Components needed for heat treat oven?

Im in an apartment so I'm not sure about the wiring. When i have my own place I will probably end up putting a new breaker box in to set up all my equipment on and that way I will know exactly whats happening. I didn't know Del was so well known on here. I've known him for a few years just as a regular customer at the grocery store back home. Bagged his stuff all the time. I didn't get to know he was a knife maker until I was moving north so I never got a chance to stop by his shop. I will make a point to get home next weekend and try to learn all I possibly can from him.
 
I would not run a 1500W oven for several hours on a 15A breaker. More than likely the circuit wiring is 14/2 and it would get hot.
 
I have a few 20 amp breakers, but as I said Idk what the porch outlets are wired to so Im just not going to risk it. I'll wait now until I have my own place and can do the wiring myself or pay someone to help me do it right.
 
bladsmth said:
I would not run a 1500W oven for several hours on a 15A breaker. More than likely the circuit wiring is 14/2 and it would get hot.
Click to expand...

I think it would likely be ok for a couple hours worth of a typical heat treat cycle. Give it an hour or so to come to temp, then heat treat a couple batches of blades and shut off.

A circuit breaker is designed more to trip at an increase of temperature of it's branch circuit than it is for "over current", so the OP would know fairly soon if it was too much for the circuit, and well before the wires were damaged.

Another option would be to use 14 gauge to hook up the heater element to the controller and monitor its temperature as time goes on...

Just some suggestions....

Of course, this assumes the breaker is functioning as it should... ;)
 
1500W is 12.5A @ 120V, 13A @ 115V, and 13.5A @ 110V. A 15A breaker and 14 ga wires should handle that in a perfect situation. Add any resistance from old or poor connections along the path, or an old breaker that trips too easily, and you are near the limit. Add any other loads on that circuit ( lights, radio, refrigerator, battery charger, coffee pot, grinder, etc.) and the breaker will trip for sure.
 
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