power setup for fan and lights

I'm a brand new grower and new to setting up the power equipment. I have a dual timer 600 watt ballast,with 600 watt hps bulb. I also have 6 inch fan 435 CFm. My question is how do you guys plug all this is? Power strip? Really confused and don't want to blow fuses or shut anything else down. Thanks in advance

Any help please! This is the last step

I use a powerstrip with ground test but there are many ways about it in the forums. If you want a good answer try here.....https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/181708-experienced-electrician-here-answer-any.html

Thanks bud.

No problemo

i'm new too and when i read my ballast instructions it said not to connect it to a power strip/surge protector. if you have to extend it, use a lamp cord (???) between the ballast and the light hood. I guess the lamp cord is like an extension cord but build durably enough for the wattage.

but always connect your balast directly to our main outlet or timer connected to the outlet.

If i'm wrong here, someone more experience please correct me.

This is a common issue, you should always plug your ballast directly into an outlet, with timer obviously, but no power strip, or extension cord etc.
Putting the ballast on a contactor to save the timer (1000 watts is hard on a timer) but is not needed, just check the timer as often as possible, daily when possible but at least weekly.

dougoly said:

I use a powerstrip with ground test but there are many ways about it in the forums. If you want a good answer try here.....https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/181708-experienced-electrician-here-answer-any.html

Click to expand...

can u elaborate a little on the ground test? ive heard this many times but wanna know when it is needed

Bants

TruenoAE86coupe - what is a contactor? never heard of this. I assume this insures that the timer doesn't get fried?

Yeah it seperates the lines, you use 120v (well you could use a 12v contactor but that wouldn't make a lot of sense) trigger line from your timer to the contactor. So all the timer does is turns on the contactor, which is next to no power. When it gets that 120v it makes connection between the ballast and plug, so now your timer is basically only keeping time, not getting slammed into everytime it turns on. Saves timers, which saves issues, which saves money.

tried looking for this on homedepot.com and can't find this "contactor". Could you give me link or picture of what it is exactly?

thanks,

yeah more of a grainger item, not something people typically deal with. Used a lot in controls in buildings and such. I am not entirely sure of where to get them other than grainger......
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SQUARE-D-Compact-Contactor-5B132?Pid=search
If you look at the pic, on the left side there is a white piece with to connections, power from timer goes here. Now you take and cut your hot wire on your ballast and hook to 2 screws on the front (one top, one bottom) and you are set. Much cheaper than the controllers out there, does the same as a lot of them.
This unit will run 2 1000 watt lights off of 1 timer, saves you enough in a timer to basically pay for it