/hr.

I have a BSEE an MSEE and two copies of the National Electrical Code (two previous editions before the current edition, which is not ratified in my district).  I also get everything inspected and pull permits. 

$50/hour?  Where do you live?  It was almost two thousand dollars for me to have my 100 amp service upgraded to 200 amps.   That took a day and I guarantee the parts were less than $500. 

In my family room, I install 16 recessed lights and a Grafik Eye.  In my kitchen, I installed 7 or 8 recessed lights, and a new circuit for those lights.  I will also install a circuit for a microwave, for an air handler, and several additional circuits.  I've installed a circuit (through raceways) for my garage.  I could list of the 4-5 other circuits I'm installing, but I won't bore you. 

It would cost me easily many thousands of dollars for the work I'm doing. 

It depends on your comfort level, but I'm totally comfortable working with electricity. 

[K Shep]

I've done tons of work on my own house's electrical.  However, I did have an electrician upgrade the breaker box from 100A to 200A.  I've added many additional circuits, though.

The problem is there's a lot of info to figure out.  The National Electric Code has most of this info, but there are also building codes (which tell you how large holes can be through joists/studs, etc.).  So, it takes a while to determine the knowledge necessary to make these types of modifications.

Fortunately I have a chase 2 feet from my panel the runs up to the attic.  I used existing holes (101 year old house) in the joists to pull over to the chase.  So no structural modifications were done.

I appreciate those that follow building codes by the book.  I'm not going to pull a permit in the city I live in to rearrange my panel with one of my friends that is a licensed electrician.  I work for a sub-contacting comany, I often forget that I have knowledge of dos and don'ts regarding appropriate practice and what necessitates permit pulling.  I also know how long the process may take and the cost of pulling a permit.

Working in your own electrical panel is not for everyone especially those that don't know the danger associate with electricity.

[macrojack]

"Working in your own electrical panel is not for everyone especially those that don't know the danger associate with electricity." K Shep

Words to live by....