Circuit Breakers in Parallel

[Frosty_47]

Can two identical circuit breakers with additional series resistor be connected in parallel ?
If I wire a series resistor of 4 Ohms with each breaker, would that split the current between them more or less equally?

Thanks,

PS. I am trying to get about 22Amps from two 15A lines without having to rewire my house to run a motor for hydraulic lift in my garage. I do not want to do any modifications to the electrical panel as I am not licensed to do electrical work.

 

[Reloadron]

No, you cannot parallel circuit breakers. A single breaker needs to support the load. Additionally if doing a run for a motor that will draw 22 amps the minimum wire gauge needed would be AWG 10 or the metric equivalent. Therefore for 120 VAC I would need a 30 amp breaker in my service panel and the run to the motor would have to be AWG 10 minimum or AWG 8 for a long run to the load. While I am not familiar with Canada here is what the US NEC says about it:

240.8 Fuses or Circuit Breakers in Parallel. Fuses and circuit breakers shall be permitted to be connected in parallel where they are factory assembled in parallel and listed as a unit. Individual fuses, circuit breakers, or combinations thereof shall not otherwise be connected in parallel.

That reference is for when using split phase (two 120 VAC lines) set up for 240 VAC as in electric stoves or clothes driers and hot water heaters. You do not parallel two circuit breakers for 120 Vac. The rules are for good reason.

Ron

 

[alec_t]

Something else to consider: are those two 15A lines connected back directly to the electrical panel, or are they split off from another line? If the latter, then that other line would have to be rated at > 22A.

 

[mbarazeen]

the wires already installed may be rated to more than 22A, just have a check, if so you can simply replace the MCB with higher rating. paralleling shouldn't be done for safety reasons, since any mistake will cause flash or fire hazard.

 

[crutschow]

I do not see a danger in connecting two lines in parallel at the outlets if they each have their own breaker (although it may be a code violation). If one wire carries too much of the current, its breaker will trip, which will then cause the other breaker to trip.

 

[tcmtech]

Yes it common to parallel circuit breakers and lines to get more amp capacity but no its not legal unless a proper circuit breaker jumper is installed between the switch's so that if either breaker trips it will also trip the second one.

As far as balancing the load a simple jumper between the two at the panel is more than sufficient.

Personally I would just tap into a higher amp circuit and use that as a power source. Something like an electric stove or heater line that can have the load turned off or just unplugged if needed would work considerably better.

I take it you didn't do the math behind the 4 ohm resistors concept.

 

[nsaspook]

I do not see a danger in connecting two lines in parallel at the outlets if they each have their own breaker (although it may be a code violation). If one wire carries too much of the current, its breaker will trip, which will then cause the other breaker to trip.

Not much danger but unless the circuits are identical down to the resistance in each breaker expect to see a lot of nuisance tripping from the current imbalance as you hit the breaker limits when starting up a large electrical motor.

 

[Reloadron]

Maybe I should explain my thinking on saying this was a bad idea. I am not 100% on Canadian Mains Power but I believe it is about the same as our US mains for a residence. Power enters with about 240 VAC split phase to the circuit breaker panel. This is where one needs to be familiar with the panel's distribution. If you take two breakers side by side on either side of the panel you will get 240 VAC and not 120 VAC. Thus the ganged pairs of breakers designed for use in US and Canadian panels. So the danger of random choice of two breakers determines 120 VAC or 240 VAC and a 120 VAC motor will not like 240 VAC. Reading the original post led me to believe the poster is not familiar with how the power is distributed. If we have a 120 VAC motor that requires 22 amps the solution is to simply install a 30 amp breaker and run minimum AWG 10 to the load. That would be the correct way to go about this to my way of thinking. A breaker cost about $5 USD which amounts to nothing to do this correctly. Anyway, if not done correctly there is indeed danger. One must understand the circuit breaker panel arrangement.

The downside is if something goes terribly wrong and you end up calling 1-800-STATEFARM or 1-800-ALLSTATE or whatever to tell your insurance company you managed to burn your house down because you were stupid. This of course follows calling 911 to get the fire department. Personally I would not parallel breakers but just invest a few bucks in the correct breaker and do it right.

Just My Take
Ron

 

[squishy36]

The downside is if something goes terribly wrong and you end up calling 1-800-STATEFARM or 1-800-ALLSTATE or whatever to tell your insurance company you managed to burn your house down because you were stupid.

Note that insurance company's won't cover your loss if it's electrical work that causes a problem and that electrical work wasn't done under a permit and inspected. And nobody would blame them.

Take the advice of the folks here and do it right. Where I live, you can do your own electrical work as long as you get a permit and get it inspected. I built on a 1000 square foot addition to my house and did all the wiring except bringing in the main power (I paid an electrician for that). I learned quite a bit about wiring and only had one error (a couple of junctions weren't properly in a box). I ran a couple of 30 A circuits for heaters and it wasn't terribly difficult (just had to run 10 gauge wire).