Will My Shop/Home Wiring Be Overloaded One Day?

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dibbons

dibbons

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We already have a one-ton AND a two-ton mini-split A/C unit installed. Both are 220 volt models if that makes any difference and neither one provide heat-cooling only. The house is prepped for two more units. Looking at the scrawny wires exiting the electric meter, I have visions of those getting overworked if we tax the system any further. Wiring is not my forte, so just looking for a more educated opinion to back up my suspicions (or better yet, to relieve them). Thank you.

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Rather then ask us I would get an estimate from a licensed electrician.

6 awg is not rated for a lot.
 
Everyone and his brother here in Mexico call themselves electrician/plumbers. I don't trust hardly any of them. First of all, why such skimpy wires to begin with? I don't know, will have to ask them.

But then you can't find the guy that did the work in the first place. Blame the wife, she finds these cut-rate workers because she's cheap and I have to came back and have things done over time and time again. The wires run through concrete and cinder block so it's hard to see what's going on under there.
 
#6 is generally rated for about 60amps, safe would be 80% - hope you don't have a lot of stuff in the house you need to run while running the a/c units.
 
The larger installed A/C is rated:
2 ton, 22,700 BTU/h, 230 volts, 60 hertz, 2,000 watts, 9.6 amps.

The smaller A/C now installed:
1 ton 12,000 BTU/h, 230 volts, 60 hertz, 1000 watts, 4.5 amps

We have three 10-gallon electric water heaters (hardly ever used around here-never in summer when the A/C is needed):
220 volts, 60 hertz, 3,700 watts, 16.8 amps

Two ceiling fans installed (two more waiting in boxes), two small refrigerators, one-mini freezer, washer and gas dryer, two room fans, DVR/four security cameras (always on record mode). Most of the lamps are 10 or 20 watt. Then you have the occasional vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, lap tops, modem, microwave, and a couple of televisions, small boom box. Then a small pump run from time to time used to extricate water from the below ground water storage tank. Did I forget anything? Without electricity here, we are dead in the water.

At the end of the following video (minute 3:55) you can see some of the power generation here. There is also one of the largest solar panel arrays in Latin America to supplement the fuel oil power generators.

 
dibbons said:
Everyone and his brother here in Mexico call themselves electrician/plumbers
Click to expand...
Looks like you best buy some books.
And become an electrician.

First thing I would do is protect those 3 wires from rubbing on the metal housing
 
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This is what we found last year when half of the outlets in the house stopped working (I posted this on another thread but thought I should include it here). I kind of blame that incident on the welder that went inside there to direct hook-up his welding machine. Maybe the welder accidentally loosened a clamp screw. We will never know for sure, I just hope it never happens again.

CFE panel burned wire.JPG
 
dibbons said:
The larger installed A/C is rated:
2 ton, 22,700 BTU/h, 230 volts, 60 hertz, 2,000 watts, 9.6 amps.

The smaller A/C now installed:
1 ton 12,000 BTU/h, 230 volts, 60 hertz, 1000 watts, 4.5 amps
Click to expand...

Where did you get those figures? I can guarantee you that a 2T AC draws more than that, in fact the COMPRESSOR alone, never mind the two fan motors will draw more than that
 
I would go to nearest big town and try to locate the biggest commercial contractor that works on city hall or any of the other big commercial buildings there. With his recommendation you can work your way down to someone smaller and cheaper.
 
Go off the nameplate on each unit. Ohms law will dictate load. However, FLA is going to be higher. Nominal voltage will more than likely be less than 230 volts.
Example, 220 Volts, 2000 watts.
2000/220= 9.09 amps

E=IR (Voltage= Current x Resistance)
P=IE (Power-Watts= Amperage x Voltage)
 
It's a deep lot, at least 40 meters from the electric meter to the main circuit breaker panel inside the house (and that's only if the wires run as the crow flies).
 
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