How do you know total amperage for a house?

Try for what ?

You removed breakers not needed or ones with little
on them, to make room for a larger 50 amp Hot Tub
Breaker,so you got your hot tub powered up

What is the question,seems you solved the issue
by making room for the new breaker !

the wire you should use depends on the amperage the system requires. it may be called 'ampacity' and should be designated on your data plate. also, the type wire you plan to use would also determine the actual size wire required...this is very important. normally, #8 is limited to 40 amps. as a last resort, go to a home depot, lowes, or some other home improvement center for wire selection.

It may be obvious, but the first thing to do is confirm that the power is off.

Do you have a DMM (digital multi-meter) or a voltage sensor?

It sounds as though you are replacing an existing 3-way switch with a new 3-way dimming switch, is that correct?

There should be another 3-way switch or dimmer somewhere else.

One of the the two switches has a hot wire coming into the switch from the breaker panel and two hot wires coming out that go to the other switch (as well as the neutral and ground, 4 conductors total, using special 3-way cable).

The second 3-way switch will have those two hot wires coming in and one hot going out to the load (the lamp or light) -- and the neutral and ground, 3 conductors total to the light.

In either case, the single hot wire either comes from the breaker panel or goes out to the lamp.

So, my _guess_ would be that the one red wire on the existing switch is the same as the one black wire on the new switch, and the 2 black wires are the same as the 2 red wires. Bare copper or green wires are ground wires, they are the same. Most house wiring uses bare copper, but some fixtures and switches use wires with green insulation.

I hope that's helpful. Remember, I'm just _guessing_ about the wires -- you should confirm with a meter (which will require turning the power on and checking with a meter -- be very careful.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Hi, welcome to FixYa! my name is Shaun. I hope i can help you out with your question. Your main house breaker is tripping over 180C because of the amount of current your oven is drawing. Keep in mind that an oven is capable of pulling up to 1/4 the amount of amperage of your total house current capacity, up to 50 Amps. This is assuming you have a typical 200 Amp main breaker. Add this in with your heating/air-conditioning, up to 30A, if electric, your water heater, 25 A if electric, and whatever lights and appliances you have plugged in and turned on, you can imagine how quickly those amps add up when your oven is on. Your oven breaker won't trip because you're not exceeding 50A on that circuit, however if your total household load is exceeding 200A, your main will trip. Also, breakers lose efficiency over time. Sometimes they can drop current capacity by as much as 25%. So your best bet is to replace your house main and see if that fixes your problem. Hope this helps out. Have a good day!

There seem to be several questions mingled in with those 2 questions.

1) Amps can go either way

2) Breakers trip when heat exceeds certain level. Heat is caused by amps.

3) You want to add a subpanel in garage.
I do not know the code in your area for installing a subpanel.
Your plan will work by connecting 6 gauge wire to main breaker, and new 60 amp breaker will protect wires between main box and subpanel.
Remember, wires going into main breaker cannot be turned off without pulling meter.
Some areas require license to pull meter.
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-replace-circuit-breaker.html

4) To work around license and meter-pull, simply replace a 240V breaker in main panel with your new 60 amp breaker.
Then move breakers around to match new set-up.
New subpanel can accommodate two new 240V breakers and one new 120 Breaker
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-a-subpanel.html

5) 6 gauge wire is correct for 60 amp breaker.

6) I'm not sure what you mean by the box rails?

7) Do you need more amperage on main service?
This means adding a larger service panel with 150 Watt or 200 Watt main breaker.
Some areas require service upgrade when remodeling or adding circuits.

8) How to figure total amp draw at your house.
Add up total watts being used.
For example you have 1/2 Hp motor
754 watts per Hp
1/2 Hp = 377Watts
Volts x Amps = Watts
Amps = Watts divided by Volts.
377 Watts divided by 240Volts = 1.57 amps (plus a bit more amperage when motor starts)
40 watt light bulb divided by 120Volts = .33 amps
Double oven has label located inside door that shows upper and lower wattage.
Dishwasher, dryer, big screen TV, satellite receiver all have labels that show wattage.
Water heater has label that shows wattage of each element.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Figure-Volts-Amps-Watts-for-water-heater.html
http://waterheatertimer.org/See-inside-main-breaker-box.html

Add a comment for more help

Its probably not a bad idea. Thats alot for a 100A panel to handle, a range needs a 50A, a water heater needs 30A, and the heat will need a 50A or a 60A breaker... Plus whatever else is in the house will be a bit more than the 100A service can handle. But if you don't have the money it will do for a while because for the most part they won't all be pulling at the same time. Word to the wise get at least a 30 space panel when you upgrade, I always install a 40 space panel because for the cost difference its well worth it for future needs because you'll fill it up quicker than you think and you'll have space for anything else you may want to add later on. Hope I helped

I need a liitle bit more info of the house. Total heated square footage and what appliances are electric?

By code, this would require underground cable to a breaker panel with a double pole GFI (maybe that's what you were planning). Then from the breaker panel to outlets, pumps, etc.

40 amp breaker will require 8 AWG cable.


More info, let me know...

Charlie

Before you contemplate doing this I would check to see if the 200 amp wiring to your home can accommodate 300 amps. If not, I would not touch it. If it can then you can do it ever so carefully to make sure you do not light yourself up! I would kill your main 200 amp breaker and then tap into each existing branch a tap that will take at least 50 amps for each of the two legs on your new 100 amp breaker box. Good luck

It sound like all of those go through your bathroom GFCI. I would recommend moving your outdoor circuit breaker indoors if possible or enclosing it to make it water-proof. You may also do some rewiring from your main breaker box ( if you are handy) to eliminate the outdoor box completely considering you have 100 amp / 200 amp breaker box inside your house. If you still have an old FUSE BOX with 60 amp service, I would recommend replacing it with a 100 amp or 200 amp breaker box depending on the size of your house. I would separate the laundry room by itself with 12/2 gauge wire with ground on a 20 amp breaker. You can then take your bathroom (using 12/2 gauge wire with ground keeping your gfci ) and run it to another breaker in the house with a 20 amp breaker or add a new one if there is room in your main box. Now all you have left is the porch light. You can run that separate from everything to your main breaker box using 14/2 gauge with ground to a breaker in your main box by adding a new 15 amp breaker or adding it to another 15 amp breaker that does not have a very high load such as a bedroom. In general Kitchens, Bathrooms, Laundry rooms should be on there own separate 20 amp breakers. Most every other room can be 14/2 with ground on a 15 amp breaker... hope this helps....Joe