M

mocwilson

Junior Audioholic
So I am totally clueless when it comes to electrical stuff and I'm hoping someone can explain what is going on. I have 2 monolith 7 channel amps rated at 300 watts into 4 ohms I am using to bi amp my ground level speakers (overkill..yes! But it makes me happy so ya) what I don't understand is how I have not blown a fuse yet. The fuse box has a 15 amp fuse and I have everything ( tv, Nvidia Shield, ps5, av receiver, and the two amps) plugged into two power bars on one outlet....how is it working? I get I'm at risk of blowing a fuse but am I at risk of damaging anything else, the amps for instance?

Any knowledge would be helpful

Thanks!
 
-Jim-

-Jim-

Audioholic Field Marshall
Without getting too geeky, a single Monolith 7 channel amplifier is rated to pull 1800 watts maximum (at 120 VAC) which is about all a 15 ampere circuit can supply continuously. So you are certainly at risk of tripping a Breaker at the electrical panel with two of them plugged into a single circuit along with the rest of your equipment. Of course if you don't "light them up" and drive multiple speakers (14? => seems crazy to me o_O) you will draw considerably less power.

Another risk is the breaker won't trip and then a fault could cause a fire. Most folks never test or exercise the breakers in their houses. So when an overcurrent condition occurs, they can't be certain the breaker is going to work. There is little risk of damaging the equipment when the breaker eventually trips.

I hope this is helpful.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
which is about all a 15 ampere circuit can supply continuously.
Yep, a 15 ampere circuit can supply 15 Amps continuously. Where continuous is 3 hours.
The amplifier will only pull 1800 Watts for a fraction of a second at a time. A 15 A circuit is designed to supply way more than that for short periods of time. Heck, old fashioned incandescent light bulbs would 10 times their rated current at turn-on.
An AC power circuit has a large safety factor. So the idea of the audio system drawing huge amount of current and a breaker or fuse failure at the same time is zero.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
As mentioned, fuses/breakers/wire are rated for continuous and de-rated by about 20%. Music is intermittent- run a constant signal and it might cause a problem, but your speakers will probably let you know they're not happy before you reach full power and it won't be long before your hearing ability decreases, noticeably.

You're forgetting to look at the rear panel, where it shows power draw- that's more likely to show what the circuit will need and it should remind you that no amplifier is 100% efficient- if it becomes hot, energy is being wasted.
 
M

mocwilson

Junior Audioholic
Yep, a 15 ampere circuit can supply 15 Amps continuously. Where continuous is 3 hours.
The amplifier will only pull 1800 Watts for a fraction of a second at a time. A 15 A circuit is designed to supply way more than that for short periods of time. Heck, old fashioned incandescent light bulbs would 10 times their rated current at turn-on.
An AC power circuit has a large safety factor. So the idea of the audio system drawing huge amount of current and a breaker or fuse failure at the same time is zero.
Thanks for this, it puts my mind at ease. I suppose if I was blasting in mutlichannel stereo on some crazy dubstep that could be a problem, but I don't do that Lol thanks again
 
Eppie

Eppie

Audioholic Ninja
Thanks for this, it puts my mind at ease. I suppose if I was blasting in mutlichannel stereo on some crazy dubstep that could be a problem, but I don't do that Lol thanks again
If you are concerned about power draw, you can check the plugs at the outlet. If you are approaching the 15 amp limit of the circuit, the plugs on the power bars and maybe the cords as well can begin to get warm. If the plugs or the outlet start to get warm to the touch, I would consider running a second dedicated circuit to that location. If the power cabling is cool (room temperature) you should be ok.
 
-Jim-

-Jim-

Audioholic Field Marshall
The power draw for each amplifier 1800 watts maximum (at 120 VAC) is from a photo of the rear of the amplifier I found on line at Monoprice / Monolith. Their specifications sheet doesn't list amperage (weak) at all. Even under "Full Specs" it mistakenly lists beside Input Power 120 VAC (nominal). Voltage is not Power!

As a 6 Sigma Black Belt licensed Electrician with an extra year of Electrical Technologist training, and over a decade in IEEE , I caution people on being less than careful with electricity. I've worked on, rebuilt, and tested Industrial Breakers & Relays that kept Hydro Power Stations on line as well as Mine Sites, Pulp & Paper Mills, etc. I've also worked on many other electrical and electronic devices as well.

Residential wiring may seem simple but more folks are killed by it, or a resulting fire, than you can imagine. Residential Breaker tripping is a function of 3 modes - Short Circuit, Instantaneous Overcurrent, and Time Overcurrent. The US National Electrical Code defines overload and overcurrent as any current in excess of the rated current of equipment or the ampacity of a conductor. It may result from overload, short circuit, or ground fault.

One should design circuit protection based on maximum potential loads => not on what is drawn at idle. That's a Fools Game. Breakers are there to safely protect the equipment, cabling, and people. For consumers who want protection just add up the total amperes (amps) each device can draw, and if you exceed the circuit capacity (amps) do the math. Electrical Code safety regulations say you can load a circuit up to 80 percent of its amperage rating. Check your National & Local Electric Codes for guidance if you are concerned.

I hope this is helpful.
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
Most audio is reproduced in listening rooms with 10 watts or less. You won't be using anywhere near 300 watts.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
One should design circuit protection based on maximum potential loads => not on what is drawn at idle. That's a Fools Game. Breakers are there to safely protect the equipment, cabling, and people. For consumers who want protection just add up the total amperes (amps) each device can draw, and if you exceed the circuit capacity (amps) do the math. Electrical Code safety regulations say you can load a circuit up to 80 percent of its amperage rating. Check your National & Local Electric Codes for guidance if you are concerned.
You are confusing the 3 hour continuous current rating of a AC power circuit with the very brief current demands of a hi-fi system.
 
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