Extension Cord Question!

My rule of thumb is: 12-2 wire, 20 amp breaker, 20 amp outlet & no ext. cords. I like to run a dedicated circuit(s) to my environment. I like the peace of mind. If you run one 1000 watt system on a 120 volt line it will equate to 8.3 amps, not counting the resistance from any type of ext. cords. 600 watts= 5 amps, 400 watts=3.3 amps.
You can figure out the amperage of you fans, lights, and all of the other equipment you want to run by using the above mentioned algebraic equation (in this situation: watts/volts=amps) ex. 400w/120v=3.3 amps.
Safety First.
Peace

joeyjoejoe said:

ohms law . you'll be fine 800 watts / 120 v = 6.66666667 amps
. just make sure you have a tight outlet if you know what i mean. haha

Click to expand...

What you mean? That it plugs in like poppin a virgin? Nice and super tight?

yes if you have a substantial load on anything ,connections at any point should be tight. ie . wirenuts ,outlets , breaker terminations, ext cord connections. loose connections tend to heat up and arch under heavy loads. this is what causes the majority of fires, although in your case you should be fine. also make sure the cord doesnt kink or is not rolled up together on itself ( like if you had extra cord or something).just an extra precaution if the cord is plugged in under load and rolled together this will also cause heat on the cord itself . youd be surprised how many amps you could draw on a 12 gauge cord without it catchin on fire . they always underate things to prevent idiots from trying it though

[h=4]Chart Notes[/h]

Thanks everyone for the help!

nastynate420 said:

Gauge	110V	12V
22	5A	5A
20	7.5A	8A
18	10A	10A
16	13A	20A
14	17A	40A
12	23A	60A
10	33A	100A
8	46A	150A
6	60A	??A
4	80A	??A
2	100A	??A
1	125A	??A
0	150A	??A

Chart Notes

Click to expand...

who uses 12v? are you growin in the trunk of you car or something?

Hey you ever grown with a 600 watter before?

jazlm said:

I personally would not use an ext. cord due the fact that you lose amperage over the length of the cord.
Note: this coming from a licensed electrician.

Click to expand...

Please tell me you meant lose "voltage" and not amperage. Thank you

OP- With the load you intend to carry and the cord rating you've got room to spare. Plug your stuff in and turn it all on. Feel the cord- is it warm? If so, there's a problem.

One thing is.. If you have extra cord (ie: 25 foot extension cord to cover 15 feet of distance) don't coil the excess in a loop, but rather figure 8 it. It will get hotter if you loop it in a pile vs figure 8 = safer.

if your asking me , thats a negative

I have a 600w HPS. Great for Flowering, that is it!

kvnbeach said:

I have a 600w HPS. Great for Flowering, that is it!

Click to expand...

How much you be yeilding out of that bitch?

ArcticGranite said:

Please tell me you meant lose "voltage" and not amperage. Thank you

Click to expand...

He meant amps. The longer the cord is, the more it acts like a big resistor. The voltage stays the same, but it hogs up all the amps, thus why they can get hot.

[h=2]Voltage Drop[/h]

• Ohm's law, VD = I x R, gives the voltage drop, VD, in volts for a conducting wire, where I is the current (amps) and R is the total resistance (ohms) of the wire. This equation is for direct-current (DC) circuits but also can be used for single-phase, alternating-current (AC) circuits with purely resistive loads (no inductive or capacitive elements).
  
  

[h=2]Examples[/h]

• A 25-ft., 16-gauge (0.004235 ft. diameter) cord with a copper conducting wire, an internal temperature of 70 degrees C (158 degrees F) and carrying a 10-amp current has a total resistance of 0.26 ohms and a voltage drop of 2.6 volts. A 50-ft., 16-gauge cord has a voltage drop of 5.2 volts, while a 50 ft, 14-gauge (0.005340 ft diameter) cord would have a voltage drop of 3.3 volts, assuming the same current and temperature.
  For a standard 120-volt household outlet, the recommended voltage drop from the cord should be less than 3 percent (3.6 volts). Minimize the voltage drop by using the shortest possible cord. If a long cord is unavoidable, reduce the voltage loss by using a cord with a larger diameter (lower gauge) wire
  
  

Read more: Wire Gauge Vs. Voltage Drop | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6897621_wire-gauge-vs_-voltage-drop.html#ixzz2FHltQWEM


Learn what your talking about people!!

He could've meant "lose amperage" as in "lose maximum allowable amperage", and there is a voltage drop across the wire, proportional to distance and resistivity.

pokesalotasmot said:

He meant amps. The longer the cord is, the more it acts like a big resistor. The voltage stays the same, but it hogs up all the amps, thus why they can get hot.

Click to expand...

Please tell me you meant lose voltage and not lose amperage. Thank you

Nice Ol Bud said:

How much you be yeilding out of that bitch?

Click to expand...

I will find pics




SO I have only been growin for a year. So almost every grow I have had a problem. This is one of my better grows. It is Bubba Kush. It was a massive yielder but not very potent. I got almost 8oz. I vegged with a 400. So even with spider mites I got 3oz off a GDP, I got 3 oz. off an Afghani and it had spider mites. I know longer have a problem with mites, I now fight powdery mildew. I see a spot I spray it with Neem oil. Works great, especially if u are able to keep up with it. Dont want a sulfur burner, my grow room is too small.

Oops, my bad guys. It's been a while since I played around with this sort of thing. I should have double checked myself before posting a response. Sorry about the confusion.