Bought a 3000W Machine — Can’t even test it
Asking in case anyone has any experience with this. I recently imported a machine from China to start a small home-based business in Toronto. The manufacturer converted it to 120V for North American use, but we’re running into power issues and wanted to get advice before doing anything unsafe.
The main machine is rated at 3,000W and there’s also an attached air compressor rated around 1,600W.
We tried to test it in our condo, but the breaker trips almost immediately. Our condo mainly has 15A circuits, so we understand we’re probably exceeding what the circuits can safely handle. We tested it a few times before stopping completely.
The only higher-amperage circuits we likely have access to are:
- Washing machine circuit (30A, difficult to access)
- Stove circuit (40A)
(Btw we’re renters, so installing a dedicated new line may not be realistic)
A few questions:
- Is it even feasible/safe to run something like this in a residential condo setup?
- Would a dedicated 30A circuit theoretically handle this?
- Are there any temporary solutions for testing?
- Should we even consider a generator for something like this? If so, are there large enough battery/inverter generators that could safely handle this load without using gas/propane?
- Would renting a small workshop/flex industrial space make more sense? Our priority is keeping costs low.
- We also have a friend who owns a self-serve laundromat and may allow us to rent a small corner of the shop. Would that be more suitable electrically?
Appreciate any insight. Thanks in advance!