need electrical advise

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OmNomEdibles

Member
hey RIU im getting ready to start my full grow tent but im running into some issues with the electrical end of it heres some info:

running 4 1000 w lights in a grow tent inside of a garage
i have access to a 240 watt hook up for my dryer but dont really want to get a box(trying to save money)
i have 2 different places i can get power from but they both lead back to the same breaker will it be possible to have 2 ballist on each plug and be ok or will it still pop the breaker?
any advise or comments would be appreciated.

if theres any more info you need please specify so i can get it asap
 
W

Wordz

Well-Known Member
one per breaker at 15 amps. You need like 50 amps minimum for your spot but 60 would be safer.
 
G

Gyroscope

Well-Known Member
OmNomEdibles said:
hey RIU im getting ready to start my full grow tent but im running into some issues with the electrical end of it heres some info:

running 4 1000 w lights in a grow tent inside of a garage
i have access to a 240 watt hook up for my dryer but dont really want to get a box(trying to save money)
i have 2 different places i can get power from but they both lead back to the same breaker will it be possible to have 2 ballist on each plug and be ok or will it still pop the breaker?
any advise or comments would be appreciated.

if theres any more info you need please specify so i can get it asap
Click to expand...
This is possible
4000w/240v=16.666666666Amps
You are not supposed to run a circuit at more than 80%....So if it is a 20 amp breaker...20X 0.8= 16 amps. You would only be over a tad bit 0.66666 amps

The startup amperage on these could be 25% more than continuous so......16.6666666x1.25=20.833332amps on startup. This would be a very fast spike and I almost bet it would not trip a 20 amp breaker. If it were me I would go for it, but I would turn the breaker off first and make sure all the connections were good and tight.

Good luck.

Edit: If you stagger the start time on one of the outlets by a minute you would not have to worry about the spike tripping the breaker.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
i built my own subpanel and relay setup to steal my dryer power for my lights. the timer trips the relay to take power for lights from 10pm-10am, and then flips back so i can use dryer during day. total cost was less than $100.
 
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Gyroscope

Well-Known Member
superstoner1 said:
i built my own subpanel and relay setup to steal my dryer power for my lights. the timer trips the relay to take power for lights from 10pm-10am, and then flips back so i can use dryer during day. total cost was less than $100.
Click to expand...
Did you not trust your memory to not turn on the dryer during lights on ? lol
 
W

Wordz

Well-Known Member
superstoner1 said:
i built my own subpanel and relay setup to steal my dryer power for my lights. the timer trips the relay to take power for lights from 10pm-10am, and then flips back so i can use dryer during day. total cost was less than $100.
Click to expand...
do you have schematics for something like this?
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
Wordz said:
do you have schematics for something like this?
Click to expand...
it is actually very simple. i spliced into the existing wiring using a junction box, running the wire from main panel to hd two pole, dual throw contactor. then ran wire from normally closed contacts back to junction box and connected to wire leading to dryer. then ran wire from other set of contacts, that close when timer kicks on, to a 50a subpanel from lowes. then all you need is your outlets and wire them to the breakers in subpanel.
 
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OmNomEdibles

Member
well update what i was capable of doing is very clean, i suppose would be a good choice of words

-i have connected 2 ballists to a 20 amp breaker and they ran for 2 hrs no tripping or anything
-i found a different breaker in the garage and hooked the other 2 ballists up and the fans, let everything run for an hr all 4 lights n fans

only concern of mine is that the extention cord used to reach from the 2nd plug does get slightly warm, how worried should i be, and as far as tested it didnt trip the breaker even with the intial light turn on =)
 
dr greenthumbs

dr greenthumbs

Well-Known Member
The extension cord getting warm is a concern, you should get a larger diameter cord with larger conductors and shorter would be better. Its a little less than 7later amps a light at 120 volts so 2 per 20 amp circuit is max
 
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Total.Hydroponic.Control

Active Member
Wordz said:
do you have schematics for something like this?
Click to expand...
Elementary diagram... Few things to note. For the cleanest installation assemble everything in a nema 12 enclosures, so you end up with one plug and two receptacles, with a panel mounted 24 hr timer. Then the unit plugs into your existing dryer outlet and splits off to two newly installed receptacles.

Note this diagram is a 4 wire. Older homes use 3 wire, I suggest upgrading any 3 wire to a 4 wire. In my line diagram I've drawn neutral as blue, your will be white... It was done for illustrative purposes only.
 

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superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
dude, do not run your lights that way if cords are getting warm. your pushing the extreme limits of safety on the amps.
 
T

Total.Hydroponic.Control

Active Member
dr greenthumbs said:
The extension cord getting warm is a concern, you should get a larger diameter cord with larger conductors and shorter would be better. Its a little less than 7later amps a light at 120 volts so 2 per 20 amp circuit is max
Click to expand...
What he said...


Your extension cord is probably undersized.. the circuit may run fine if you can locate an extension cord with larger gauge wire. Generic extension cords are usually 16 or 18 gauge wire, find a 12 or 10 gauge extension cord.
 
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Gyroscope

Well-Known Member
dr greenthumbs said:
The extension cord getting warm is a concern, you should get a larger diameter cord with larger conductors and shorter would be better. Its a little less than 7later amps a light at 120 volts so 2 per 20 amp circuit is max
Click to expand...
1000/120=8.3333333.....amps per light on paper. 1 of mine alone is pulling 8.5 amps according to my amp meter.
 
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OmNomEdibles

Member
Gyroscope said:
1000/120=8.3333333.....amps per light on paper. 1 of mine alone is pulling 8.5 amps according to my amp meter.
Click to expand...
so since my extention cord is only rated for 13 amps at 16 gauges i should not be running the 2 1000 watts through that should i? just get a bigger gauge for more amps correct?
 
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