electrical question......

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  • CHCRandy

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    I got a question for you guys that know about electrical stuff. I bought my wife a used tanning bed from a customer of mine that was moving....he said it was regular 120 so I got it. Well today I went to set it up and when I went to plug it in....I realized it is 120 but not a normal looking plug. It has one horizontal prong and one vertical then the round ground. Well I got to reading and it said it needs a dedicated line, 20 amp breaker. The plug in I was going to use is not a dedicated circuit and has a TV, PC, DVR, modem, etc.

    Would it be dangerous to just switch the plug in out for the type plug in I need and go for it............or does it have to be dedicated circuit? What happens if it draws too much...wire melting fire or just breaker tripping.

    Thanks for any advice.
     

    GodFearinGunTotin

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    I'm not sure about the dedicated part but that is error proofing so you don't plug it in to a 15 amp receptacle. If you'll notice when you go to the electrical section of your hardware store, the receptacles with the combo-vertical and horizontal plug in are rated for 20 amps while the ones with two vertical plugs are rated for 15 amps.
     

    churchmouse

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    You should "NEVER" share anything like this with your electronics. "NEVER"......Find or run a dedicated 20A circuit to it and use the receptacle to match the plug. They are in all the hardware stores. If you share this with anything it will not like it.
     

    indyjohn

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    What CP said. take each bulb's wattage rating, add them all together & divide by 120 - that's the amp draw on that plug for the duration of the tanning session. I'll bet the number will be 18 or 19. You'll want to run that through 12/2 NM-B (yellow) wire to a dedicated breaker in your load center.

    *** I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN *** YMMV. But I've learned a thing or two about this kind of stuff.
     
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    CHCRandy

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    Thanks guys....not really the answer I wanted to hear but I would rather be safe then sorry. FYI.....it has 16 x 100 Watt bulbs. Sounds like I am going to need an electrician.

    Just to be clear, this is on a 20 amp breaker.....but not sure about wiring and such.
     
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    indyjohn

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    Thanks guys....not really the answer I wanted to hear but I would rather be safe then sorry. FYI.....it has 16 x 100 Watt bulbs. Sounds like I am going to need an electrician.

    The hardest part of this project is running the wire through existing walls. And having an open slot in your load center (fuse box). If you have an attic it's not too bad, drill and fish tape.
     

    CHCRandy

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    The hardest part of this project is running the wire through existing walls. And having an open slot in your load center (fuse box). If you have an attic it's not too bad, drill and fish tape.

    The best part is the bed is going in the same room as breaker box.....so not far to go. And I do have open spots in box.
     

    indyjohn

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    If it's going to be in the same room as the breaker box, do this. Don't even worry about running it inside the wall until it needs to go into the breaker box.

    maxresdefault.jpg
     

    femurphy77

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    Thanks guys....not really the answer I wanted to hear but I would rather be safe then sorry. FYI.....it has 16 x 100 Watt bulbs. Sounds like I am going to need an electrician.

    Just to be clear, this is on a 20 amp breaker.....but not sure about wiring and such.

    If it's on a 20 amp breaker it "should" be wired with #12 wire. Of course in a typical home it will feed several other outlets. Best bet, dedicated circuit.
     

    2A_Tom

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    I have seen homeowners replace 15 amp breakers on 14 awg circuits with 20 amp breakers.

    If you overload a circuit the wires heat up because of the electron flow. The circuit breaker detects this heat and trips the circiut. A 20 amp breaker win trip more slowly than a 15 amp breaker and the lighter gague wire can heat to a point where it causec cumbustion in the wall.

    Do not play with electricity! Call a pro.
     

    Fargo

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    Thanks guys....not really the answer I wanted to hear but I would rather be safe then sorry. FYI.....it has 16 x 100 Watt bulbs. Sounds like I am going to need an electrician.

    Just to be clear, this is on a 20 amp breaker.....but not sure about wiring and such.

    The wiring will have what it is printed on the sheathing. It will probably say 12-2 NM or 12-2 romex. If it says 14-2, it is likely underrated for a 20a circuit.

    I looked up this when a coworker got a commercial treadmill. NEC requires a dedicated outlet when a single appliance pulls over a certain percentage of a circuit's capacity something like 70 percent off the top of my head. A 20a circuit isn't actually designed to continuously pull 20a. I was lucky, he had a basically unused 20a breaker which was just running a single bulb in the attic. I deleted the bulb, drilled through the top plate, and fished it down to a remodel box in the room he wanted.

    If it works space wise, it is really easy to just put a dedicated oulet directly below the breaker box. All you need is the breaker, a few feet of 12-2 romex, a punchout collar, an existing construction box, a single receptacle 20a outlet and faceplate. No real fishing involved and just a little drywal repair where you put the collar in the underside of the box. I did this because I didn't want my deepfreeze on a gfci circuit. If you do drill through a top plate, you are supposed to firecaulk the hole although many are not.

    Not an electrician.
     

    Warrior1354

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    You will need a dedicated 12-2 romex NM circuit for this tanning bed its the yellow color kind in your hardware stores. Outlet should be a 120volt 20amp device. Breaker will also be Q120 breaker for your panel. Make sure you get the correct type for your panel as well. Existing stuff can sometimes be used but its all depending how much is on it and what kind of wiring is in your current house. I will say this I have seen many accidents over the years in this field when stuff was added too already overloaded circuit. Last one I saw the homeowners had two window A/C units that were on the same circuit. Wiring was also old the early knob and tube stuff with an old fuse panel. Kept blowing the 20 amp fuse they had. Their solution put a 30 amp fuse in its place. Burnt the wire up and caused a fire in the living room and dining room.
     
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    Bennettjh

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    I'm no electrician by far but I have dabbled into it a little. Best bet would be 12/2 wire and a 20 amp breaker and receptacle. It will be a lot easier with it all in the same room. :twocents:
     

    Whitsettd8

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    Just out of curiosity what size wire is used on the cord that plugs it in? If have a tanning bad in my basement said the same thing 20 circuit etc but it has a 14 gauge wire coming out of it.
     

    Fargo

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    Just out of curiosity what size wire is used on the cord that plugs it in? If have a tanning bad in my basement said the same thing 20 circuit etc but it has a 14 gauge wire coming out of it.
    Funny how that works isn't it, a wire size may be rated for way different loads based on application. Often it is because the temp rating of the connectors requires derating of the cable.
     
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