Electrical Ques. If I can help someone I will...

Nice is it fixed?? Im sure it wont take him long??

winkdogg420 said:

Nice is it fixed?? Im sure it wont take him long??

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hi i hav a question
my 15amps breaker keep blowin
i need a device that will let me plug in oven/drier/washer 240volt

and give me outlets in 120v

i seen some " step up and down transformer " devices.. is it what i need?

We just talked about this look a couple pages back. There is a couple different ways to do it. A sub-panel, an adapter(looks cheep) and a re-wire. I re wired mine and now i have two lines with 120v. Working great so far.

It starts on page 60. Hope this helps ya.

gtlimited said:

hi i hav a question
my 15amps breaker keep blowin
i need a device that will let me plug in oven/drier/washer 240volt

and give me outlets in 120v

i seen some " step up and down transformer " devices.. is it what i need?

Click to expand...

Okay, if you have an amp meter... turn on your equipment and then measure the draw (amps) If it is below 12 amps... you may just need to replace your breaker with a new one...they do wear out.

Another very simple remedy if you are using 12 gauge (more than likely) is to simply slip in a 20 amp breaker instead. No need to transform the energy output.....unless you want to.


out.

i have 3 reflectors in my growroom,2 400w and 1 600w,i got this ballast out of the hood so it wouldnt release heat in the flowering room had this done on the 600w also the other 400w i left intact i use it for the mothers so its not a problem,every day i get to check on the flowering plants soon as the light come on the 600w works but the 400w doesnt start so i have to take it off and then it starts,why is this is the ballast to far away,i did cut the cable shorter now its about 4 feet is this to long again.any advice much appreciated

"so i have to take it off and then it starts" TAKE IT OFF WHAT IM CONFUSED??

panta said:

i have 3 reflectors in my growroom,2 400w and 1 600w,i got this ballast out of the hood so it wouldnt release heat in the flowering room had this done on the 600w also the other 400w i left intact i use it for the mothers so its not a problem,every day i get to check on the flowering plants soon as the light come on the 600w works but the 400w doesnt start so i have to take it off and then it starts,why is this is the ballast to far away,i did cut the cable shorter now its about 4 feet is this to long again.any advice much appreciated

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off the chain from which it hangs,i didnt state that clear enough

those big bulbs dont screw in to smooth maybe tighten it a bit or maybe there is a loose wire at the socket?? it comes on when you take the bulb/reflector off the chain right...? it has to be a loose connection somewhere?? pics of the wire and socket might help? just double check all the connections . but it sounds like it basicily needs to be "banged" to come on so maybe the bulb is bad??? and needs a tap to get going?? did the electrician have it all working ??

panta said:

off the chain from which it hangs,i didnt state that clear enough

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Wow, this is an awesome thread, so much knowledge... can anyone help me out with my elec. question? It's in my thread here.... https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/156921-cfl-operating-temperatures-bad-wiring.html

UserFriendly said:

NO!


240

Higher voltage is always the way to go, not that it will save you money.

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Electrical usage is based on kilowatt hours. The law of Ohm's. Divide the voltage into the wattage to get the amperage. Example a 1000 watts of light will cost the same no matter what voltage is applied. 120 volts into 1000 watts = 8.3 amps drawing power on a single pole breaker(one hot leg). 240 volts into 1000 watts= 4.16 amps drawing power on a double pole breaker(two hot legs). So a 1000 watts of light burning for 12 hours a day no matter what voltage is applied to the ballast, it will cost you 12 kw@ $0.30 ( check elect. bill for your rate)= $3.60 a day, times 30 days= $ 108 per month.
Remember the lower the voltage the higher the amperage, always be sure your breaker and wiring are size properly. You will always need a neutral wire for 120v, not need for 240v. Always make grounding connections for safety.
VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT OVERLOAD WIRES. Many ppl think, oh I'll just put a bigger breaker. NO STOP the wire has to match or exceed the breaker size. Ex. # 14 guage wire max. 15 amp, #12 wire max 20 amps, #10 wire max 30 amps. The higher the # the thinner the wire, thus holds less rated conductor amperage. Hope this clears up the myth of voltages.
Electric bills are based on kilowatt hours of usage.

tonight il check the wires,its not the bulb i tryed it in the other reflector and it works perfect

Yes, let's be clear about this. It doesn't matter how you achieve your wattage goals, 120 vs.240. The energy bill for your system will be the same.

