While I'm overthinking things, is there a particular reason that I would want to run 20A circuits (12/2) rather than 15 amp circuits (14/2)? I really don't plan on setting up 1500 watt power amps into any part of this studio, so I thought that running a few more smaller circuits would be beneficial compared to fewer larger circuits (protection of equipment in case something "bad" happened).
_________________
Thanks!
Bob
I'm kind of with you on the over-design thing, Bob! Having a little extra margin is always a good thing in my book, especially with electricity. Thicker cable means lower resistance, means lower losses, means cooler wiring, etc. (OK, so only slightly). And maybe you don't have any 1,500 watt speakers PLANNED right now, but who knows what you might need to do a year or three down the line, for some crazy session that you never even imagined?
In any event, what about your lighting and HVAC? They will have to get power from somewhere. Will they be powered by the same cable? Lights can easily run you several hundred watts, and your HVAC could conceivably draw a thousand. If those are going to be powered from the same panel (on separate circuits, of course) then you just ate up all your spare capacity.
And what about service power? (as opposed to technical power). You don't want to plug in things like vacuum cleaners, coffee pots, refrigerators, copiers, and suchlike to the same circuits as your equipment! That needs to be separate too.
I'd suggest that you draw up a list and rough sketch of the layout of your electrical system, to see what things can go on the same circuit as each other, and what things need their own separate circuit, then work it back from there to figure the layout of your distribution panel(s), the rating of your breakers and wiring, grounding, etc.
And even then I'd leave a healthy margin on top of each circuit, because Murphy has a habit of throwing you curve balls when you least want one...
- Stuart -
Ideally, if the powers that be allow it, those would be run from a separate load center completely. The thought of introducing noise from a 120V blower motor (or worse, a compressor in a refrigerator or air conditioner) through the main power supply rails to my audio equipment is enough to make me squirm! If that's not allowed, then all of those circuits would be on the opposite leg as the audio circuits on the single load center (except, of course, the AC - which is where my concern arises). As I plan on starting with a 100 amp load center, that shouldn't be a problem. As I understand, most medium size HOUSES pull less than 60 amps continuously unless they have a hot tub AND AC, or they run all electrical appliances.
My concern is the drops themselves that are dedicated to audio. The balance between safety (assuming that somebody's 1950's vintage amplifier creates a short, and wanting to trip a breaker before 20 amps is reached) vs versatility (being able to plug more components into a single circuit to minimize ground loop possibilities) is simply a question to which I have no answer. Part of me would prefer to run three 15 amp circuits into the live room, rather than two 20 amp circuits.
Once it comes to the control room, I'm clueless. I have no idea how many of what size circuits to put in there (for audio). For what I will call ancillary circuitry, I would assume that a single 15 amp circuit would be more than fine (just as you said, for running vacuums, etc).