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

kambone

Active Member
2-1000 ballasts 240v
1-vortex fan 120v
1-room ac 120v
1-eb n grow 120v
1-fish tank aerator 120v

These item all to run from a 50amp breaker on main inside service panel
to a sub panel containing 1-30 amp breaker/1 -20 amp breaker.

Currently, i need wiring info as far as correct gauge to account for
14 hours of use. THX! purely newbee 2 so all help is greatly appreciated.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
2-1000 ballasts 240v
1-vortex fan 120v
1-room ac 120v
1-eb n grow 120v
1-fish tank aerator 120v

These item all to run from a 50amp breaker on main inside service panel
to a sub panel containing 1-30 amp breaker/1 -20 amp breaker.

Currently, i need wiring info as far as correct gauge to account for
14 hours of use. THX! purely newbee 2 so all help is greatly appreciated.
??? You are going to pull one leg of the 240V from the 30a breaker and the other leg from the 20a breaker for the 2 1000W lights?
It will work, but *seriously* doubt that would pass code.

I'd run (if using a sub panel)
1 15a 240V breaker (lights take about 9a)
1 15A 120V for the AC
1 15A 120V for the rest.

Why does everyone want a sub panel?
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
Exactly the cost of copper wire is crazy!!! Its cheaper to run multiple 15 amps off the main panel all the way to somewhere instead of throwin in a subpanel with 6/3 wire

If you do HAVE TO HAVE A SUBPANEL because all your slots on your main are full with slimlines.... Then for 50-60 amps the wire needs to be 6/3AWG

For 20 amps the wire needs to be 12/2 and for 30 amps you need 10/2
 
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rawgit

Active Member
Hi, I just upgraded to a 400w digital lumatek. The light strikes, starts to glow and brighten, then just dies, all in all about 30 seconds. Then it rests about 5 mins to recycle. What gives?
 

KozZza69

Well-Known Member
hey man, I'm a 1st time indoor grower and iv set up a 2 stealth grow boxes in my room. i plan to have 8-9 CLFs running in one box and 2 in the other. i read on the GROW FAQ about how to modify my CFL's to take up less space. but iv found myself rather frustrated trying to get a straight answer on how to run these lights from an outlet in the wall. its a 23W 6500k 120V 60Hz 360mA light bulb. modifying these things are a bitch, but i need all the space i can get. what do i need to buy to make these baby's shine? how many can i run through one outlet? Oh and i live in Canada if that makes any difference.

this is a picture of one of my modified CFL's


i don't wanna burn my place down trying to grow weed!! help
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
That mod is just silly.(aka: too much work. easier to remote ballast a standard floro lamp)

AC typically has 2 lines a hot and neutral. House wiring is, again typically, White = neural and Black = Hot/Line
So the wire that *was* going to the threaded part of the base goes to Neutral, and the tip wire goes to Hot/Line. On a polarized plug, the wider one is neutral.

hey man, I'm a 1st time indoor grower and iv set up a 2 stealth grow boxes in my room. i plan to have 8-9 CLFs running in one box and 2 in the other. i read on the GROW FAQ about how to modify my CFL's to take up less space. but iv found myself rather frustrated trying to get a straight answer on how to run these lights from an outlet in the wall. its a 23W 6500k 120V 60Hz 360mA light bulb. modifying these things are a bitch, but i need all the space i can get. what do i need to buy to make these baby's shine? how many can i run through one outlet? Oh and i live in Canada if that makes any difference.

this is a picture of one of my modified CFL's


i don't wanna burn my place down trying to grow weed!! help
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
heres a simple diagram. BTW in the diagram the red and blue wires are the white wire, and the bare copper wire in the 14/2 wire and they are plugging into the "bus Bar" or "ground bar" you should have no problem seeing this in the main panel of yours.

 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
No rep needed, but thankx

and remeber to use UF wire not NM wire.

NM isnt rated for wet areas, whereas you can UF through a puddle of water and be ok.

NM has cardbooard inside it for some reason as insulator.

I dont know why they even make NM wire IMO, it should all be UF.
 

tobaaaac

Well-Known Member
I have an electrical question: How many 600w lights can I run in a 3 bedroom house in Georgia without drawing attention from the power company? I'm running a 1000w and a 400w now. I really want to step it up to maybe perpetual harvesting with veg under a single 400w mh and flower under 3x600 mh and 3x600 hps. That's about 1540 kwh per month just for lights. Is that questionable power consumption?
 

potlike

Well-Known Member
It's possible... but doubtful.. chances are as long as you aren't hurting the neighborhood power and paying your bills on time....everything should be fine.

Power companies want you to spend as much as you can.. that's how they make their money!


-potlike
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
I have an electrical question: How many 600w lights can I run in a 3 bedroom house in Georgia without drawing attention from the power company? I'm running a 1000w and a 400w now. I really want to step it up to maybe perpetual harvesting with veg under a single 400w mh and flower under 3x600 mh and 3x600 hps. That's about 1540 kwh per month just for lights. Is that questionable power consumption?
You can run two 600 watt lights on a single 15 circuit breaker.

For the other one you would need a additional circuit, but the bright side is that you can use the second circuit to power everything else!

Also If you are currently running both a 400 watt light and a 1000 watt light plus all accs on the one circuit, you are cutting it REALLY CLOSE!!

I am suprised you havent tripped the breaker yet, or the circuit for that room is a 20 amp.
 

potlike

Well-Known Member
I started to answer the question the same way goddess, but I think he is asking whether or not it would look suspicious to the utility company.


-potlike
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
well then we both answered the question in its entrity! haha

I though he was actually asking about the electrical issues.

Man I always read between the lines too much.
 

boss30

Active Member
Hello I'min the process of buying a light and I'm a little confused about ballasts. What is the difference in the different kinds (ie:magnetic, digital, remote,)

Also is it a good idea to use a higher wattage ballast than your light, would it be more or less efficient.

Any help is greatly appreciated
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
The ballast must match the light exactly...

And here are the differences in ballast type:

Magnetic:

This is what a magnetic ballast looks like, not in a Ballast Box


This is also a magnetic ballast, and it has one of those above in it!




Next we have Digital ballasts:

Digital ballast are much much more efficient ballasts over magnetic versions





A remote ballast is any of the ones I posted above, meaning it has a long cord from the ballast to the actual light bulb, remote ballasts can be placed outside the growroom, and this will help with tempatures since ballasts can get very hot.

This is a NON REMOTE BALLAST.
 

boss30

Active Member
Thank you so much. You pretty much verified what I thought, I just wanted to ;make sure I was correct.
 
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