Electrical Current

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Michael Jones

Michael Jones

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I talked to Austin Energy today and they told me my existing electric service (200 amperes) is inadequate for an additional 1200 sq. ft. building.
No surprise there. I knew this going into it and requested some info from them weeks and weeks ago. It's nice to finally have that confirmed though.
What they will do is provide me with an additional 200 amp service, additional meter, and riser for a small installation charge.

200 amps should be sufficient for a 1200 sq. ft. studio, wouldn't you think? I can have more amperes if I want, but the price goes up significantly.
I've added up everything; equipment, lights, A/C, etc, and can only come up with around 125 - 130 amps of current draw, and that's with everything turned on and running at the same time.

Am I missing anything?
 
Michael Jones said:
I talked to Austin Energy today and they told me my existing electric service (200 amperes) is inadequate for an additional 1200 sq. ft. building.
No surprise there. I knew this going into it and requested some info from them weeks and weeks ago. It's nice to finally have that confirmed though.
What they will do is provide me with an additional 200 amp service, additional meter, and riser for a small installation charge.

200 amps should be sufficient for a 1200 sq. ft. studio, wouldn't you think? I can have more amperes if I want, but the price goes up significantly.
I've added up everything; equipment, lights, A/C, etc, and can only come up with around 125 - 130 amps of current draw, and that's with everything turned on and running at the same time.

Am I missing anything?
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Hell, I dont think i use that in my whole house. It should be fine.
 
I agree, that sounds way excessive. Should be more than adequate.

Alex
 
200 amps should be plenty! My studio is 1200 sqft with central heat/air and there's no way I'll pull that much current. My house is 1875 sqft with a 200 amp service.

If you are doing your own wiring look at Home Depot for a panel called "Home Center". It's a 200 amp panel with main breaker and 7 other breakers included. Cost was $79. If need be you can mount it upside down too. I had to in order to match it up height wise with my meter base. I didn't want to put any more bends in that 4/0 service entrance cable than I had to.

DD
 
Michael, I run my entire studio except for lights and a power amp, off one 1400 VA UPS (winters here are kinda windy) and the new upgrade will use a 2200 VA UPS running a 1.5 KW balanced power transformer to run all electronics. I have 6-7 keyboards, a 1/2" reel deck, DAT, 3 mixers, about 6-7 feet of rack mounted processing, bunch of other stuff too numerous to mention - what I did before trying to power all that with a UPS is take a male and female plug, wire them together with separate wires, and use a clamp-on ammeter to find the REAL current being used. A separate turn-on sequence takes care of surges, and I'm still under 12 amps with all that.

Just be sure you put ALL outlets for electronics on the SAME phase of the power - use the other phase for heating and lighting, if you use a frig put the most humongous surge suppressor ON THE FRIG you can and put the frig on the non-electronics phase also. Most frigs cause NASTY spikes when they turn on/off, (they're just a compressor starting under a load) and putting a surge suppressor on the frig itself can tame them so they don't cause problems elsewhere.

If you're using 240 volts for heat/AC, get heavy duty surge suppressors for both phases, right at the loads.

200 amps??? Sheesh, we don' need no steenking 200 amps... Steve
 
That should be more than enough.

over 200 amps and usually you are in the commercial price point so you pay more per kilowatt than you would with less than 200 amps.

This is why at home, I'm working diligently to have two seperate 200A boxes and meters. Since my wife didn't take my last name last June, I'm trying to put one in her name and one in my name.

See, I need 100A for my welder in my garage, among other things :)


200 amps should be sufficient for a 1200 sq. ft. studio, wouldn't you think? I can have more amperes if I want, but the price goes up significantly.

I've added up everything; equipment, lights, A/C, etc, and can only come up with around 125 - 130 amps of current draw, and that's with everything turned on and running at the same time.

Am I missing anything? [/B]
Click to expand...
 
Michael, That's only about 20,000watts worth of lighting and sound. Are you sure that will be enough? You might want to host the next South by Southwest in which case you might be pushing it ;)
 
TexRoadkill said:
Michael, That's only about 20,000watts worth of lighting and sound. Are you sure that will be enough? You might want to host the next South by Southwest in which case you might be pushing it ;)
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he hehe he
I know, I know, but see, it's the way the current is delegated or distributed:

50 amperes, right off the bat goes for the HVAC. Now it may not draw 50 amps, but then again it might. Hot summers here, and I like it cool.

50 amps goes to the grinder pump for the toilet.

That leaves 100 amps.
Break that down into 5 - 20 amp circuits this way:

20 for the kitchen
20 for the tracking, drum, and vocal room lights and outlets
20 for the control room lighting
20 for the equipment
20 for some exterior lighting, and what ever else; future expansion.

It adds up fast. I don't think the local amendments to the UEC (we dont use the NEC here) will allow for 10 amp breakers.
 
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Michael Jones said:
50 amps goes to the grinder pump for the toilet.
Click to expand...

There's your problem right there. I guess everything is bigger in Texas.

Just remember:
"Too many poos we all lose. Don't be a hog, hold the log"
 
"50 amps goes to the grinder pump for the toilet."

Michael, you're supposed to take those aluminum wrappers off the burritos BEFORE you eat 'em - that should lower the draw by at least 20 amps, 'nuff for another beer frig or a couple dozen more lava lamps... Steve
 
knightfly said:
"50 amps goes to the grinder pump for the toilet."

Michael, you're supposed to take those aluminum wrappers off the burritos BEFORE you eat 'em - that should lower the draw by at least 20 amps, 'nuff for another beer frig or a couple dozen more lava lamps... Steve
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But I like that "metalic" taste!
Actually, you had given me some info on "sani-flush" toilets and grinder pumps before. I'd like to use those as the current draw is less, but our local health department considers those an "alternate" design, and has to be approved on a case by case basis. The typical design is like a mini lift station, with a wet well outside of the building, and a submersible pump in side of it. You actually have to have 2 pumps, in case one fails. That's why there's such a high current demand. Plus it's a sizeable pump.

At any rate, I meet with them next week to discuss the sani-flush option.
 
Favorite bumper sticker - pic of chubby little dufus at one end, set of rifle scope crosshairs superimposed, words to the right: "Bureaucrats; 2 a day, 6 in possession"

Then again, who'd wanna possess anything that belongs in a landfill...
 
I guess I should be happy with the 8" diameter sewer pipe leaving my commercial space that goes under the slab, out to the street, and where it goes after that I couldn't care less :)

Maybe into a politician's living room? heh-heh.


Michael Jones said:

But I like that "metalic" taste!
Actually, you had given me some info on "sani-flush" toilets and grinder pumps before. I'd
Click to expand...
 
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