Do I need electrical upgrades?

In my garage there's 1 big circuit breaker that's rated at 225 amps I believe, and a little circuit breaker next to it but I couldn't read the amperage. I can provide any other info needed if requested. I'm planning to run this equipment in my upstairs bedroom closet. Am I going to need electrical upgrades? I hope not..if so where do I even start with that lol. Equipment:----2x 400w Lumateks----2x 240CFM Booster Fans----1x 440CFM Ventech Inline Fan & Filter Combo----1x 9K BTU Haier A/C Unit----CO2 Setup

well, if your ready to actually use your brain and listen, then it shouldn't be that hard to accomplish what your after. That said, if your not generally good at figuring things out and working through things until they make sense... just hire someone to do it for you.

There is not much detail in your post.. but it seems your going to run new wiring from your garage to your upstairs closet..

Your going to have to fish wire through the house..walls. which is a bitch for someone without the tools. You MAY have enough power in that one circuit but its going to be close. Your ballast will draw about 8 amps, your aircon another 6-7? and then another 2-3 for all the other items. So your looking at a 30amp 110 circuit.

Your going to have to replace that double pole 240 breaker with 2 single pole 120's then run two lines of 12/2 romex to your closet and wire them up.

Pretty simple really, except for the part about fishing the wire through the walls.

If you found the breaker box there should be a number of circuit breakers on it that control individual or a number of rooms. If you have a single box with simply 225 amps on it you are looking at something I am not familiar with. Not sure what to advise you to do other than DO NOT run any wiring yourself. Licensed electrician only! Maybe you can call the electric company and ask about it. Tell them you just moved in and have never seen just one big breaker that says 225 amps. Does that mean the house will handle 225 amps on a single circuit? That's what I'd ask....unless you find someone else that can answer your question.

If the panel in the garage has a 225 amp breaker, then that is your "Main" breaker, as in should kill all power to the house completely if turned off ( good to know in an emergency, fire, water leak, ect. ). There has to be a "Sub Panel" somwhere in the confines of the home. That is where you will access your electrical needs. You cannot tap on that main with nothing, and should never be convinced otherwise.

Honestly, if you are not 100% fluent in electrical construction and fully understand the implications of the use of electricity, get an electrician to perform any work needed to add additional power to the area.

You probably have 1 maybe 2 cicuits in the area mentioned. Find and mark those breakers ( use a lamp and a loved one to tell you when the breaker turns it off, and how many plugs are affected by that breaker, move the lamp around or have a couple of lamps plugged in around the room. With what you stated above, might take a bit more than 2 - 20 amp circuits, but you will have to be certain of that.

Peace and Safe Grows

Asmallvoice

legallyflying said:

well, if your ready to actually use your brain and listen, then it shouldn't be that hard to accomplish what your after. That said, if your not generally good at figuring things out and working through things until they make sense... just hire someone to do it for you.There is not much detail in your post.. but it seems your going to run new wiring from your garage to your upstairs closet.. Your going to have to fish wire through the house..walls. which is a bitch for someone without the tools. You MAY have enough power in that one circuit but its going to be close. Your ballast will draw about 8 amps, your aircon another 6-7? and then another 2-3 for all the other items. So your looking at a 30amp 110 circuit. Your going to have to replace that double pole 240 breaker with 2 single pole 120's then run two lines of 12/2 romex to your closet and wire them up. Pretty simple really, except for the part about fishing the wire through the walls.

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I'm not really looking to do any electrical work, it's too dangerous. With this thread I'm more asking if I need to have any electrical work done, and maybe a good story for the electrician that'll be doing it.

Brother Numsi said:

If you found the breaker box there should be a number of circuit breakers on it that control individual or a number of rooms. If you have a single box with simply 225 amps on it you are looking at something I am not familiar with. Not sure what to advise you to do other than DO NOT run any wiring yourself. Licensed electrician only! Maybe you can call the electric company and ask about it. Tell them you just moved in and have never seen just one big breaker that says 225 amps. Does that mean the house will handle 225 amps on a single circuit? That's what I'd ask....unless you find someone else that can answer your question.

