mrscootrocka
Active Member
I hear 600 watters run about 6 amps. How do i provide enough electricity for 36 amps?
Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions
- Thread starter bricktown73
- Start date
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
Nope. The ballast will have an overhead (hence all the energy savings BS of the digitals. The savings are only for the ballast overhead) The bulb will pull the 600, the ballast will pull, on average, another 10%, so figure 660W from the wall to power the bulb & ballast.
potroast247
New Member
I have a question. I have 2 outlets (110v) running off of 2 different junction boxes in the attic. I will have 2 lights a 1000w HPS and a 1000w MH. The sockets are the ones with test/reset (gfci??). The wires from the attic boxes to the outlets are 12/2 600v. If I plug the lights into the sockets seperately, with some fans and blowers, should I be ok? What will cause the circuit breakers to trip. How many amps will the lights draw? I'm very confused on the whole electricity aspet of the grow room. I just want to make sure that my power outlets are sufficient for the above equiptment.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
AquafinaOrbit
Well-Known Member
I was asking about GFCI simply because it's required by the NEC for garages. Wouldn't help load or anything like that but helps with grounding. As for the wiring, with the 110 that is there you could pull about 3500Watts if you installed one more 12-2 line, but if you had the money for the 12-3 wire then that would be your best option. With it you could wire two separete circuits both 20Amp and only have to run the one wire. (2 Phase, and 1 nutruel) That would easily handle your electrical load and leave the 110v line unused. A 10gauge wire would also work for your needs, so keep that in mind when checking prices. (12awg=20amps 10awg=30amps)
AquafinaOrbit
Well-Known Member
If both lines are on their own breaker then yes. Formula for amps is Watts/voltage. So in your case you'd say 2000/110 = 18amps, and that would be the load of your lights.
crazysparky
Member
A GFIC has nothing to do with grounding it acts off the neutrail when it detects imbalance on the neutrail it will trip.
AquafinaOrbit
Well-Known Member
The NEC would disagree with you since a GFCI is an acceptable substitute for a grounding conductor when replacing a 2 prong socket if you label it as a "No equipment ground". Of course it does not actually ground, it's not even run into the ground but it is very much related.
potroast247
New Member
So if I were to run my current lines with the 12-3 wiring instead of the 12-2, I can pull 18+ amps without any issues?
AquafinaOrbit
Well-Known Member
You could pull 20Amps with a single 12-2. 12-2(romex) is simply two twelve gauge conductors wrapped in the same casing. (1 wire for phase, other for neutral) A 12-3 is the same except it has 3 conductors so 1 neutral, 2 phase is an option. As the circuits can share the same neutral you would be able to wire 2x 20amp circuits; or a maximum of 40amps on the 12-3.
14awg=15amps
12awg=20amps
10awg=30amps
Really theres a few ways to do it, and it call comes down to what your willing to spend/what you actually decide you need.
14awg=15amps
12awg=20amps
10awg=30amps
Really theres a few ways to do it, and it call comes down to what your willing to spend/what you actually decide you need.
potroast247
New Member
Well as I've stated, I need to be running 1(1000w HPS), 1(1000w MH), 2 blowers(exhaust fans), oscillating fan and maybe some other minor things. So with the electrical setup I have, will I be ok? Once again it is 2 outlets, each outlet goes to a different junction box in the attic, and the wires from the attic to the outlets in the grow room are 12-2 600v wiring.
Sorry for being a pain.
Sorry for being a pain.
SDSativa
Active Member
Hey, I don't really know who this question is aimed at, but thanks in advance. I am considering purchesing the CAP master lighting control 4-MLC-4aT. It says that you run 30 amp, 240v power into it, and am wondering what that would be. I'm no electrician, and was wondering if I would be able to hook it up myself? Or if I would need an electrician? Any info would be great, I really have no idea.
bobbychuck67
Member
Thanks Brick for offering to anwer questions. I'm sure I will have some for you in future. For now I just want to add a few important tips. I'm NOT an electrician, but I am a lisenced architect so here goes:
1. If you are adding an outlet or just connecting 120v wires with those screw on caps, PLEASE use a junction box (J-box)! It's that square kind of octogon shaped metal box with round blanks on the side that you can punch out with a screwdriver and hammer. They are required by code for a reason. If connections come loose and spark they will not cause a fire.
2. Reinforce the screw on caps by wraping them with black electrial tape
3. If overloaded, your outlet will not melt, but the circuit breaker connected to that outlet will trip. If the breaker (that black switch in the rectangular metal box outside your house) is always triping i.e. turning off the curcuit, you have too many amps drawing on it. The maximum is the number on the breaker. If you bypass or otherwize disable it you are at serious risk of fire!
Peace fellow growers.
