Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - New Plasma TV pulls 700 watts at times, will it overload the circuit?
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : New Plasma TV pulls 700 watts at times, will it overload the circuit?
FrozenAsset
09-09-08, 03:31 PM
Hey all, brand new home construction, brand new plasma television.
My Panasonic plasma pulls 700+ watts at times (on an all white screen) and I wondered if I'm putting too much load on the wall outlet with that and my other home theater components, which include: a 1000watt-ish Onkyo receiver, a 200 watt amplified Klipsch subwoofer, a TiVo HD and a Blu-ray player.
This is all connected to a single wall outlet through an SUA1500. It is an APC Battery Backup system which has a 980watt, 1440VA rating. The APC does have an overload indicator, and it will trigger when the Onkyo is at higher volume levels.
I considered purchasing another SUA1500 and splitting the components up between the two of them, and putting them on separate jacks, but my concern is that even though they are on separate physical jacks, they are the same circuit and I do not want to overload it.
Note - the breaker has never tripped.
My Panasonic plasma pulls 700+ watts at times (on an all white screen) and I wondered if I'm putting too much load on the wall outlet with that and my other home theater components, which include: a 1000watt-ish Onkyo receiver, a 200 watt amplified Klipsch subwoofer, a TiVo HD and a Blu-ray player.
This is all connected to a single wall outlet through an SUA1500. It is an APC Battery Backup system which has a 980watt, 1440VA rating. The APC does have an overload indicator, and it will trigger when the Onkyo is at higher volume levels.
I considered purchasing another SUA1500 and splitting the components up between the two of them, and putting them on separate jacks, but my concern is that even though they are on separate physical jacks, they are the same circuit and I do not want to overload it.
Note - the breaker has never tripped.
Pilot Dane
09-09-08, 07:19 PM
Do you know if your system is on a 15 or 20 amp circuit?
Even if you have intermittant spikes above the circuits rating you may not trip the breaker. If you go over the limit a little it will take longer to trip. If you go way over the amperage limit it will trip sooner.
I would have everything in the system surge protected, but do you need (or want) to have it all on a UPS (battery backup)? I would keep the TiVo and your satellite receiver (if you have one) on the UPS since re-booting when the power flickers can be a real pain.
Even if you have intermittant spikes above the circuits rating you may not trip the breaker. If you go over the limit a little it will take longer to trip. If you go way over the amperage limit it will trip sooner.
I would have everything in the system surge protected, but do you need (or want) to have it all on a UPS (battery backup)? I would keep the TiVo and your satellite receiver (if you have one) on the UPS since re-booting when the power flickers can be a real pain.
FrozenAsset
09-09-08, 10:15 PM
15 amp circuit.
Nah, I don't need it all on there, just was using because I had it, and it's what I used at my old apt which suffered repeated brownouts.
Plus we have a surplus of them at work, and they are getting ready to auction em off next month, so I could probably pickup another for under a hundred bucks, plus the cost of a replacement battery.
I thought about buying a Home theater power conditioner from APC or Panamax, then using a smaller rated APC (the ones that look like a power strip) for just the TiVo since it has a hard drive, and then using the SUA1500 for my home office.
Nah, I don't need it all on there, just was using because I had it, and it's what I used at my old apt which suffered repeated brownouts.
Plus we have a surplus of them at work, and they are getting ready to auction em off next month, so I could probably pickup another for under a hundred bucks, plus the cost of a replacement battery.
I thought about buying a Home theater power conditioner from APC or Panamax, then using a smaller rated APC (the ones that look like a power strip) for just the TiVo since it has a hard drive, and then using the SUA1500 for my home office.
Rick Johnston
09-10-08, 05:16 AM
700 watts + 1,000 watts + 200 watts = 1900 watts, which will overload a 15-amp circuit, not counting the BluRay and Tivo (which don't draw anywhere near the others).
The sound system is the main culprit, but only if it's running wide open. The power draw varies constantly with the type of signal. A music source may draw only 25% constant power on average, while the kick drum, snare drum and other heavy transients in the signal will spike the power draw to a full "peak" load for milliseconds at a time. The transients happen too quickly to trip a breaker, but slow enough to register on the UPS's OL indicator.
If you like your music loud and your TV bright, run another circuit. And definitely get that sound system off the UPS.
The sound system is the main culprit, but only if it's running wide open. The power draw varies constantly with the type of signal. A music source may draw only 25% constant power on average, while the kick drum, snare drum and other heavy transients in the signal will spike the power draw to a full "peak" load for milliseconds at a time. The transients happen too quickly to trip a breaker, but slow enough to register on the UPS's OL indicator.
If you like your music loud and your TV bright, run another circuit. And definitely get that sound system off the UPS.
classicsat
09-10-08, 11:56 AM
If it were me, I'd run a multiwire 20A circuit on a quad receptical, for that setup.
Pilot Dane
09-10-08, 04:54 PM
Re-wiring your house would be great, while you are at it put in two 20 amp circuits for your HT system...in reality you probalby will not put in new circuits. The good news is that most of your equipment only draws the rated current for very brief periods and at different times. Basically I don't think you have as big a problem as you might think.
Power up is the worst time especially with a big amp and sub. Your amp may have a delayed startup feature to stagger the start up of several pieces to minimize the initial surge.
One easy thing to do is turn off the circuit breaker for the entertainment system and find out what other outlets and lights are on the circuit. Do not use anything on that same circuit when you are watching a movie with the sound cranked-up.
---
Look in your kitchen you may have a coffee maker, microwave and toaster all on the same circuit. The toaster pulls 1'000 watts when in use. The coffee maker says 1800 watts but that is only while it is brewing. Just keeping warm it probably pulls 50 watts and turned off it probably takes 5 to power the clock. Your microwave may pull 5 watts running the clock and 800 or 1'000 when cooking on high. If you turn them all on you will trip the circuit breaker but unless you are cooking a four cousre breakfast you don't have a problem.
Power up is the worst time especially with a big amp and sub. Your amp may have a delayed startup feature to stagger the start up of several pieces to minimize the initial surge.
One easy thing to do is turn off the circuit breaker for the entertainment system and find out what other outlets and lights are on the circuit. Do not use anything on that same circuit when you are watching a movie with the sound cranked-up.
---
Look in your kitchen you may have a coffee maker, microwave and toaster all on the same circuit. The toaster pulls 1'000 watts when in use. The coffee maker says 1800 watts but that is only while it is brewing. Just keeping warm it probably pulls 50 watts and turned off it probably takes 5 to power the clock. Your microwave may pull 5 watts running the clock and 800 or 1'000 when cooking on high. If you turn them all on you will trip the circuit breaker but unless you are cooking a four cousre breakfast you don't have a problem.