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What type of story am I going to want to stick to with this? I can't think of anything practical for upgrading the electricity in my room...lol

ASMALLVOICE said:

If the panel in the garage has a 225 amp breaker, then that is your "Main" breaker, as in should kill all power to the house completely if turned off ( good to know in an emergency, fire, water leak, ect. ). There has to be a "Sub Panel" somwhere in the confines of the home. That is where you will access your electrical needs. You cannot tap on that main with nothing, and should never be convinced otherwise. Honestly, if you are not 100% fluent in electrical construction and fully understand the implications of the use of electricity, get an electrician to perform any work needed to add additional power to the area. You probably have 1 maybe 2 cicuits in the area mentioned. Find and mark those breakers ( use a lamp and a loved one to tell you when the breaker turns it off, and how many plugs are affected by that breaker, move the lamp around or have a couple of lamps plugged in around the room. With what you stated above, might take a bit more than 2 - 20 amp circuits, but you will have to be certain of that.Peace and Safe GrowsAsmallvoice

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Ok, so once I've got those breakers marked what's next? I still haven't figured out if I even need electrical upgrades. Here's a few pictures of my breaker boxes in the garage.

You now need to look at the total amperage needs for the equipment you need/want to run and "load" those circuits accordingly ( try to stay under 12-14 amps continuous on any 20amp breaker just to have a little room for power blips and things of that nature). If you have a 20 amp breaker loaded to the gills at say 16-18 amps continuous and there is a "lag or dip" in the power, voltage down, current up, that can cause a breaker to trip even if it is not running at it's rated capacity. If your setup can be safely run with the existing circuits you have in or near the space then you are good to grow(<pun)

Its all a numbers game at this point, with common sense being the constant multiplier here. Keep things loaded properly and use GFCI's on 24/7 items like ciculation fans and air pumps for added safety.

Peace and Safe Grows

Asmallvoice

GFCI=Ground Fault Interruption...those are usually found around sinks where if water gets in, they shut down. Electrical outlets can be changed to GFCI if need be.Hell, I thought the story was "plausible deniabilty" LOL

I really wish everything wasn't reformatted to one big block of text on RIU for me at the moment... Anwyays.. Now I know my room is running on 2 separate 15 amp circuits. My ballasts pull 8 amps, the a/c pulls 8, fans/co2 should pull no more than 3, my tv pulls 3. This means I'm working with around 22 amps. Circuit A: TV, Fans/CO2, A/C -- Circuit B: Ballasts -- So I'd be running Circuit A at around 14 amps, and Circuit B around 8 amps. Looks like I'll be watching TV elsewhere if I want to safely run Circuit A. Sound like I've got it figured out guys? If so, then holy shit thank you for making today a good one so early.

Brother Numsi said:

GFCI=Ground Fault Interruption...those are usually found around sinks where if water gets in, they shut down. Electrical outlets can be changed to GFCI if need be.Hell, I thought the story was "plausible deniabilty" LOL

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It's lookin' like a story won't even be needed at this point

Good job!! Now you can get a long exrtension cord for your TV LOL

Brother Numsi said:

Good job!! Now you can get a long exrtension cord for your TV LOL

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Actually with my luck today it seems I won't even need to do that! Turns out my ballasts only pull 4 amps as opposed to 8.

Soooo..
(10 amps) Circuit A: Ballasts, Fans/CO2, TV
(8 amps) Circuit B: A/C

lmao..after typing out all the bbcode manually the forum decides to fix itself. hey at least everythings back to normal though! for now at least, lol.

GrowinTheDank said:

Actually with my luck today it seems I won't even need to do that! Turns out my ballasts only pull 4 amps as opposed to 8.

Soooo..
(10 amps) Circuit A: Ballasts, Fans/CO2, TV
(8 amps) Circuit B: A/C

lmao..after typing out all the bbcode manually the forum decides to fix itself. hey at least everythings back to normal though! for now at least, lol.

