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

wheels619

wheels619

Well-Known Member
ltecato said:
I just got an Apollo dim-able digital ballast. I wanted to buy an inexpensive MH bulb for it at Home Depot, but the box for the bulb I was looking at says it should only be used with an ANSI S5 (don't recall exactly, maybe S5/e) ballast. I checked the ballast and the box it came in, plus looked online but couldn't find anything about Apollo ballasts in connection to the ANSI standards. But the bulbs I'm looking at all fit in mogul sockets, which is what came with the reflector I got from Apollo. Can anyone tell me if these cheaper bulbs will work with my ballast? Or tell me where to look to find out? Thanks.
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if you arent worried about bulb life go for it. it will work just fine.
 
N

NoBarriers

Well-Known Member
I posted a thead about this before I saw this thread so here is my question:

I have a 200 amp service and I have an dual trigger 8 light controler running 8 lights normally and a 5 ton central ac and about 8 fans running. I have had this set up running for almost one year without any problems. I recently added another four light controller on a 30 amp circuit running 2 lights for a total of only 8 lights with 2 new ballasts and I blew one leg of the main twice. Each time it took a few hours. So I took out the 4 light controler and stopped using the new ballasts and it has been running with 6 lights for 2 weeks without a problem. One of my five year old ballasts stopped working so I replaced it with one of the new ballasts and blew the main again after a few hours. I replaced the main and ballast and the rooms have been running for 32 hours without a problem.


My question is can a ballast have a short or a problem that can blow the main without blowing the 50 amp circuit that the controler is one?
 
doubletake

doubletake

Well-Known Member
Getting into a small warehouse soon and wanna put two 8x8 tents with two 1000 watts in each one.

My question, am I ganna burn something down by having these 4000 watts plugged into the wall for 12 hrs every day?
itsprobley more like 4500 watts with all the other shit that's ganna be going.
 
S

sjames853

Member
Any ideas on how i should wire a bedroom to be capable of handling 3000 watts total. lights, ballasts, fans, and other room essentials. It will not be exceeding 3000 watts.
 
TripleMindedGee5150

TripleMindedGee5150

Well-Known Member
Don't know if anyone is still answer questions at this thread but I have a few.

I have an industrial t5 fixture. Cost me 0$ . I want to convert it to a switch operated lamp. It only has two free wires a white and black. I was planning on soldering a 3 prong wall plug. Since I will have it on a timer I really won't need a switch.

That will work right. IMG_20131015_171135.jpgIMG_20131015_175251.jpgIMG_20131015_175322.jpg
 
socaljoe

socaljoe

Well-Known Member
TripleMindedGee5150 said:
Don't know if anyone is still answer questions at this thread but I have a few.

I have an industrial t5 fixture. Cost me 0$ . I want to convert it to a switch operated lamp. It only has two free wires a white and black. I was planning on soldering a 3 prong wall plug. Since I will have it on a timer I really won't need a switch.

That will work right. View attachment 2859575View attachment 2859576View attachment 2859577
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Buy a 6' grounded cord and some wire nuts at home depot, connect black to black, white to white and green to the case of the light. Don't make it hard on yourself.
 
B

bobpoon

Active Member
socaljoe said:
Buy a 6' grounded cord and some wire nuts at home depot, connect black to black, white to white and green to the case of the light. Don't make it hard on yourself.
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I thought he wanted a switch.


Anyways, pretty sure it's code to have a quick disconnect inside the fixture these days... If not, just good practice.

A switched light will require a junction with a feed coming in (6' cord you recommended) and a load (the light).
 
socaljoe

socaljoe

Well-Known Member
bobpoon said:
I thought he wanted a switch.


Anyways, pretty sure it's code to have a quick disconnect inside the fixture these days... If not, just good practice.

A switched light will require a junction with a feed coming in (6' cord you recommended) and a load (the light).
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He mentions using a timer and not needing a switch, hence my recommendation.

It is true that new fixtures come with a quick disconnect inside them...I'm not sure if there is an applicable code that requires you to retrofit a light that doesn't have one though...and I don't see a quick disconnect in his light. Good practice? Sure is, but the plug itself is a disconnecting means that renders the light disconnect redundant.
 
Dogenzengi

Dogenzengi

Well-Known Member
Hello and Thank you for the thread!
I am trying to build a hanging light and I got to a snag....
For a base I am using a 6' 12 socket wall mount usually used to supply off a wall.

I figured three wires, no problem, wish you could hear the sarcasm.
Get it home and creat my cord, I removed the female end and stripped back to expose my wires.

I look into the back of this simple strip and find its set up, wired to run to a second base.
Three wires on each end!

