[undeadwiring]

My foreman wanted to take the stairway lights off the temps coming from the floors so I went ahead and ended up cutting off the last two feeding from two floors. I connected each string to the other going from the second floor to the 23rd floor from the mezzanine floor I tied into a string connected on the first floor. Where we have I'd say about 4 Metal hallide lights I'm not sure on the wattage but its one of the basic one's used for temp lighting in big jobs. The mezzanine has two of them as well as a few regular temp lights.

So after getting a lift and tying into the lights, I disconnected the string from the temps on the floors only to have the breaker pop on me. I ran downstairs after some rather angry stairs and b1tchy comments from some of the other people down there. So I flipped the breaker on, once,twice,thrice only to finally get fed up enough to go upstairs and reconnect the entire staircase lights to a single floor and separate them from the first floor. Amazingly no more tripping who'da though eh ? So after my foreman gets angry because he says he gets tired of doing everyone's job and after me feeling like he thinks I'm lying to him he goes ahead and has me splice back into the first floor.

The breaker trips which I already knew it would, it's coming from a 15amp breaker in the panel in the basement I mistakenly said this morning that it was another short. Which after thinking about it when I really looked at what was going on I figured was wrong. I go downstairs to turn the breaker on only to have my foreman there telling the other guy screw it plug it into a 30amp breaker. Now most of the lights are run with either 12/2 or 14/3 with the red not being used. The only reason i didn't do this was because I know it was wrong to do such a thing, now what do you guys say ? It's for temp lights and for the most part hopefully the permanent stairway lights will be up and running in a week or two.... hopefully

 

[HawkShock]

Fires are temporary too, I guess. Skin grafts aren't.
You seem to have one hell of a time with temp lights that cover more than one level. Your boss seems like a full tard and I assume you aren't learning much (including how to communicate through text).
If I were you I would be seeking a different employer.

And as to your problem, I don't want the headache of trying to read that post, I'll let somebody else handle it.

 

[someonespecial]

Agreed with HawkShock, the 15 amp breaker is tripping because you are drawing more than 15 amps. The 14 gauge cabling may overheat and possibly catch fire if someone throws a 30 amp breaker on it.

 

[dmxtothemax]

How many lights where on the circuit when it popped ?
What type of lights are they ?
What wattage are they ?
What type of breakers are they ?

Discharge lights pull more currant whilst they are starting up !
And even more if the power factor correcttion capacitors are shot.
So this could be your problem.

More details please ?:whistling2:

 

[NacBooster29]

Adding an additional temp circuit is cheap.
Having a fire is expensive.
It sounds like you are over thinking the main issue.
K.I.s.s.
Keep it simple stupid.

 

[undeadwiring]

How many lights where on the circuit when it popped ?
What type of lights are they ?
What wattage are they ?
What type of breakers are they ?
6 400 watt metal halide lights, some of the temp light bulbs are 100watt incandescent some are 40watt cfl
7 cfl lights on the first floor, there are about 2 sockets per landing, twenty three floors. He wants to get rid of the feed from the floors and eventually get rid of the temp lights altogether. I just didn't want to use the 30 amp breaker without upping the wire to 10awg. which is why I disconnected it from the 1st floor and instead fed it from the 5th floor. The breakers are QE

Discharge lights pull more currant whilst they are starting up !
And even more if the power factor correcttion capacitors are shot.
So this could be your problem.

More details please ?:whistling2:

Not really sure that is the problem I just really think it's too much on one breaker.

Agreed with HawkShock, the 15 amp breaker is tripping because you are drawing more than 15 amps. The 14 gauge cabling may overheat and possibly catch fire if someone throws a 30 amp breaker on it.

I agree which is why I didn't want to change it over to a 30amp breaker. It's like with those older edison fuses where someone would throw a penny in the terminal to bypass the fuse eventually it would lead to a fire. If anything does end up happening i don't want my name attached to it.

Adding an additional temp circuit is cheap.
Having a fire is expensive.
It sounds like you are over thinking the main issue.
K.I.s.s.
Keep it simple stupid.

I've been known to think on things to much and at times not think things through.

 

[Big John]

Nothing against you, because you're still learning and on the right track, but the guys you work with should well know better than this. When installing temp lighting starts whooping someone's ass, that's pretty sad.