I'm dealing with a situation where three rooms in my house share the same circuit breaker, which really causes issues when I use multiple appliances. For instance, if I run a space heater in the bedrooms while using something in the kitchen, the breaker trips. Clearly, the setup is not ideal, and I want to explore whether I can separate the connections to different breakers. So, I'm wondering if it's possible to split the existing circuits from this overloaded breaker to another one. What's the process for doing this? Where exactly would I break the connection, and how can I keep about two-thirds of the current load on the original breaker while transferring the remaining third elsewhere?
1 Answer
To separate the circuits, you'll likely need to run new wiring from the rooms you want to split off directly to your breaker box. Usually, there's just one wire linked to those rooms, and it matches the current circuit's amperage. If you have access to an attic or basement above or below those areas, that’s your best bet. If not, you may have to cut into the walls to add the necessary wiring. It's a bit of work, but it's safer than risking frequent overloads.
Yeah, that's what I'm worried about too. I'd prefer to use a less-used breaker if possible and avoid running a new wire entirely. Is there a way to map out how the current connections work? Think of it like figuring out the path from the circuit breaker to each room's outlets. If I can trace it all, maybe I could find a less complicated way to re-route the load without completely redoing the wiring.