Can I just cap off the ones I don't need???
please help, it will be a 24 bulb hanging bar when complete.
thanks !!
 
S

sinner of saints

New Member
simple crazy question i have an extra 10,000 watt inverter that i have never used with like a dozen 12 volt deep cycle, can i rig that up with a solar panel and a small wind turbine to recharge the bank that way i could stay off the grid simple set up just wanted someone to give me their two cent before i move forward
 
captiankush

captiankush

Well-Known Member
Not sure how complex my question is but here goes:

The back half of my grow space lost all power to the back wall, its not affecting any other part of the space, just the back wall, 2 wall sockets and a outdoor security light are down. Checked the breakers and all is good.

Some details:

House built in '53, everything still original
Power loss was noticed after bathroom remodel

Hopefully the experts can keep me from getting fried :P

CK
 
randy679

randy679

Active Member
bricktown73 said:
This doesn't really apply to AC current for your project. In theory you would be wiring this in series, just wire the black to the black, white to the white, and if there is a green or just naked wire: green/naked to green/naked. And that is it.
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another words parallel....
 
qroox

qroox

Well-Known Member
bricktown73 said:
Hi there fellow RIU'ers... Over and over again I continualy see new threads and posts about electrical work question and thought I would post a couple threads to help you guys the same way all of you who have done such a great job having helped me... So, Do you have a grow room question about how to wire something up, or what are the safest ways of doing things? The most important one I see alot is people running lights and fans off power chords... I have wired my own grow room and will post an example of my work.

Please, if you have any questions and are unsure of what to do or if what you are doing is safe, PLEASE! ask me first if you are even a tad bit unsure. I would hate to hear anyone have an electrical fire because they didn't quite know what they were doing when all they needed to do was to ask a couple of questions... I will do my best to point you in the right direction.

If you want to do some wiring your self, I will either let you know if your project is too complicated if your not handy with electrical, or, IF YOU ASK, I will walk you thru your project step by step.

So please, ASK AWAY!!!

You can post questions here but you may not get your question answerd on the thread, best way to go about it is PM me. You will forsure get a response back.

PS Even if you have basic around the home electrical questions, shoot em my way.
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Hey there mate.I've seen you're an electrician and i'm proud to say i'm one as well.Not a well trained tho :grin: . Could you please make me a brief list on what i need to equip my little cabinet ? I'm thinking CFL with low cost and budget since it's my first try.I want to minimize my expenses if something does not go well.I got 2 Green-o seeds,taht are automatic.PLEASE guide me throught.I went from outdoors , to cfl to leds.I need guidaaance :grin::grin: Thanks in advance..!!


please get back to me with a PM or a reply here..!! Thanks :D
 
M

mahhest

Active Member
I got a 125W 6400K CFL up top and two 40-ish Watt 2500k CFLs on the sides, for two plants. First off hoping thats enough. I know CFLs aren't optimal but I already had alot of what I needed. I got this 65-Watt 6500k CFL with NO ballast and a mogul base. The one from Lowes...got the fixture they sold too but its at my old house as it was actually used as an outside light for a while, and I no longer have it. I do got a mogul base socket though and could wire that up but no ballast still. So my question is what am I looking for for a ballast to make this 65 watt bulb work? Or would that bulb even be overkill cuz that would take me up to 190W of just daylight compared to bout 80 of soft light. Any response would be appreciated as I'm obviously a beginner.
 
H

hibok

Well-Known Member
Hello there,
I have a question, I want to use relays to switch on and off for lights in each room( Room A and Room B).
bulbs used are 1000watt HPS magnetic coil ballast, what specifications should I look for in relays?
I picked up 16amp relays but for some reason when the timer box is on the on position only less than half of the lights are on and when the timer box flips to the off position not all turn on; I would say room A has 5 lights that dont turn on and Room B, 7 lights dont turn on. I tried replacing on bulbs but still not turning on what I also tried was changing to 30 amp relays but the same problem.

or can it be something else causing the problem?
they are brand new bulbs brand is trilite, if i put in an old bulb (1 year old) like phillips or solarmax it will light up when the timer flips positions on the relays.
 
ruffrider

ruffrider

Active Member
Hey guys,
If you have any questions you can shoot them my way and ill answer the best I can.
I'm a licensed general contractor and I've completed my first year of electrical apprenticeship im currently in the process of mastering it.

Being a general contractor im pretty knowledge in all areas of home building/renovation (electrical, pluming, carpentry etc.) so i'll give you the best advice I can pretty much what I would do.
I've always wanted to be an electrician and it'll save me alot of money running my own electrical so im pursuing it :D
 
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