2000 Watt 15 amp

Arbe0

Arbe0

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how will a 2000 watt element act with 110 volt with a 15 amp GFI outlet?
 
Arbe0 said:
how will a 2000 watt element act with 110 volt with a 15 amp GFI outlet?
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Ideally you'd be plugged into a 20 amp circuit. It can be done (not advisable) on a 15 amp if there is nothing else pulling power on that circuit, and you'll also run the risk of burning/melting the plug, especially if you use crap wiring. Hopefully you've got at least 12 gauge wire.
You'd be better off going with 1650 w element on 15 amp circuit imo,
How much liquid are you heating?
 
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controller wiring is good for 20 amp (12 gauged was built for 20 amp service.) this was made for smaller brews like 2.5 -3 gallon. It is a BIAB. i guess i haven't looked at the total amps that would be used. 2000 watt element, the pump is good for 1 amp (small pump works good) other than that the PID and a few lights on the controller. I see what your saying about the amp rating with all included. I looked at this and the amp rating would be more than the 15 amp outlet would handle.
thanks for the info.
 
Do not use a 2000 watt element on a 15 amp, 110v circuit. At best you will trip the breaker. At worst, it will overheat and catch fire.

A 2000 watt element will require a 20 amp circuit with 12 gauge wire AND a 20 amp receptacle.

For your circuit, I would advise nothing higher than a 1600 watt heater provided you have a dedicated circuit.
 
Is it a 120Vac element or 240Vac? Assuming it is a 120 volt element, it will draw 16-17 amps. That is the limit of a 20 amp circuit (80%) and exceeds a 15 amp circuit. Maximum constant load should be 80% of the breaker rating, on a 15 amp circuit that would be 1450 watts.

A 240Vac 5500 watt element is 10.5 ohms. At 120 volts it will draw 11.5 amps and produce 1350 watts, Easily handled by a 15 amp circuit. It also has a vey large surface area per watt, which helps to heat more gently. A 208Vac 5500 watt element will put out about 1850 watts at 120Vac and draws @ 15 amps, in that case you still need a 20 amp circuit.
 
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@HighVoltageMan! I agree with the 80% rule of thumb. Always good to have a bit of extra capacity. However, there are a number of UL listed devices out there at 1600 watts designed for a 15a circuit.

@Arbe0 Is this a pre-assembled unit that you’ve purchased or are you building this yourself? If it’s pre-assembled, it should have come with a 20a plug, which means it won’t work in a 15a receptacle. Keep in mind that each component must be rated for the load. This would include the breaker, house wiring, receptacle, plug, and component wiring.
 
I built this system, originally for 120 v 20 amp and have used it for years for 2.5 - 3 gallon batches in the kitchen on the 20 amp GFI outlet. As I looked into this I find that the amperage I would use at 15 amps would be more than the 15 amp circuit would handle. So it stays at a 20 amp controller until and if I decide that I want to invest in a 1650 watt element.
thank you all for setting me in the right path before I tried it out.
 
Yeah my elements are 1500w and I can feel the cords getting warm as I boil for the hour.
 
Man your 110v systems make my grey matter hurt.

240v systems seems so much more straight forward it just scales easier it seems to me.
 
Hawkbox said:
I wish we had 240v.
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You can get that wired into you homes right hawk?

I had a Lekky recently wire in a 15amp 240v plug he pretty much threw it in with the other work he was doing.

A few hombrews were used in that there persuasion yeah he was a good bloke!
 
We can, but it is hard for me cause my garage has concrete all around it. Can't get wiring ran easily.
 
Trialben said:
You can get that wired into you homes right hawk?

I had a Lekky recently wire in a 15amp 240v plug he pretty much threw it in with the other work he was doing.

A few hombrews were used in that there persuasion yeah he was a good bloke!
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Default voltage here is 110V. 220 takes special wiring, plugs, etc. We do it for high-draw appliances like clothes dryers and stoves. I had to have my 240V induction element wired specifically for that purpose.
 
North America, Central America, and a couple of South American countries standardized on 110-120 V systems. The reasoning was that this was less dangerous. At that time, most of these countries also standardized on 60Hz systems. Most of the rest of the world is on 220-240v systems, although some areas are 50 Hz and some are 60 Hz. This allow more power on the same wire. Most household wiring has insulation rated for 300V, so it can be used for 120 or 240. Japan is an oddity, as they use 100 volt systems.

In my previous job, I traveled to a lot of locations in the world. I did appreciate the electrical kettles running on 240. Water for my morning coffee boiled very quickly.

Given this, if I decide to upgrade from my present system, I will be going to a 240 volt system.
 
"Are you crazy? You fed a baby chili?" haha.
 
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