Dedicated circuits

It would appear that many many people on this site, while knowing a lot about stereo equipment, don’t have a real grasp on basic principles of electricity. A circuit breaker is a saftey device that limits the maximum flow of current draw on the individual circuit. A 20 amp breaker will trip if a sustained draw exceeds 20 amps. Its actually suggested a breakers reliable safe constant draw is 80% of it’s rating. 20 amp breaker can safley handle a constant draw of 16 amps without tripping. Momentary spikes well above 20 amps are not likely to cause an issue. The gauge of your wire is rated for the maximum current it can safley handle without overheating and becoming a fire hazard in your home. 12 guage wire is rated for 20 amp srevice. Again, momentary spikes are not an issue. The total current/amperage draw of your total system, running on the same circuit, determines your power needs. Many will be surprised at how little current your system actually requires. Especially if it’s solid state equipment. For example, I have two Hegel H30 mono blocks , 1150 wstts per side @ 8 ohms, two Rel S/812 subs, PrimaLuna Evo 400 Tube Preamp, and either a turntable + phono preamp or an Esoteric SACD player in the mix. I must need at least an 8 guage dedicated line on a 30 amp breaker, or better yet two dedicated 10 guage lines, each on 20 amp breakers? How about one decicated 12 guage line on a 15 amp breaker. The total current draw on my system, playing as loud as you like, is less than 3 amps. There is no momentary draw that is going to starve my amps, which are solid down to 1 ohm, into clipping or failing to perform to thier max. While over building our power supplies may make us feel good, or even make us believe we are hearing better sound, what we know as confirmation bias, the accepted laws of electricity say it ain’t so. Your equipment only draws the current it needs. Having 5 times that amount hypothetically available doesn’t change a thing.

@dpop Thank you for verification of my comments.   Sadly it won't make much difference on this forum. What we have here are a lot of people who also "feel" how much better thier cars drive just after they've washed them. 😂  I read an article some time ago that answered why politicians continue to repeat a lie, long after it has been debunked.   Studies show people are much more receptive to any message that supports a current belief (no pun intended).  In order to accept any message that contradicts a current belief,  a person must be willing to analyse new information,  accept that they could have been wrong in their prior convictions and change their position.  Research shows that many people are simply unwilling or unable to do this.  Not to get political here but Trump supporters who contiue to believe the election was stolen is a classic example of this.  The insistence that over building our power supplies is just one more?

If a train leaves New York travelling at 60 MPH, and a Hot Air Balloon can accend at a rate of 5 feet per second when the ambient air temp is 78.3 degrees, can I still hear any difference between a 12 gauge 15 amp line and a 10 gauge 20 amp line, when playing side two of Zappa's Burnt Weeney Sandwich LP?  Feel free to discuss ad nauseam.  🤣

@jea48  It's against building code to install 20A outlets on a 15A breaker.  You may be correct that the 15A breaker would trip, but do you want to risk your home insurance not paying out after your house burns down?  Just follow the code and be protected.  It's there for a resaon.  

@dpop Wow!! That's a 30 amp plug alright.   I'm confused by your comment.  The specs on the crown amp show it's draws 0.75 amps at idle.  My Hegel H30s put out the same power as the Crown.  As I stated above, the entire system in operation draws about 3 amps.  

Here's an interesting video from PS Audio on Damping factors.

@immatthewj   A 15A receptacle on a 20A breaker is not an issue as any 15A appliance will never exceed the wiring in the circut.  The reverse of a 20A outlet on a 15A circut is where the potential of fire comes into play.  We assume the breaker will trip and protect us from harm, but what it it doesn't?  That's why we don't push our luck.  Cheers.

@immatthewj   In therory, there is nothing wrong with your argument.  However, the building code clearly says you can't do it.  There is a reason why a 20A receptacle will accept both a 20A plug and a 15A plug, but the reverse is not true.  My guess would be something like this.  Your 12 gauge wire can handle 20A, but not the 15A breaker.  What happens if the breaker tries to trip but fails to operate properly.  Could it start to arc at the main breaker box?  Installing a breaker that you know can't support the potential current draw is simply unwise.  I have told my story and have nothing more to say. 🤣

@immatthewj  There is nothing wrong with using the 12G wire between 15A breaker and 15A plugs.  You would use 10G or 8G if you wanted.  The wire has nothing to do with the flow of current.  That is held in check by the breaker.  The amount of "draw" on the circut is determained by the appliance (s) connected to it.  There is an ongoing argument as to any benefit to using the heavier wire.  I can't hurt.   

@immatthewj   Yes.  The 20A outlet may be a bit more sturdy, but the 15A outlet is missing the "t" slot specifically to keep 20A plugs from geing inserted.