forums.mikeholt.com

�RMS� stands for �Root Mean Square.� It is a means of describing the magnitude of an AC voltage or an AC current, in terms of an equivalent DC component. Almost every number you see will have already been converted to the RMS value. 120 volts, 208 volts, 480 volts, 15 amp branch circuits, 20 amp branch circuits: all of these are RMS values.

�AIC� stands for �Ampere Interrupting Capacity.� It is a means of describing the amount of fault current that a breaker can withstand, and still be able to perform its function of opening (thus terminating the fault). If you have a breaker rated for a 35,000 AIC, then the 35,000 amps is an RMS value. If you have a breaker rated for a 100,000 AIC, then the 100,000 amps is also an RMS value.

The only requirement is that the amount of fault current that is available at the location of the breaker must not be higher than the AIC rating of the breaker. For a new construction, someone has to determine the amount of fault current available at the location of every panel. But if you have an existing panel, and it is rated for 35,000 amps, then you don�t need to install a breaker with a fault current rating any higher than 35,000 amps.

I'm sure that cleared it up for him. But at the outside chance he's not an electrical engineer that happened to forget how to calculate electrical loads.... a 15amp circuit if plenty.

Is*...

judging from his reply im pretty sure spike12 has no idea what he's copying and pasting about....lol

Lysosome its far simpler than you think to calculate this, all that's needed is the ability to add the current draw of each speaker.

for example, lets say i have 2 subs rated at 3amps ea and one top rated at 2amps ea.

3 + 3 + 2 = 8amps

Therefore any combination of speakers who's current draw when summed = less than 15amps will work on a 15amp circuit.

the calculation is very simple but finding the actual specs can sometimes be difficult so i recommend just calling the company to save time.

Thanks all, I will look at the amperage of my speakers and add them up to see if it is less than 15 A.

Your judgment may have been a bit off then... I looked that up to make sure that both the rating of the breaker and that of the speakers were both in RMS... i.e just like your comment on the specs.