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

Questioned erased because I now understand it was a very dumb question.

Thanks anyways haha

I have a main breaker panel as well as a sub panel about 50 feet from my grow room, all of which are in the same room (basement). The breaker panel and the sub panel is completely full except for one single slot available. In my situation I need to run ~60amps (6000w + fans, future ac, etc). At first I figured we could purchase one of those single pole 60amp breakers and wire the ballasts @ 240v, but then realized in order to run @ 240v you need to install a double pole breaker. Is this correct?

Assuming this is correct we seem to have 2 options. Either get an even larger amperage single pole and run at 120v, or add yet another sub panel. I doubt they even make a 80-100amp single pole breaker that will fit in one slot. Even if they did I assume it would be dangerous. So, it seems like a sub panel is our only option. In order to do this I assume we would need to pull out 2 breakers and replace those with a 100amp breaker. Then transfer the previous 2 breakers to the new panel and rewire. Then I would add a 2 pole 60amp and run ballasts at 240v. Does all of this sound ok so far? Now here is a question we cant seem to answer. When you replace those two breakers with a 100amp to power the sub panel, can the sub panel only house a total of 100amps of breakers? In other words the sub panel could only use a 60amp and a 40amp and not a 60amp + 40amp + 15amp + 15amp.


As you can tell, we are not very knowledgeable in these type of things so obviously we want to hire an electrician. If you were to do this job, considering my situation and needs - what would you do and what would be a fair amount for the job?

Thanks for your help!

I have a question about the safety of my current light set-up, which I have been using for about 3 months.

I run an old 600 watt sunsystems ballast plugged into a 110 outlet. I'm using the only grounded outlet in the house, which wasn't grounded originally but has been wired into the ground of the (unused) dryer circuit a couple feet away. Also, the ballast makes a fairly loud hum, which I am told means the transformer in my ballast is about to go out. Am I putting myself at risk of a fire because of the sketchy ground combined with a dying transformer? I am getting new ballasts soon which I plan to run off the 240v dryer circuit, but in the meantime I have started worrying about fire danger... any thoughts?

-thanks

Yeah you plug that light into a 30amp dryer circuit and you'll have a fire hazard because that light won't pull but a couple of amps and you have a chance it could start to fry and never throw that 30 amp breaker if the tranformer goes out on the light just unplug it it won't catch on fire some transformers hum for years

Hey bro buy a twin breaker they are little with two throws take two single pole breakers out and put the wires on to the new thin piggyback breaker and bang you got another breaker space in your breaker box

Guys I'm an electrician but I hardly ever look in here and not gonna back track through the thread if you have a question pm me and I'll get back to you

Sorry to bring my troubles to this thread, but I figured it's worth a shot and might get more attention.

First off, I am using a CanFan 6" HO Exhaust fan. LINK: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Can-Fan-6-inch-440-CFM-High-output-Exhaust-Fan/5498160/product.html
I purchased a fan speed controller from HTG, which is the same exact thing as the "Speedster" controller. This fan controller causes my exhaust fan to make a buzz noise, coming from the fan itself. The buzzing is louder than the noise from the fan I was trying to elminate, and plus the buzzing is just a bad thing.

My question is, how can I control the power going to this fan; alas controlling the speed of airflow? Those little router controlers don't work, and I am under the impression that they work just the same way as a Light Switch Dimmer. In another thread where I have been asking this, a poster brought up the point of using a 3 way ceiling fan speed switch. LINK: http://www.lowes.com/pd_96581-79-27180_0__?productId=1114883&Ntt=3+speed+control&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3D3%2Bspeed%2Bcontrol

Would using the 3 speed ceiling fan switch hooked up to an outlet control the speed of my canfan without causing a buzz? What can I do to control the speed of my fan and not get the motor buzzing? Thank you.

I currently have a high maintenance HVAC set up right now with no controlers. I am expanding and am looking for a good product to control temp and humidity. What do you recommend and what do i need. I know electricity, just not HVAC and the controllers. thanks

I have a breaker that is being supplied 110v going to an outlet in my house. I don't want to redo the wiring in order to run 220v. My question is, would it be possible to get a step up transformer that plugs directly into my out and get 220v from there. Once I do that, would I be able to utilize up to 3300 watts from this? Is this even possible?

