if I have a device that uses 110 25 AMPs, but I don’t have a 30AMP circuit, if I split the load across (2) 15AMP circuits, what would happen?

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So let’s say a house has 150 AMP service, and there were two dedicated 15 AMP breakers dedicated to this device, does the current split evenly, to work like 30AMPs, or would it trip at 15 AMPs?
This is a theoretical question, I assume code would be against this anyway, and I would not do it, but would it work?

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4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The current would not split evenly. It would split in inverse proportion to the relative resistances on the two parallel paths to the load. Those resistances (i.e. the wiring from the breaker box to the outlets) will be very low but not zero, and they won’t be exactly equal to each other. The more unequal they are, the more unequal the share of current they’ll each be bearing. If they’re unequal enough to exceed 15 amperes on one side (very likely) then that breaker will pop first, leaving *all* the current to go throught the other, causing it to immediately pop too.

tl;dr It’s unlikely to work

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