Which Electrical Breaker?

I'm a total...total nube. I'll not be alone in putting my SD controller to use with a camco 02963 5500w element. I have a friend who knows electrical well and another friend in EE. None of them are brewers however. So I'm trying to piece together a working understanding of all the parts for my eBiab kettle.

What is the best GFCI breaker for me to have put in? How many amps? Brand?

Comments

  • edited January 2014

    You should seek advice on this from a qualified electrician. This is a forum of commercial and where legal home brewers. Electrical faults will kill you or your family without discrimination.

    Electricians don't have to be brewers to give advice about electrical safety, but brewers need to be electricians to give advice about electrical safety. 8-X

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  • Right I get it. I'm just doing some prep work for my electrician friends to look over before we start buying up parts. Trying to learn myself about the system and save them the time.

  • For a 5500w Element you will need a 30 AMP Breaker. Less than 30 will not meet the code requirements in most areas. As far as GFCI that will depend on your main panel and which type of breaker it requires.

    As Pumpkin stated get an electrician to consult. Power and liquid = BAD if not done correctly. Let alone explosive vapors + sparks. :-)

  • I elected to have 2 GFCI breakers at the main distribution panel for the shed. One 120v 20 amp the other 240v 60 amp. That way anything in the shed, lights, pumps, scales heater etc. and not just the controller, is on GFCI circuit. An option worth looking into.

  • Thanks for the head start on this conversation/project. These are the kinds of thoughts I've been hoping for. I find when friends do me favors they can some time rush the job and make quick decisions and I need to be grateful because they are saving me money, but it's also awkward because if I knew more...I could have planned better.

    I won't be running power to the kettle until I know one of these guys have inspected everything. I've got little boys running around!

    Thanks

  • @bannerj, such work really is better done by a certified electrician, you just tell him what you want to do, and the electrician will choose the required components. There is more to it than just selecting the right breaker. SAFETY FIRST!

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