Tank is tripping breaker....

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by MarkoD

discription of light says "Oceanballast M magnetic ballast"

and extension cord isnt an option. i dont want cords running to my tank.... i like the fact that everything is clean and hidden.

what im gonna try and do is move the room lights to another circuit (it'll take 6 halogen bulbs off the load)

Facing the option of whether I can deal with the look of an extension cord(s) or risk burning my house down, I'd choose the extension cord(s)... as an interim measure. Then I'd get another circuit added, even if it means replacing the entire breaker panel with a new one and/or opening walls if necessary.

Tripping the breaker is a warning shot across the bow (pardon the navy jargon from an air force guy). That circuit with 4x250 watt (1000 watts right there) including whatever else is on it (more lights or perhaps even other devices, good idea to confirm) will be heating up the wiring a fair bit even if it doesn't trip the breaker. A 15 amp circuit will handle about 1800 watts max, 1500 watts reasonably safely. Why risk running a circuit near it's max? It's a safety hazard, no time to be worrying about how a heavy duty extension cord will look. If you wish to run a big tank with plenty of power requirements, you need to ensure you have the necessary circuitry in place.