Infographic: How to Avoid Tripping a Breaker with Too Many Lights
Working with high-powered lights on standard 15-amp circuits can be tricky business. Luckily, our peeps at Story & Heart are here to help.
In this handy-dandy infographic (and the accompanying blog post), the S&H team breaks down the simple calculation that will help you figure out whether or not plugging in that extra 300 watt lamp will trip the breaker, thus costing your production time that could have been better spent, you know, actually shooting things. Check out the infographic below.
Essentially, the formula comes down to this: take the number of amps (information that should be clearly displayed inside your breaker box), multiply it out by 120 volts (assuming you're in the US), and the resulting number gives you the maximum wattage that particular circuit can handle. Exceed that number with too many lights, and you're guaranteed to trip the breaker. For example, standard 15-amp circuits can support 1800 watts (15 x 120), which means that you can safely toss a 1K and a 600-watt lamp on that circuit with no issues. Two 1Ks, on the other hand, will almost certainly trip the breaker.
If you want more in-depth explanation of how to judge the capacity of household circuits, head on over to the Story & Heart blog. What are your best tips and tricks for managing electricity on household circuits? Share them down in the comments!
Source: Story & Heart