Quoted from KerryImming:This is a recurring question and will never be answered to everyone's satisfaction. Some things to consider...
1. The 15A circuit in your home already has the safety margin built in to it. You don't need to extend it.
2. The breaker tripping is a nuisance, not a safety issue.
3. LEDs do reduce the current draw of the games by a lot.
4. A 15 amp breaker does not trip at 15 amps. It takes over 30 seconds to trip at 30 amps, so you don't have to worry about short surges. Web search for "15 amp breaker trip curve" if you want details. Fair warning: it takes some time to understand the chart.
5. The raw current capacity of a 14 gauge wire is way more than 15 amps. Electric code limits the voltage drop to 5%. This allows 160 ft of 14 gauge wire in a 15 amp circuit, but code is probably more conservative (see #1).
6. The distance from your outlet to the electric panel will be a factor (see #5).
I've never heard of anyone with 6 pins on a 15amp circuit that blew a breaker but I can't declare it impossible.
- Kerry*
*Electrical Engineer but not a licensed electrician
Some of the above is not quite right ( except the first sentence)
Not worth the bandwidth or the deep dive....just know that wire size, type of wire, and disconnect overcurrent device (breaker usually) are quite relative, and engineered as a complete system...
When a breaker trips, something is (went) wrong.....there for safety and integrity of the design ( as opposed to melting the insulation off the wire in your wall).
We can design load capacity easy in my world as power amplifiers are very specific on ratings (all about the heat, btw, raw current capacity has zero relevance and dangerous to even put in this equation). Pinball machines are certainly more dynamic on the power draw, but I've read several threads that claim 5-6 on a single circuit work fine. Doubt I would ever run more than 4 on a single circuit in my home, as they are individually fused @ 8a/ 120v, maybe they pull 2.5, maybe inrush to 7...apparently not a biggie......but I'm just a paranoid, licensed electrician (one of my hats). Just grab a couple of modern hair dryers and start plugging them in together.....you'll get the point.