Question about electrical requriements

[Verneir]

In the basic home built in about the 1970s, so a great many homes around my area at least (Southern California), about how much stuff can you have running in a room/on a circuit before you should start worry about power?

Say if you have a computer that has 3 HDDs in it, a 24" monitor, printer, a 6.1 surrond sound PC speaker setup (creative 650s), DSL modem, router, 3 lamps, cell phone charger, clock, television.. lol, you get the idea right?

Should I be worried about the load?

Also I know a UPS is a good thing to have in general, because it can save your computer from a surge or power outage, but if you run into problems with how much juice your pulling, would a UPS be able to supplement that at all?

[FunctionX]

Why not just try it and see if it works?

[Verneir]

As far as I know the worst thing that would likely happen is I blow a fuse and have to go to the fuse box, but there's the other point that I asked - if I do have a problem with the load, then, will a UPS or similar device supplement the power? From what I understand a good UPS will condition the power as well as provide a battery backup for some amount of time. Now, if it's conditioning the power, maybe there's something available that can amplify power somehow? I don't know too much about electricity, which is why I'm asking..

I mean, it may seem like a rediculous question but I'm not an electrician.. lol.. I think the worst thing that could happen is I blow a fuse in the house, but I don't know, which is why I'm asking! =P Aside from that, if I do have the problem is there anything for that can fix it for a couple hundred dollars?

[Brahma]

From what you listed, a 20 Amp circuit should be effecient enough for the load.

[GB_Cobber]

It shouldnt be a problem. I recently tested a couple of my PC's with a tong tester.

An XP1600+/512MB/GF2ti including 17" monitor only pulled about 200w. The P3 333/GF2MX/15" was only 150w.
If you allow 300 to maybe 400w because of that huge monitor thats still only 400/110 = 3.64A
The rest of that stuff is nothing. maybe 100-200w for the TV depending on its size.
I dont think you'l go over 5A with everything running.

[LordOPain]

Originally posted by GB_Cobber
It shouldnt be a problem. I recently tested a couple of my PC's with a tong tester.

An XP1600+/512MB/GF2ti including 17" monitor only pulled about 200w. The P3 333/GF2MX/15" was only 150w.
If you allow 300 to maybe 400w because of that huge monitor thats still only 400/110 = 3.64A
The rest of that stuff is nothing. maybe 100-200w for the TV depending on its size.
I dont think you'l go over 5A with everything running.

took me a minute to figure out what you were referring to as a "tong testor".. different schools of thought i guess..
but, ill bet that it wont calculate power factor.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu...ic/powfac.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/electricC.../AC/AC_11.html

take your wattage values and multiply them by 1.6.
actually itd be: (watts * 0.6)+ watts = total power.(it can be much more elaborate, but thats a way to get close)

the typical psu and the monitor will act as an inductive load(not to include the energy it takes to start the monitor).
the typical PF is about 0.6 to 0.7
soo..400 watts * 1.6 = 640 / 120 = 5.3amps AC.. an additional 50+ % of power is consumed. thats the kind of thing thatll trip the breaker when you least expect it.
in the US(consumer level AC power)we dont much care at the moment (except CA and perhaps now NY ) but the UK and parts of Europe has been watching this for a while.

[russ_watters]

Check to see what the circuit (read it off the circuit breaker/fuse) is rated for. If its 15A you don't want much more than what you have there. If its 20A you should be good.

Here's how I figure your loads:

Computer: 300W
Monitor: 200W
Speakers: 100W
Modem+Router: 50W
Lamps: 400W
TV: 200W

Total: 1250W or 10.4A