How many watts can be safely pulled from this breaker

just moved into this new spot and haven't had a chance to talk with the electrician and I'm trying to get some rough planning going for how much we are going to run my partner is saying it's possible for 600a because it is 3 phase. I don't understand much about electricity which is why I leave it to the pros but I need more info before I can proceed with planning out the rooms cooling and lights.

Any help is appreciated

How many watts you need, man? That looks to be a 200 amp 240 volt breaker, so 40,000 watts should be ok. At 220V, which is a typical operating voltage your peak would be 44k, as long as the wiring is up to snuff. I'm not an electrician, this is not advice, it is commentary.

trying to do 16000w in the basement and 24000w on the first floor

most household breaker boxes will be a max of 200a some are 100a like mine was before the upgrade and yes 200a is the max you can have for a household. now that doesnt mean you cant setup solar ect to gain additional power. Best thing to do is get an electrician and talk to him.

i wasnt worried for my grow everything was bran new wiring and 200a service when I moved in.. however the house was a different story it was old nobbin tube wire and had to rewire the whole house. the electrician will let you know and make recommendations.

You can run 200A at 240V = 48,000W max for upto 2 hours.

You can run 0.8 x 48,000 = 38,400W continuous load.

If you stagger some of the (16,000W + 24,000W) loads so they don't come on at the same time you'll be fine but that breaker is not rated to run at 40,000W continuously.

qballizhere said:

yes 200a is the max you can have for a household. now that doesnt mean you cant setup solar ect to gain additional power.

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Plenty of larger homes have more than a 200 amp service.

- Jiji

Timboy5 said:

just moved into this new spot and haven't had a chance to talk with the electrician and I'm trying to get some rough planning going for how much we are going to run my partner is saying it's possible for 600a because it is 3 phase. I don't understand much about electricity which is why I leave it to the pros but I need more info before I can proceed with planning out the rooms cooling and lights.

Any help is appreciated

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I'm not an electrician either, but I definitely know that there is a difference between a residential single phase service (often referred to as 120/240 volts split-phase) and a commercial dwelling three phase service (as shown in your photo) that could either be a 208/120 volts wye service or it could be a high-leg delta service. In a high-leg delta, only one of the three secondary windings in the transformer is center-tapped for a grounded neutral conductor. The voltage will be 240 volts from any phase-to-phase. 120 volts between neutral and line are limited to the phase with the center-tap winding between them. Voltage between neutral and the "stinger" phase is 208 volts. As with any three phase service (whether its a wye or delta) load balancing between all three phase is important. You need to consult with your electrician before you plan anything.

i used to work for the power company(CP&L/duke power) installing service lines/running underground cables/meter boxes. most of the clandestine growers i knew we'd install a second metered line to the house for "renters" someone might have say renting a basement appt. might be an option if you need more power than your current service provides and might be less likely to raise an unsuspecting eyebrow.