EvilBrewer
Well-Known Member
I'm building a control panel which will power the following:
1 - RIMS tube with 120V 2000W element
2 - 2 pumps (1 March pump; 1 submersible)
3 - Auber PID, plus LED buttons, etc
I will most likely only use 1 pump while the element is being powered. My understanding is that March pumps only pull a couple of amps. I've calculated that the element has the potential to pull 16.6 amps (2000W divided by 120V).
So...my assumption is that I will need a 20A outlet to power my rig. With this in mind, I went to Home Depot looking for a power cable, and I could not find anything rated even close to 20A except the appliance cables (ie, 3 and 4 prong for dryer, oven etc). All of their extension cords--even the "heavy duty" variety--were rated at like 13-14A.
A friend of mine said I can ignore the rating and just use an extension cord that is at least 12AWG for a 20A outlet...he is not electrician though, so I'd like have this verified.
Any advice on:
1) Is my thinking correct with regard to how much power I'll need?
2) Where can I get an appropriately sized power cord?
3) Can I use an extension cord that is at least 12 AWG?
Thanks.
1 - RIMS tube with 120V 2000W element
2 - 2 pumps (1 March pump; 1 submersible)
3 - Auber PID, plus LED buttons, etc
I will most likely only use 1 pump while the element is being powered. My understanding is that March pumps only pull a couple of amps. I've calculated that the element has the potential to pull 16.6 amps (2000W divided by 120V).
So...my assumption is that I will need a 20A outlet to power my rig. With this in mind, I went to Home Depot looking for a power cable, and I could not find anything rated even close to 20A except the appliance cables (ie, 3 and 4 prong for dryer, oven etc). All of their extension cords--even the "heavy duty" variety--were rated at like 13-14A.
A friend of mine said I can ignore the rating and just use an extension cord that is at least 12AWG for a 20A outlet...he is not electrician though, so I'd like have this verified.
Any advice on:
1) Is my thinking correct with regard to how much power I'll need?
2) Where can I get an appropriately sized power cord?
3) Can I use an extension cord that is at least 12 AWG?
Thanks.