I currently have 4 X1Cs on 2 dedicated circuits. I’m thinking about getting 10 more printers (probably P1Ss but maybe a couple more X1Cs as well) and am curious about how I should run power to them.
Would I need 5 more dedicated circuits or can you safely run more than 2 printers on one circuit?
Thanks!
It depends. The limiting factor on each circuit is the rating on the breaker. You can have more printers on a 30 amp breaker than a 20 amp breaker. Just because you can run, let’s say, 6 printers off a 20 amp breaker doesn’t mean you should run all 6 off the same outlet.
The next limiting factor is the wire gauge to the outlets. As an example, 12 gage wire’s maximum power transmission rating is 9.3 amps. 10 gage can handle 15.
I’d suggest you have a COMMERCIAL, not residential, electrician take a look and let you know what you need to do (even If you’re running them at your house, well ESPECIALLY if you are setting up in your house). He may need to look at the building wiring before giving you a recommendation.
Depends on the voltage of your printers and the capacity of the circuit.
On 110V AC, the X1C is rated at 350 Watts, which draws 3.18A.
On a typical 15 amp circuit, four printers should be safe. A 20 amp circuit could handle six printers but I would stop at five. It’s not likely that they would all be drawing maximum power at the same time, but I like some extra safety margin.
A 220 volt X1C can require 1000 watts, or about 4.6 amps. I don’t know the typical circuit capacity in 220V countries.
Keep in mind that if a breaker trips, ALL the printers on that circuit will stop. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
If you get 10 more I suggest you get an electrician to install external conduit and run a fresh line or lines from your breaker. Calculate the max amperage draw from all the printers, get the electrician to validate this estimation and acquire the gauge wiring and breakers you need to do this safe. You will likely need to pull a permit too. If this is in an insured residential home I strongly suggest you pull a permit and have it inspected/approved by the city.
Really…just put four printers per circuit and add more circuits as required and be done with it already.
In Germany it usually is 16 A resulting in roughly 3,600 W.
My X1C spikes up to 1,000 W for some 20 to 40 seconds when heating up the bed (the duration depending on the bed temperature, I have not gone above 75 °C yet) and then stays well below 250 W for the rest of the print. Rather 100–150 W most of the time with short peaks up to 200–250 W every once in a while.
Hence, if you avoid starting prints simultaneously you might very well have 10 printers on the same 230 V / 16 A circuit. But if several printers heat up their bed at the same time while most of the others are currently printing, you will trip the CB for sure.
Oh, by the way: please use separate wall outlets and do not connect multiple printers to power strips unless you want to burn down your house! At least not more than 2 or 3 on the same strip, better to avoid them at all. Most power outlet types are not capable of delivering their rated power indefinitely. German „Schuko“ type outlets for example are only rated for 1 hour at 16 A. Similar limitations might apply to other systems.
Agreed, time to move on. . . Put 4 printers in each circuit, if you have a circuit trip. . . You sadly accept the lost prints, Reduce to 3 printers per circuit and move on.
4 printers should be fine. . . 5 printers should also be fine for a 20A breaker, but it’s unnecessarily close to tripping a breaker if you start them all up at the same time.
Wernher Von Braun –
“One good test is worth a thousand expert opinions. ”
IOW - Just install 4 printers per outlet and try it out, seems to have more than enough tolerance.
