Tembo

Hi Marc, We replaced a couple of HP desktops with a couple of Dell XPS. First we got the XPS420 (which became the XPS9000) and a year later added the XPS435. One has a 375w power supply while the other has a 425w. Both are rated on their labels as 10a. The Viewsonic Ultrabrite a90f+ CRT is too heavy (45lbs) for me to lift to see the rating label. The desktops are heavily customised; dual hard drives (Raid 1) plus optical drives. They are each connected to their own amplified speaker system. Power problems started when the XPS435 replaced the last HP. The breaker kept tripping and I just gave up and connected the second XPS to the next room to keep us going until we can resove this. I have no way to measure the actual current draws in real time so all I can go on is the label specs. There's so much heat with them we need extra cooling for this room!!!

Just a note to update the results of my investigation re the breaker wiring and tripping problems. Had an electrician come in and look at the breaker board and we discussed options. He also looked at our needs in view of what we are using on various circuits and at least one is severely overloaded; bathroom light and exhaust fan, hall and two stair lights; receptacles in bathroom, hall and one small bedroom (3 receptacles) - which is being used as a home office. Tentative decision was made to take two steps; 1: add three additional breakers and move the extras circuits on the double taps to them; 2: add a split duplex receptacle (2x 15amp) to spare bedroom / home office to serve two desktops pcs, one with a 21" CRT, two printers and two shredders plus various electronics. 3: Since both PCs alone each draw 10amps, (and we may upgrade at least one to a more powerful one with a 1200watt power supply) I am wondering if even a split duplex is going to be enough in the long run. 4: So, a question please if I may. This may be overkill but is it feasible and permitted by code [Ontario] for us to have TWO split duplex receptacles added? There's enough space on the board for the necessary 2x 2-pole 15a breakers. It seems that if we're having cables drawn from the board we may as well have the extras pulled now. Just to clarify, this home office is just a hobby room with a lot of electronic gear! And, regarding the remark about Roger Whittaker, he is a huge part of this room. We operate semi-official presence on his website and maintain analogue and digital files of everything he has ever recorded and released as well as some unreleased material. This allows us not only to answers fans' questions but on rare occasions provide "replacement" tracks in mp3 format. Hence the need for powerful pcs as well as "other stuff"!

Thank you again Marc and John. I'm sure everything is strictly copper; no sign of Al anywhere. Just took a few more pics, this time with flash; please see attached. Honestly I'm not comfortable touching this board other than to look. Partly this is because my hands nowadays are not too steady (I'm 71 and just finished a bunch of radiation treatment). Ironically as a "kid" I thought nothing of working on "hot" 220v circuits back in the UK. It looks like I'm in for a date with an electrician. They're few and far between here in Elliot Lake. A neighbour just paid $500 to have a new single dedicated 15a outlet installed on a new breaker direct from the board. Is this normal? (I don't know how much "fishing" was involved). Again, thank you very much Marc and John! Click to Enlarge 52.7 KB Click to Enlarge 76.63 KB Click to Enlarge 76.88 KB Click to Enlarge 62.02 KB Click to Enlarge 32.17 KB

Thank you Marc; Thank you John Kogel! The breaker that trips is a 15A. I'm going to try attaching the reduced size jpgs now. Some background info. This is the former mining town where our (only) shopping mall collapsed a few weeks ago. Nothing here seems to have ever been built (or maintained) to last!!! This house was built in June 1976. All these houses were prefabricated with two sections placed on a prebuilt basement and joined together; typical of all the construction here. There is actually a contruction label that says "100amp service, 14 energised circuits". Of course in the interim much seems to have been done with the basement finished, a laundry room and an extra bathroom added, and then all drywalled with numerous outlets and ceiling fans. I'm obviously going to have to map out a schematic of exactly what outlets and lights are on each breaker. Notably there are absolutely no GFCIs at all, either outdoors or in the bathrooms. In fact my first priority has to be to add a GFCI in the main bathroom where my wife uses a hair dryer by the sink. Thanks again. Click to Enlarge 53.25 KB Click to Enlarge 29.66 KB Click to Enlarge 61.87 KB Click to Enlarge 71.14 KB Click to Enlarge 77.74 KB Click to Enlarge 33.46 KB

We recently bought a house here in Elliot Lake and the electrical system is quite a headache. The main switch is a CEB 100amp # F2022 N and the breaker panel is a CEB 200Amp B40200 with some free positions. We became aware of a problem when adding a second desktop pc on the same circuit started tripping the breaker. On removing the breaker cover we discovered what seem to be extra taps on some breakers. Not sure if there's been any arcing. We're not sure exactly where we stand or what to do. I can rewire outlets and add or convert them to GFCI but have never worked on or touched a breaker panel; it's beyond an amateur's capabilty for sure. Can anyone give us practical suggestions, preferably cost effective.[?] We just retired up here and in an ideal world would replace the panel with a new one using arc-fault breakers as well as upgrading to 200Amp service (we can't even use our window ac here right now!). Have taken several pics of the main switch but have yet to figure how to attach them here.