Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

Every situation is different so it would help to know a bit more about what your doing. How many devices do you have? Lights, fans, etc. If you only have one or two lights and everything is 110v, you can get by with as little as a plugin timer and a powerstrip. If you're dealing with any 220 devices or a gang of lights then the task gets a bit more complicated.

My first guess would be to recommend the plugin timer considering the size of the area.

I have a concern about a piece of equipment that i'm using in my flower room. The setup i'm using is a 400w+600w Digital ballast (total of 1000watts) on a single dedicated 15 amp 14awg circuit. I had an electrician check everything out and all the wiring on this circuit is brand new, so i'm ok there. My concern is the digital timer that my lights are plugged into. it's rated @15 amps or 1875 watts. If I flip it over after it's been running for a few hours, it feels slighty warm to the touch right under the display screen. I'm only drawing 8.33 amps according to my calculations so i should have plenty of headroom...I can't find any info on the net concerning this so i'm wondering if this is normal. The last thing i want is a fire....

It's probably okay if it's just warm. It could be from the load or just the display and chips inside... similar to your cell phone. You should become alarmed if it's hot and you can't touch it. If you add any more lights though you'll definitely want to upgrade or add in a relay.

I have a 400 watt MH ballast setup. If I was to run say a 250 watt MH bulb instead would I run into problems? Is the impedance different between bulbs? I am electronic savy but I want the OK from a pro for affirmation. Thx

thanks for the reply whiteflour, it's definately not hot but mildly warm...heat+electricity freaks me out when it comes to cords,timers ect. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it though in case it gets any warmer. I also put a smoke alarm right beside it just in case. I do plan on running another light soon, but I have a 12awg extention cord that I can run from another circuit and then split the load. Too bad i'm renting , else i'd just drop a box in there and be done with it...ah well

No. The ballast is a current limiting device. So it will allow up to 400W worth of juice through. The bulb will take what it needs, but start up inrush can wreck havok.

The bulb and ballast are a matched set. Can't deviate much (there are the 430W bulbs that are withing the 400W ballast's capabilities. But basically halving it isn't not a good idea.)

patlpp said:

I have a 400 watt MH ballast setup. If I was to run say a 250 watt MH bulb instead would I run into problems? Is the impedance different between bulbs? I am electronic savy but I want the OK from a pro for affirmation. Thx

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BigBudBalls said:

No. The ballast is a current limiting device. So it will allow up to 400W worth of juice through. The bulb will take what it needs, but start up inrush can wreck havok.

The bulb and ballast are a matched set. Can't deviate much (there are the 430W bulbs that are withing the 400W ballast's capabilities. But basically halving it isn't not a good idea.)

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Thanks +rep

Another Electrician here. I have been indust./comm. electrcian going on 20 years. 5 year IBEW apprenticeship.
I was just reading thread and seen that the advice here is sound. Kudos to you guys.
Seems like a good way to stay sharp. I myself rarly have to do any calculations and find myself having to look things up I know I knew.
Even If I think I know I still look it up.

I do mostly motor and process control these days. I have ran many multi-millon dollar jobs commercially. Had a daughter and know work for a local mom and pop outfit in a big paper mill. Enough about me.

I have a question for the best electrician here.




Can you help me get these shorts out my ass?LOL

Can you help me get these shorts out my ass?LOL

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sure, let me grab my skyhook

according to my aunt .... electricians do it without shorts.

Polecat said:

I myself rarly have to do any calculations and find myself having to look things up I know I knew.
Even If I think I know I still look it up.

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Look it up and you *will* be right. Think you know it, and its a crap shoot.
(If a customer ever questions you on looking it up. Pause and say "OK, I'll just guess from my memory, its *your* place anyways, not mine." Funny how they leave you alone after that )

(sitting home re-writing a PLC program for a multi-machine loader/unloader for CNC lasers right now. OEM *seriously* screwed up the program. I should know, I worked for them at the time, just as a tech, and knew the mutton head that did the programing)

Can I run a MH bulb on a MV ballast?

Tried to PM, inbox is full.

BigBudBalls said:

Look it up and you *will* be right. Think you know it, and its a crap shoot.
(If a customer ever questions you on looking it up. Pause and say "OK, I'll just guess from my memory, its *your* place anyways, not mine." Funny how they leave you alone after that )

(sitting home re-writing a PLC program for a multi-machine loader/unloader for CNC lasers right now. OEM *seriously* screwed up the program. I should know, I worked for them at the time, just as a tech, and knew the mutton head that did the programing)

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never wrote plc program . But I know that almost all programs are screwed up. I'd be on stand by for weeks waiting for rockwell.
Its always the electricians fault at first. after we go through every connection they bring in same guy to fix the program.EVERYTIME!
WE just hook um up. Just about every thing I do these days is over enginnered. Little room for me to apply my book learnings.

in those situations.... i walk over to this disconnect/point of connection and test for voltage. then i check again at the equipment.
if theres voltage at both, i smile and say, "Well the powers on, and thats where my job stops. Would you like me to call my guy from Honeywell/Johnson Controls/etc etc? for you?"

if its my equipment... theres a lead and a helper thats about to get there asses reamed with rusty peice of 4" RMC

ps-

no matter what, they will always need someone to hook up the robots.
yay for job security!

Were I work you would have to apply for a hot work permit to check voltage. After 3 hrs. waiting on the pemit all surronding equipment would have to be locked out. Then I would put on the spacesuit check the voltage. Voltage good I go back to control and learn to grow mj.
I'm not allowed to go anywere or work on anything else when i'm on standby. Just stand by. 7/12's most of the time. Last 3 shut downs I had more stand by time then touching my tools.

im all about high rises and fed contacts these days... ive done industrial in the past, and never liked it.
i miss the old days though, lol-
fuck a hot work permit, and fuck an arc suit... ive lost a circuit and im kicking breakers till i find it )

If there's power at the incoming, then its all on me. Its a big plate, electrical, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, PLC, PC & Software, and then the laser itself (there's gas, HV, control, vacuum leaks, VFDs etc)

I have a 240v socket available, as well as a 120v socket. My home was built in 2005. For a 400w lumatek digital ballast which socket would be better as far as safety concerns?

120v would be the safest for you with such a small lighting load.
Your socket is probaly not isolated. meaning other sockets in your house might be on the same breaker.
your light will only be pulling roughly 3.5 amps. So you could def. plug other things in these sockets with no problem.
Your 120v standard house socket is fine. Assuming its on a 20 amp breaker most likly with other sockets.

As far as the 240v socket goes I would need more info to determine the saftey of using it.
All i would need to know was the breaker size feeding the recepticial.