CanadianCowboy© wrote:

Gareee© wrote:

Can I just replace those with higher wattage ones, like some of the other
fuses in my home? (The laundry rooms fuse is MUCH higher, and is where we
plug the outdoor tools into when we use them, bu tit would be MUCH easier
to just use the outdoor plugs.)

What is the current rating on your outdoor outlet ? If it is not at
least 10 Amps then what was the builder thinking ?

The breaker box looks pretty "plug n play".. turn the main power off,
replace the breaker with a higher volt/watt one, and then turn the master
breaker back on.

You just need to turn off the particular area that you are working on
and NOT the whole house or else you will be spending half the day
reseting and configuring your clocks.

Please, don't just recommend he change his breakers without any analysis.
You'll have him burning his house down! Not to mention that an amateur
really shouldn't work in a breaker box _without_ turning off the main
breaker (as my wife continually tells me!).

First, what size are the breakers in your laundry room and outdoor circuits?
Second, what size are the cables coming out of those breakers?
Third, how long a cord are you using to the outdoor tools?

In Canada, both the laundry room and outdoor circuit would be #14 cable and
15Amp breakers. In the US, you might get away with 20A (I don't know the
US code, so don't take this as gospel!). I suspect your laundry room is
wired for 20A - but that _in no way_ suggests that your outdoor circuit
could also use 20A! In fact, it may not even be safe in the laundry room -
sometimes people put in oversized breakers when they shouldn't.

When using tools outdoors use the shortest possible extension cord, with the
largest possible gauge. Most outdoor extension cords are only #16. This
lowers the voltage considerably over a long run, which increases the
current draw on motors. You probably trip a 15A breaker. Spend the money
and get a 14 gauge extension cord. If you put a 20A breaker on a 15A
circuit, you can easily get the interior wires hot enough to start a fire
in your wall.
--
derek