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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => AC Power and Grounding => Topic started by: Robert Lunceford on June 16, 2016, 06:29:45 PM

Title: What do I have here?
Post by: Robert Lunceford on June 16, 2016, 06:29:45 PM
This is in a city park so I would hope it is up to code. Do I have 15 amps from each quad box?



Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Don T. Williams on June 16, 2016, 06:42:25 PM
Maybe . . . .  If there are (4) 15 amp breakers inside that are wired to the outlets, you may have 60 amps available.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Mike Sokol on June 16, 2016, 06:42:49 PM
This is in a city park so I would hope it is up to code. Do I have 15 amps from each quad box?

Probably, but it could also be fed from a pair of 20-amp breakers. You need to look at the circuit breakers themselves to be sure. And don't be surprised if all four receptacles are fed from a single breaker. I just ran into that last year at a newly built church pavilion with brand new/inspected power. BTW: if this is outside it needs to be fed from a GFCI breaker to meet code.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Jonathan Johnson on June 16, 2016, 07:56:54 PM
Aaaand.... the broken/missing cover is a code violation. Also, as I understand it, those covers are no longer code compliant; covers on exterior receptacles must allow for the receptacle to be weather-protected while in use.

I don't see any other obvious code violations. I can't see enough of the panel to tell if it is a weathertight panel.

It's not uncommon to see code violations in municipal facilities. Kind of a "he who makes the rules can break the rules" sort of thing.

As for capacity, what we can tell from this picture is that each of the four individual receptacles on the right side is rated for 15A.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Stephen Swaffer on June 16, 2016, 07:58:36 PM
Current Code also requires weatherproof while in use covers.  Though this could be old enough that it wasn't a requirement when installed.  GFCIs are by far the most critical requirement IMO.

It could be anything from (1) 15 amp circut, up to (4) 20 amp circuits ( or even ( 8 ) 15 amp circuits if someone got crazy).  No way to tell for sure without tracking down breakers.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Robert Lunceford on June 16, 2016, 09:23:37 PM
Is there a safe way to do a continuity check with a fluke meter with the outlets "hot", or is gaining access to the breaker panel the only option to find out which outlets share the same circuit?
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: g'bye, Dick Rees on June 16, 2016, 09:35:47 PM
Is there a safe way to do a continuity check with a fluke meter with the outlets "hot", or is gaining access to the breaker panel the only option to find out which outlets share the same circuit?

Something like this may help:

http://www.triplett.com/shop/breaker-sniff-it-circuit-breaker-locator-test-equipment/

If you connect a load to the circuit you can sort out if two outlets are on the same breaker.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Stephen Swaffer on June 16, 2016, 10:11:34 PM
Is there a safe way to do a continuity check with a fluke meter with the outlets "hot", or is gaining access to the breaker panel the only option to find out which outlets share the same circuit?

Gaining access is the only definitve way.

You might be able to determine by watching the voltage while plugging in a heavy load and seeing if the voltage drops on another receptacle.  This will give some information, but it depends a lot on how these receptacles ar fed as to how much you can deduce from the readings you get.

Honestly, you need access at some point.  I wouldn't want to run a show depending on circuits that I couldn't reset- better to bring a genny and have control.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Stephen Kirby on June 17, 2016, 05:31:24 PM
With everything that close together (assuming the breakers are in that box) a sniffer isn't going to tell you much.  I have used one in bars when the outlets are 20' apart but even then sometimes it looks like they're together when you can find that they're not by doing the old plug in a lamp and flip the breakers test.
Title: Re: What do I have here?
Post by: Shawn Keck on June 22, 2016, 03:45:38 PM
This is in a city park so I would hope it is up to code. Do I have 15 amps from each quad box?

Like other have said...could be one circuit...most likely two or four, but up to eight. Do you have access to that box above the receptacles? You might be able to tell if you have one, two or four by seeing how many hot wires are going into each J box.

If you open that box and there are four breakers in it...that is most likely your answer.

Either way, find the breakers...I would not wanna do any show without breaker access in case one gets overloaded and pops. You would be SOL if they are not accessible at show time.