daisy chaining

[Aaron Coffee]

Have a 2 breaker box and would like to run 3 plug ins and 3 switched lights(light strips designed for under cabinet or curio cabinet lighting). One plug in and switched light in galley, one plug in and switched light in cabin over shelf and one plug in and switched light in front closet. Highest draw item would be coffe maker in galley. Also plan on using gfci plug ins. Is this possible? Safe?
Thanks
Aaron

[bobhenry]

Absolutely no problem !

The only thing I had trouble with was explaining only one heating device at a time. Ol' whats her name would have the red neck hot water heater (40 cup coffee maker) plugged in for dish water and try and use the 1500 watt heater and run a small perculator or crock pot at the same time.

THAT DON"T WORK !

I finally resorted to using a seperate supply source for the heater when cold weather camping (or AC in the heat) by running a 10 3 cord just for it.

[Engineer Guy]

You can calculate total Watts to be drawn [using GFIs or not] using Ohm's Law after adding up various Watts used by what's on the circuit:

P [total Watts drawn] = I [Amperes] x E [volts]. Assuming 115 Volts, a 15 Amp Circuit Breaker or GFI Breaker will allow a total of 1,725 Watts load. A 20 Amp Circuit Breaker will allow 115 Volts x 20 Amperes or 2,300 Watts load.

Most GFIs are 15 Amps. You can buy 20 Amp GFIs at the Big Box stores if you look for them. Besides the print on them, 20 Amp GFIs have a lil horizontal slot on the left-most, longer vertical slot that is the Neutral connection which completes the circuit after it passes through the load.

See a red 20 Amp GFI receptacle here:

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=11622&minisite=10021

The Fine Print: 115 Volt Inductive loads, like Drills or A/C or Reefers starting up, can draw more Watts momentarily upon startup. This can trip a GFI or regular Circuit Breaker if it's already near it's wattage-handling upper limit.