Small grow electricity

Soil2Oil

Member
Setting up a little space & putting a single 1000w (or 600w?) and possibly a single 4 Bulb T5 light in a room in a old house. (Reason, only going to do 2 or 3 plants at a time + clones.) My question is will the electricity at my old house space be able to Handle these watts?
 

Alienwidow

Well-Known Member
Look on the fixture. I think 1ks are about 6 amps and 600s are around 4 amps. You have to find your breaker(s) that controls the power to the room. You should only use 75% of what the breaker says. It might be as low as 10amps but usually 15, but sometimes 20 if you have thick wire installed. Thats what governs what you can put through as far as max amps goes.
If your screwed you can always run extention cords through attics and most power strips and cords are good for 15 amps.
 

Soil2Oil

Member
Thank you Alien, I checked the breaker box and all the switches are marked "20" accept one "15" so with that, I'm pretty sure running a Single 1000w (6amps) and a Single 4Bulb T5 (? Amps) will be safe?

This brings me to my next idea, would it be more cost and/or energy efficient (electricity bill + yield wise) to run Two 600w's , appose to the Single 1000w?
Also, I'm in-between deciding on a "Gull wing shape" open reflector light , or 6-8" Hood (w/ glass insert :wall:) which is preferred or recommended?
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member
what size is the room?You still want to trace out your power line. It may run 2 or 3 rooms. If that is the only thing on the circuit you are good to go.I believe it draws 8.4 amp constant but you want a 2 lee way for start up in a 1000.
 

Soil2Oil

Member
what size is the room?You still want to trace out your power line. It may run 2 or 3 rooms. If that is the only thing on the circuit you are good to go.I believe it draws 8.4 amp constant but you want a 2 lee way for start up in a 1000.
4' x 4' x 6'x6' - It is a Quarter space of a room that I will be using.

Yea the 1000w and the T5 will be the only lights running in the grow. Trace my power line & 2 lee way, I am not familiar with how can I go about these?
 

Chrissa

Well-Known Member
Some 1000w can run at super watt setting .1250w my ballast runs at continuous 8.6 amps ur Igotthe6 is right u need a leeway of 2 if u wanted to run that plus t5s. Fans pumps ... u would need at least 20 amps
 

Chrissa

Well-Known Member
Be smart and run a 20 for the lights and a 15 for w.e else then u have a bit of room to upgrade and use gfci breakers if ur near water
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member
I would run2 6s.just because of the size run them end to end down the 6 foot way. You'll get better coverage
 

Soil2Oil

Member
I would run2 6s.just because of the size run them end to end down the 6 foot way. You'll get better coverage
Thank you Igotthe6, Chrissa, & Alien. With the new knowledge of limitations on amps I am now thinking of just running only a Single 1000w , (since I also have to run a T5 + a fan on the the same outlet in the room.) This changes things a bit for me, I may even have to switch rooms in the house now, being there would be a Softub (Hottub) running constantly in the same room of the grow. (I didn't factor in the amps/watts problem for the electricity, thanks rollitup community.)
So, without having to do any changes and/or modifications to the rooms electricity or breaker box/wiring/electricity for the house what is the most simple set up I can do, while running One 1000w + One T5 + Fan. Or are modifications in this situation inevitable?
 
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