Re: Ammeter readings with MOT power supply

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxx 

In a message dated 3/29/07 7:54:51 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
>If the problem actually is
>the circuit breaker, that would mean that the 15A breaker wasn't
>tripping when more than 20A were flowing through it for several
>minutes.  That link says that they can take a while to trip if the
>current is only slightly over the limit, but I would think that over
>5A over the limit of a 15A breaker should be enough to trip it
>quickly.  Also, I'm using a circuit breaker that's newly bought, and
>I don't think it's a FPE breaker.  It says "Type-Q" on it if that's any help.

    If it's a "Type Q", it's probably an I-T-E / Siemens or compatible.
    Here's a Time/Current trip curve for another, but similar 
(thermal-magnetic) type of home circuit breaker:

    <http://ecatalog.squared.com/pubs/Circuit%20Protection/Miniature%20Circuit%20Breakers/QO-QOB%20Circuit%20Breakers/730-2.pdf>http://ecatalog.squared.com/pubs/Circuit%20Protection/Miniature%20Circuit%20Breakers/QO-QOB%20Circuit%20Breakers/730-2.pdf

    You can see that for a 15A breaker, Square-D Type QO (no 
relation), at 20A continuous it should take a little over a minute to trip.

    Can I guess? Check that you're not too close to the transformers 
if you're using a clamp-on ammeter. I've found that the stray field, 
especially from an inductive ballast, can really screw things up.

-Phil LaBudde

-Phil LaBudde




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