20 amp dedicated circuit question

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hello all....
I am considering installing a 20 amp dedicated circuit in the room where my gear is, and I have a few questions for those that had already done this retrofitting to their electrical system.
1) Should I get all electrical outlets in that room switched to 20 amps, or just one?
2)What is the vernacular when it comes to this, meaning what exactly do I tell the electrician to do for me, and what are the correct parameters for this request, so that I do not get taken?
3)What is the average/customary charge for this?
4)Should I get a few quotes before I proceed ?
5)How big/destructive/involved of a project is this?
6)Any additional pozitives/negatives that you can think of?

Thanx a lot for all your help...
Cheers, V.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Hello all....
I am considering installing a 20 amp dedicated circuit in the room where my gear is, and I have a few questions for those that had already done this retrofitting to their electrical system.


Is this a retrofit job with the electrical circuit? Is the room finished in an existing home? Which room? If existing home, some rooms already require one 20A circuit and outlet, family room and perhaps living room.

Why do you think you need 20A?


1) Should I get all electrical outlets in that room switched to 20 amps, or just one?

Just one, but depends on the above answer.


2)What is the vernacular when it comes to this, meaning what exactly do I tell the electrician to do for me, and what are the correct parameters for this request, so that I do not get taken?

You want a 20A outlet in such and such a room and wall, wherever you specifically need it. But, you may already have one.


3)What is the average/customary charge for this?

Locality specific ;)


4)Should I get a few quotes before I proceed ?

Yes, most definitely.


5)How big/destructive/involved of a project is this?

Depends on where it is coming from, where it is going to and what is in between.


6)Any additional pozitives/negatives that you can think of?

You may not really need it :)
It may cost more than it is worth?
 
A

av_phile

Senior Audioholic
20 amps for a music-only gear or HT?

You must have a pretty powerful amp in your set-up to consume around 2kva of power. :D And to crank it up to extract so much power. If you do, then it's always recommended to have a dedicated power line to serve such powerful beasts. Good luck.
 
Y

Yamaman

Junior Audioholic
1) Should I get all electrical outlets in that room switched to 20 amps, or just one?
Just to expand a bit on that- it depends how much gear you have. With my basement installation, I'll have one dedicated 20A circuit with about 4 duplex outlets. So, all my HTcomponents, DLP projector, Video game console will be plugged into these receptacles.

Do I need it? for now, probably not; but I did this more for the future if I decide (and have the funds) to buy a more powerful system. Also, because this is new construction, its easy (no retrofit or demolition) and doesn't cost me any more than a 15A circuit.

4)Should I get a few quotes before I proceed ?
I received several quotes for my entire basement wiring. And I can tell you, its all over the place. Try to find an certified electrician who doesn't penny pinch- an example would be setting a price for each pot light installation. The electrician I hired gave me a flat fee (materials & labor)- when I asked him to install one dedicated 20AMP circuit, after the fact, he said no problem. He was honest cuz he knows the labor isn't any different and the increase in material cost is insignificant, if any. Also, I revised the lighting plan to include 6 more pot lights and again, he still went by his initial quote.

Bottom line- get a few quotes and if you can get a referral somehow, even better (that's how I found my electrician).

Looks like your doing a bit of retrofit, so i'm not sure how big a job that would be. You would have to run 12 gauge wire and change the outlets and breaker to your 100A (or 200A) service. So, yes, I would think that some areas of the walls will have removed to install new wiring. It really depends on where your room is in relation to the main power panel.

My question is: if you're room is a good size that can "handle" a beefy system, then it may be worthwhile. But if your room is fairly small, then I don't see the point.
 
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