1. If you are adding an outlet or just connecting 120v wires with those screw on caps, PLEASE use a junction box (J-box)! It's that square kind of octogon shaped metal box with round blanks on the side that you can punch out with a screwdriver and hammer. They are required by code for a reason. If connections come loose and spark they will not cause a fire.
2. Reinforce the screw on caps by wraping them with black electrial tape
3. If overloaded, your outlet will not melt, but the circuit breaker connected to that outlet will trip. If the breaker (that black switch in the rectangular metal box outside your house) is always triping i.e. turning off the curcuit, you have too many amps drawing on it. The maximum is the number on the breaker. If you bypass or otherwize disable it you are at serious risk of fire!
Peace fellow growers.
Variac question. Is it safe to run multiple fans from a single variac rated for sufficient amperage to handle the load?
Household power is stepped down by the transformer on the pole, and we can use as many different devices as we wish as long as we don't exceed the amperage for a circuit. An autotransformer steps down voltage to your desired level, but can the power then be used in a similar fashion, or is a seperate variac needed for each device?
TIA for your time
Household power is stepped down by the transformer on the pole, and we can use as many different devices as we wish as long as we don't exceed the amperage for a circuit. An autotransformer steps down voltage to your desired level, but can the power then be used in a similar fashion, or is a seperate variac needed for each device?
TIA for your time
VargasGirl
Member
Ok so I need some electrical help that I can't get from my right winged electrician.
So I have a room built in my garage, that has 4 electrical outlets in it. Currently I have a Grow lab tent for my veg, with a t-5, water pump and fan plugged in.
I also have 2 1000W lights that I need to plug in to start my flowering, but from everything I read i don't think my room has enough juice for all of this stuff that I need to run to have a successful grow without blowing fuses.
My house has a hottub that is not in use, and in the breaker box it has it's own fuses labeled spa, is there some way that I can reroute that extra voltage (which I think is 240V) to my room easily?
Is there another way to get extra V's in there?
I'm going to have my light balices outside of my room to keep it cooler.
I heard that there might be a way I can use the dryer plug with some sort of conversion?
There is also something I saw online for like 150 bucks that says it converts 120V to 240V- but that seems too easy.
I'm not afraid of spending a reasonable amount of money, but I want whatever will work the best.
So I have a room built in my garage, that has 4 electrical outlets in it. Currently I have a Grow lab tent for my veg, with a t-5, water pump and fan plugged in.
I also have 2 1000W lights that I need to plug in to start my flowering, but from everything I read i don't think my room has enough juice for all of this stuff that I need to run to have a successful grow without blowing fuses.
My house has a hottub that is not in use, and in the breaker box it has it's own fuses labeled spa, is there some way that I can reroute that extra voltage (which I think is 240V) to my room easily?
Is there another way to get extra V's in there?
I'm going to have my light balices outside of my room to keep it cooler.
I heard that there might be a way I can use the dryer plug with some sort of conversion?
There is also something I saw online for like 150 bucks that says it converts 120V to 240V- but that seems too easy.
I'm not afraid of spending a reasonable amount of money, but I want whatever will work the best.
abeezy
Member
Hi bricktown,
Quick question. Is it safe to cut up two extension cords, strip the ends and twist them together (hot with hot, ground with ground, ext...)......IF i completely cover the exposed wire in hot glue so nothing can touch it?
Seems to me it would serve the same purpose as the insulating plastic around it.
Thanks,
ABeezy
Quick question. Is it safe to cut up two extension cords, strip the ends and twist them together (hot with hot, ground with ground, ext...)......IF i completely cover the exposed wire in hot glue so nothing can touch it?
Seems to me it would serve the same purpose as the insulating plastic around it.
Thanks,
ABeezy
Karloff
Member
I haven't seen Brick on here for some time.
The only way you can use that wire is if it is a dedicated circuit with no other outlets on it before hand so it has to be the only outlet on that circuit then you can change it out at the panel shut off the breaker, remove the neutral wire (white) from the neutral bus making sure not to touch anything live, next remove the old breaker from the panel and install a 220 v. breaker of the same amps in it's place then connect the wires to the breaker, next with the breaker still off remove the old 120 volt receptacle or outlet (same thing) and replace with the proper 220 v. outlet.
Turn on and test.
If your original outlet is on with other stuff like lights or other 120 volt outlets than you have to run a new circuit if your not comfortable working in an electrical panel or have no experience working in one call an electrician to do it.
Karloff
Member
If your trying to cover the exposed splices use wire nuts but before you splice them tie the wires into a knot to keep them from being pulled apart should you snag them on something, but hot glue isn't a good Idea.
Karloff
Member
My best advice to you is to find a left winged electrician.
Don't take it the wrong way but if you have to ask you probably don't know how to do it.
You could really screw things up.
And should find an electrician who doesn't ask too many questions.
Karloff
Member
You need an electrician to run a 30 amp 240 volt circuit for your ballast/ controller