amps

ok I have a quick question for you guys. I live in an apartment complex, which I am a maintenance man at, but I'm going to convert one of my closets into a grow room and goinf to give it its own power supply on its own breaker; just wondering what size breaker I should use 15 20 or a 30 amp?

I guess it depends on what you're going to use. But try and figure out how many amps you're going to be pulling from whatever it is you are using.

ill be using a 400w HPS 2 cfls and 2 6" axial fans for the ventilation system

Better go with the 20 amp; I don't know if a 15 would hold it.

A single 20 amp circuit should do the trick - though you should probably calculate the real power draw from all your accessories. For what it's worth, I ran two new 20 amp circuits - just to be on the safe side but I'm using two vortex fans and 1000w dual-spectrum HPS/MH lights. If you are going hydro then your water pump and air pump will also be drawing power. If you can, I'd run an additional circuit and besides - you can always use more outlets, right?

very true. thank you much

Very good thread, does anyone know how to calculate the amperege needed? For example, how many amps would a 600w hps would draw at ignition and than runing? same for water and air pumps...I know its in the owners manual somewhere but most of my stuff is 2nd hand...Of course I dont expect exact # , but on averege...

Look on the little tag for whatever you're running; most of the time it will be on the unit somewhere in tiny print. Just add up all the amps everything is pulling and you have your magic number. If you have a 20 amp breaker and your number comes up to 19 you're fine; if you plug in another fan to the circuit it will blow if it's over 1 amp. Simple math.

potpimp said:

If you have a 20 amp breaker and your number comes up to 19 you're fine

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not so true...

im no electrician, yet i do know that a safe number is 80%

80% x 20A = 16A available for you to use

just get a 30A breaker and be done with it....no worrying about overload

kt0s.6o4 is right - 80% draw is recommended. So 16A is the magic number for 20A.

You could really go for the gold and install a few 240s (just make sure your ballast matches) - but i still say two 20As are the way to go since you can draw 32A and be perfectly safe.

Be carefull guys, dont just change the breaker for a bigger one, to use a 30a breaker with a viering and recepticalls rated for 20a is just waiting for a fire to happened...Usually the whole circuit needs to be upgraded...

Exactly. I assumed they were trying to choose between a 15 and a 20 or just to know how to tell how much amperage one will hold. Good caveat!

From my limited experiance with electricity, I have found around 75% is better becouse of all the power out's around here.
A 600w w/digi ballast starts up at 6.1 amps and has a running draw of 5.5
I would say not to use more then 16 amps on a 20, I agree you should run two circiut's in the room.
You will need more in that room by the time you are done.(dehumidifier, circulating fan, heat? and so on).
If you have a choice I would use a 600 just becouse of the more output for the minimal heat and weight increase. I dont know where you are but where I am at elec. was going to cost just a little more monthly for the 6's.(like 18$)
So that is the way I went.
On a side note..Do you like those axial fans? Have you used them before?
I got a couple cause they were cheap, could not move air worth a shit.But u are using a small closet, so, they may work.
My 2 Cents.
Good Luck and Good Grow
DMG

DMG3528 said:

Do you like those axial fans? Have you used them before?
I got a couple cause they were cheap, could not move air worth a shit.

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ya, i'd have to agree with you on this one....
for any room bigger than a closet, they suck....only good for intake i find....yet they are quite loud, and dont move much air at all...

very cheap,
so i guess that old saying is true....you get what you pay for