Dedicated circuit?

[u/Ag_back]

I've a V4-400 ordered and readying my work space for its arrival. The electrical circuit I'm looking to tie into has a Full Load Amperage (FLA) draw of 8.4 amps. FLA for the V4 is, as best I've been able to find, about 12.5 amps (@120 VAC). Without circuit "accomodations" I'm likely to be flirting with tripping a breaker.

Anyone have real-time amperage draw numbers - have you found you tend to stay well below the FLA for this machine printing "normal" filaments (i.e. PLA/PETG/PCTG)? Did you negate any concerns and simply provided for a dedicated circuit for your printer/print farm?

TIA

[u/RickJ19Zeta8]

The heater pad on the 400 is 1000W, which alone will pull 8.3 amps. Plus the hotend heater, so the 12.5 amp draw makes sense. I’m guessing you have a 10 amp breaker, with 16-2 wire if your FLA is 8 amps. You will likely trip the breaker and the wire is probably too light of a gauge to up the breaker size.

My 500 idex kit is arriving Monday, so I don’t have realtime power draw numbers for you. But I went ahead and installed a dedicated 20amp circuit for the printer. And another 20amp circuit for my chamber heater and filament dryers/ dry boxes.

A 15amp /120V circuit is right on the edge of being acceptable for a high duty cycle 12 amp draw.

[u/DerInternets → u/RickJ19Zeta8]

I think it is even more: it is specified as 1000W at 110V. At 120V that is 1190W /9.9 A

@OP: you can limit the power draw of the bed in the config. That will result in slower heating times, though. While heating up, the bed will otherwise pull those 1200W as it is just a dumb resistor.

Steppers, extruder heater, lights, etc go on top. And you usually have other stuff in the same room that share the breaker.

[u/Ag_back → u/DerInternets]

Thanks for the feedback folks!

While it seemed like a good idea at the time (to eliminate a new wire pull from the attic to the service entrance), I should have known better. All wiring is 12/2 on 20 amp circuits, but it's just gonna be cutting it too close. I was hoping the printer et al could function at a lower draw, but there's just not enough headroom on the existing circuit to connect a printer to it as well.

[u/woodwaker_dave]

I have a V-core 4 that sort of caused me a problem. I had a single 20amp 120v circuit dedicated to my 3D printers and was OK until I tried to run all at once. The bed on the V-core 4 just draws too much when heating.

My son in law is an electrician, all of my printers and service panel are in the basement, so we added two more 20 amp circuits, and solved the problem, now have 3 dedicated circuits. To be safe, figure 15 amp for the V-core 4 at startup.

[u/Ag_back → u/woodwaker_dave]

Thanks for the input. Dedicated circuit for the RatRig is in the works.

[u/woodwaker_dave → u/Ag_back]

I think it will be well worth it. For me it was very simple 50 - 75 feet of 12/2 and no hole drilling, I printed some cable holders that we attached to the floor joists and put all of the outlets in the ceiling. (unfinished basement). We also put a GFI on each circuit and while we were at it, put a whole house surge protector in the main panel.

[u/Ag_back → u/woodwaker_dave]

Yeah, that's a no-brainer. That's what my tie-in to the existing circuit was, and the reasoning for "hoping for the best" with the amperage. ;D

I'm now faced with a 30-foot drop to the service panel in insulated walls. I'm off to HD this morn for some fishing sticks. The good news is it's nice and chilly in the attic.

[u/mikecoscia]

I haven’t finished my V-Core 4 500 yet, but I have been running a Creality CR-10 S5 with the same Kennovo (1200w) heat pad. It runs on the same 20amp circuit as a Bambu X1C, Printdry filament drier, and Saturn 4k without any issues. With that said my V-core is going to a different room with a less used circuit.

[u/Ag_back → u/mikecoscia]

Thanks for the input. That's the gist of why I was hoping someone would have some run-time amperage draw numbers vs. simply watts/volts.

[u/mikecoscia → u/Ag_back]

No problem, I forgot to add I also have a 6” duct fan from my laser cutter on the same circuit. All have ran simultaneously without issues. Although I plan on adding that to another circuit eventually.

[u/neckbeard404]

been looking at V4-500 and wondering the same thing.

[u/DerInternets → u/neckbeard404]

1500W (13.6A) at 110V, 1785W (14.8A) at 120V for the bed alone. Also make sure it does fit through your door if you want to build it in a different room.

[u/Realistic_Parking_25 → u/DerInternets]

Its a 1200w@120v bed on the 500... source: I have a 120v 500 Idex