Predicament - cold air blowing on me in my office; space heater blows fuse?

[Darrell KSR]

Scenario -

My office is cold, winter or summer....mainly summer, but I've noticed a draft now with heat on, too.

I have remedied this with a space heater. Works fine at 1500 watts, but sometimes--not always--it will require the circuit breaker (or something) to be reset. At 750 watts, it doesn't require that, but it also doesn't produce much heat.

What's the solution? Besides changing offices, or where my desk sits, or wearing warm clothes?

[dan_bgblue]

First I would shut off the source of the draft. 2nd would require some electrical work that is safer than running extension cords to 3 different rooms

[KeithKSR]

A 1500 watt heater shouldn't kick a breaker. Make sure the heater isn't connected to extension cords and check to see what other items are connected to that circuit that may be drawing a large number of amps.

Turn off your heat and air completely and see if the draft stops. If so it is likely you are feeling the air coming out of the heat/AC vent and not a draft.

[CitizenBBN]

Watts / volts = amps for this purpose (where volts are relatively fixed)

So if the circuit is a typical 15 amp circuit and you're running US standard 120 volts, that means you're at 12.5 amps out of the possible max of 15 before the breaker trips for a 1500 watt appliance. If you're pulling 2.5 amps on other things on the circuit you're right at the line, so fluctuations in those other devices or that one can throw it over.

I imagine it's other devices kicking on or the heater is pulling more than 1500 watts due to extension cords or the internals, or some such. FWIW computers pull very little, but a 100 watt bulb is 100/120 = .833 amps all by itself, it doesn't take a ton to get to 2.5 amps. My office server and the router etc. all together pulls 375 or so watts, or 3.125 amps if that gives an idea.

[dan_bgblue]

Yeah that knob and tube wiring can be really finicky about current draw

[Darrell KSR]

Got the maintenance guy coming tomorrow to check out everything and I will let you know. I think you must be right about it not being a draft, but being air actually blowing from the vent, too. We will see.

[CitizenBBN]

Yeah that knob and tube wiring can be really finicky about current draw

Don't laugh I still have some.

[Doc]

Move to Florida

[Darrell KSR]

I think the hotter it is outside the colder I am. So it must be the A/C blowing.

[dan_bgblue]

Don't laugh I still have some.

I remember the first time i ever saw it. During the summer of my soph year in college I worked for a local carpenter that specialized in remodeling and home renovations. We went to work on this house and my job was to tear out the lath and plaster walls and ceilings. First time I had ever seen uninsulated wires running in the walls and the attic. After the demolition was over, I helped an electrician tear it all out so he could run new wire. I have never heard an electrician cuss more than I did on that job. I think he burnt up 2 or 3 drills and a bucket full of auger bits trying to drill thru the 100 year old seasoned oak 2x6 wall studs. Back in the day they were really 2 inches thick.

[Doc]

When we moved into our current home, you found a slight issue. It would be 90 degrees outside and the a/c set at 70 and the heat would occasionally turn on. We had the a/c people out but when they would arrive it would work normally. Finally I managed to get them out when it was happening. Seems when the previous owners put in or moved a thermostat, they used stereo speaker wire. For some reason this would kick the heat pump on occasionally for no reason. Needless to say, that was an issue. Imagine coming home to a house that's 95 degrees and the heat is on!

[Darrell KSR]

Ok, they claimed it was the heating vent from the ceiling. They also said that the internal thermostat was set at 60 year round, so during the summer, I froze, too.

They were redirecting it toward the window, which is what they claimed it was supposed to do anyway, when I had to leave. Hopefully when I return it will be ok. Man, it was cold.

[CitizenBBN]

I remember the first time i ever saw it. During the summer of my soph year in college I worked for a local carpenter that specialized in remodeling and home renovations. We went to work on this house and my job was to tear out the lath and plaster walls and ceilings. First time I had ever seen uninsulated wires running in the walls and the attic. After the demolition was over, I helped an electrician tear it all out so he could run new wire. I have never heard an electrician cuss more than I did on that job. I think he burnt up 2 or 3 drills and a bucket full of auger bits trying to drill thru the 100 year old seasoned oak 2x6 wall studs. Back in the day they were really 2 inches thick.

Dan the old growth stuff is SO different than new wood, it's not even the same material. Mine is old growth pine, and a Paslode air nailer won't go half way in on it. I would hate to try to get through old growth oak.

When 2x4 really meant 2x4.

[KeithKSR]

I think the hotter it is outside the colder I am. So it must be the A/C blowing.

The elderly do tend to get cold easily.

[KeithKSR]

I remember the first time i ever saw it. During the summer of my soph year in college I worked for a local carpenter that specialized in remodeling and home renovations. We went to work on this house and my job was to tear out the lath and plaster walls and ceilings. First time I had ever seen uninsulated wires running in the walls and the attic. After the demolition was over, I helped an electrician tear it all out so he could run new wire. I have never heard an electrician cuss more than I did on that job. I think he burnt up 2 or 3 drills and a bucket full of auger bits trying to drill thru the 100 year old seasoned oak 2x6 wall studs. Back in the day they were really 2 inches thick.

When I was 18 my Dad and I wired a house for my uncle. It had been a bank repo and someone had stripped all the copper out of it. We had no power at all and had to use a brace and bit to drill holes. The oak was so tough we bent auger bits. The brace came out fine, but it was tough on us.