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Yeah I thought they were about 4 amps. I was part of another thread about 110/220v and we figured at 220v they pulled just over 2 amps each. Sounds like you will be good to go!

Wattage / volts = amps

400 / 120 = 3.33 + about 10% for efficiency 3.7amps

400/ 240 = 1.67 = 1.8 amps

the ratings for wiring and fuses assume NO MORE than 85% of the rating as continuous load

wire ratings:

14/2 = 15 amp
12/2 = 20 amp
10/2 = 30 amp
8/2 = about 40
6/2... it starts to get complicated and has to do with ratings on the terminals and posts and other things..like run length

legallyflying said:

Wattage / volts = amps

400 / 120 = 3.33 + about 10% for efficiency 3.7amps

400/ 240 = 1.67 = 1.8 amps

the ratings for wiring and fuses assume NO MORE than 85% of the rating as continuous load

wire ratings:

14/2 = 15 amp
12/2 = 20 amp
10/2 = 30 amp
8/2 = about 40
6/2... it starts to get complicated and has to do with ratings on the terminals and posts and other things..like run length

Click to expand...

That's about what we figured for a Lumatek 600...2.1 at 240v...give or take.

legallyflying said:

Wattage / volts = amps

400 / 120 = 3.33 + about 10% for efficiency 3.7amps

400/ 240 = 1.67 = 1.8 amps

the ratings for wiring and fuses assume NO MORE than 85% of the rating as continuous load

wire ratings:

14/2 = 15 amp
12/2 = 20 amp
10/2 = 30 amp
8/2 = about 40
6/2... it starts to get complicated and has to do with ratings on the terminals and posts and other things..like run length

Click to expand...

I'm aware of the formula lol.

Brother.. A lumatek 600 actually pulls about 2.8 amps @ 240. At least it does when I'm turbo mode or whatever you call it.

legallyflying said:

Brother.. A lumatek 600 actually pulls about 2.8 amps @ 240. At least it does when I'm turbo mode or whatever you call it.

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Key Specifications/Special Features:

• Electronic ballast for 600W HPS or MH lamp
• Voltage: 230V 50/60Hz
• Current: 2.70A

I think you're referring to the 'Super Lumens' setting.

http://www.lumatek.co.uk/index.php/products/electronic-ballasts.html

GrowinTheDank said:

Key Specifications/Special Features:

• Electronic ballast for 600W HPS or MH lamp
• Voltage: 230V 50/60Hz
• Current: 2.70A

I think you're referring to the 'Super Lumens' setting.

http://www.lumatek.co.uk/index.php/products/electronic-ballasts.html

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2.7A that is probably closer...7's and 1's look pretty close whn your visually impaired and high LOL...many bulbs do not like the super lumens mode.

Brother Numsi said:

2.7A that is probably closer...7's and 1's look pretty close whn your visually impaired and high LOL...many bulbs do not like the super lumens mode.

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Do you think Hortilux Super Enhanced HPS bulbs and Hortilux Metal Halide bulbs will be ok on tehe super lumens setting?

that label is what that enclosure is rated to hold as circuits. But you could have a 100a service going to that panel. I would suggest to have a professional check you service amperage before running anything off that panel and remember to calculate for voltage drops for the run of wire to your bedroom. I would suggest also to do a subpanel if you have enough power, that way you are ready for future expansions.

MisterSosa said:

that label is what that enclosure is rated to hold as circuits. But you could have a 100a service going to that panel. I would suggest to have a professional check you service amperage before running anything off that panel and remember to calculate for voltage drops for the run of wire to your bedroom. I would suggest also to do a subpanel if you have enough power, that way you are ready for future expansions.

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Damn you're right..I need at least 160 amps to safely run Circuit A at 12 amps. What do you think the chances are my service is a high enough amperage? Idk what details to provide exactly..I have a 2 story house with about 4k sq. ft. if that's relevant.