That being said, a 2 pole breaker(240v) will cost you more than a single(120v). If you can wire it 120, it will invariably be simpler and cheaper.

While high voltage is certainly common in the industry it is usually for power hungry machinery, not lights. Typically electrical motors need quite a bit of juice upfront to get going, and then reduces substantially. There are other reasons such as resistance and long distances of travel lines as well.

But for the most part every indoor light grow system can be safely powered 120.

Take the money saved and buy a bong


out.

unless you have to use it or you get some hids for free that will only work at 240v stick with the 120v its just easier . if you are running 5kw 100 yards from the pole thats a different story!

CrackerJax said:

Yes, let's be clear about this. It doesn't matter how you achieve your wattage goals, 120 vs.240. The energy bill for your system will be the same.

That being said, a 2 pole breaker(240v) will cost you more than a single(120v). If you can wire it 120, it will invariably be simpler and cheaper.

While high voltage is certainly common in the industry it is usually for power hungry machinery, not lights. Typically electrical motors need quite a bit of juice upfront to get going, and then reduces substantially. There are other reasons such as resistance and long distances of travel lines as well.

But for the most part every indoor light grow system can be safely powered 120.

Take the money saved and buy a bong


out.

Click to expand...

right now i use a 150hps light and some fluoros for my grow..

One day i was watching my babygirl playing with an LED flash light and thats
when the idea came to me...

im in HVAC classes and they have tought me something about electricity, wattage, voltage, amps, resistance, voltage drop, and Ohmz Law..

So my idea is just experiemental.. i want to buy some LEDS sodder them together
wire them up to a good power source and
make a fixture out of reflecting sheet metal..

i have been searching where i can buy some LEDs fresh out the box.. im really not concerned with the wavelenght to the LEDs because im just experiementing with any light.. i will just use it to veg maybe 2 plants.. and i want the total wattage to be less then 40 watts..

So my questions are ..
can you recommend a place where
i can get some Leds for less..
and I would like to know what can i use for a power supply.. cus the amp draw on the leds are so small.. im scared i might burn them out..

so can you help me on this one..

for experiments you can get leds at radio shack . not good for growing but better to learn with! you need the correct colors to get any type of good results i know they are still expensive like 2.50 each for red and blue and the orange they say you need is 4.00 each .but you can get a 5 pack for 2bux at radio shack to play with . you will need some type of transformer fow a power supply like a cell phone charger or cordless phone base plug 12vdc .. then you get resistors and soldier them to the led to protect it from going pop! what voltage and amperage depends on how many and what kind of leds used but i think 10.00 at the closest radio shack will help out>>>

-<<<<<<<<<<resistorL-___-beam
+>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>E-____-beam
.............................D-___-beam

getit???????

I'm gonna try and grow some plants with lava lamps



out.

I'd like to go solar for part of the room, I have a thread going in advanced marijuana cultivation... but what could you tell me about the price of an in-grid setup that could handle up to 50 and separately 100 AMPS at 120V 85% of the time on a 12 hour schedule. OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

billdubz785 said:

I'd like to go solar for part of the room, I have a thread going in advanced marijuana cultivation... but what could you tell me about the price of an in-grid setup that could handle up to 50 and separately 100 AMPS at 120V 85% of the time on a 12 hour schedule. OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

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got about $30-50k to drop?

any solar setup for that much power is gonna be very very $$$$$$$$$$$ they just have not flooded the market with enough solar stuff yet and the technology is still in the works. Top of the line solar is only for the rich fuckin tree huggers who can afford to spend it. Reg guys like us just forget about it. Now a wind generator might be more doable if u are in a nice windy spot. Less expensive but still cost lots. In Vermont I have heard of people useing streams on there property to make hydro power from and they do pretty good with it. initial investment is alot man.