Ok I've got a question & hope this is the right place to ask.
I'm starting my 1st grow and want to buy a kessil h150 led light. Problem is I'm in the UK and I cant find them anywhere over here. If I buy one from the US can I plug it in & run it over here? I mean, obviously there's the 2-pin adapter but do the different countries run different voltage networks (if thats the right phrase!)
In short - would the lights explode/melt?

Griffta said:

Ok I've got a question & hope this is the right place to ask.
I'm starting my 1st grow and want to buy a kessil h150 led light. Problem is I'm in the UK and I cant find them anywhere over here. If I buy one from the US can I plug it in & run it over here? I mean, obviously there's the 2-pin adapter but do the different countries run different voltage networks (if thats the right phrase!)
In short - would the lights explode/melt?

Click to expand...

uk is 220. You can't use a 110 device in 220 or vice versa unless it implicitly says you can.

Hi, I have a lighting question. I am putting together my first serious grow and wanted to know if I can pick up a 600w light at Lowells or Home depot? Would it require a ballast, and how would I know if my breaker will handle it? I know there is a formula but its been so long since I have done it I don't remember.

Thanks!

legallyflying said:

uk is 220. You can't use a 110 device in 220 or vice versa unless it implicitly says you can.

Click to expand...

cheers for the info LF

Crazyhair said:

Hi, I have a lighting question. I am putting together my first serious grow and wanted to know if I can pick up a 600w light at Lowells or Home depot? Would it require a ballast, and how would I know if my breaker will handle it? I know there is a formula but its been so long since I have done it I don't remember.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

serious grow and 600 watt light from lowes shouldn't be used in the same sentence. The formula you are probably thinking of is volts x amps = watts.

I need help getting power to my grow.

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I have posted this before but found this thread and thought i might have more luck here.

This light switch is directly above my grow box, and the room has no power sockets at all. I want to wire an extension lead into this box from the grow box so when the switch is ON my grow has power. I will be leaving it on 24/7 as i dont use this room for anything. I am running a 600w HPS and 1 ordinary desk fan.

I hope the photo's show enough for you to help, if not tell me and i will take more.

Also, this is a very old house, and hence the black power cable. Simple instruction like "put wire in ?this? hole, and put other wire in ?this? hole" would be great.

This is the last step to completion. I think its possible to do because there are extra terminals for something right...

If i cant do this i have to run another cable approx 25meters under the house. So obviously i will do whatever i have to to make this option work.... safely ofcourse.

I am planning to buy a house in the next few month... I would like to make a grow room in the basement. I want to run 2x 1000w HPS in the flowering chamber and about 200w worth of flouros in the veg chamber. Also plan on having the 2 1000w HPS's air cooled. I am skilled in carpentry and would build a stealth room on my own, very nicely hidden and disguised behind a fake shelving unit (hidden passage).

I have no idea what to do about the electric side of things. I have a good friend who is an electrician, but I do not want to tell anybody about this operation. How what could I tell him as a lie? Or even, is this a project that I could complete myself after learning to do this thru good reads and info on the net?

Also, what work EXACTLY would I need to have done in this hidden room, which will have no electricity at all to begin with?

Hey Brick-

Two questions?

1. I just spent 30 minutes salvaging some (120v I think) computer fans -- I wired one to a "120-240v" ex-cell phone charger and it was so weak! i couldn't even feel a breeze an inch away though the blades were spinning. Is there a way to give them more power them up like if I wired them to a beefier male like that big bitch that runs power to my dsl modem?

2. I spent $18 on a t5 single fixture instead of $20 t5 dual fixture that was for hard wire.
That felt so stupid. Do you know of a good tutorial you could direct us to about rigging a nice t5 panel? I'd love to have about 6 of those dual hard-wire fixtures mounted on a bit of plywood or something and make my own shop light out of 'em.

Hey , im putting together a grow box and im using 3 pc fans for ventilation, i wired them to a 12v adapter but I find they are way too loud. Is there a way i can wire a switch to adjust the speed of the fans?

NO, step up transformer makes it 240 , but u have half the watts.
DO THIS..
the breaker that the outlet is on, unhook both wires, find a 240v breaker- the dryer, (dont use dryer when lights are on)- put black in one, white in the other.
THE outlet is now 240v BE SURE YOU CHECK TO SEE THAT IT IS THE ONLY OUTLET WIRED TO THAT WIRE.
if there are other outlets or lighting in this circuit before your outlet, then dont do it.

SPUTNIK
PULL ALL THAT SHIT DOWN!!!!!
the wire at the ceiling where the light is the main power.
take all that shit off
put a outlet where the light is. add a timer.