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

powerplant said:

how can i make my own ballast?
what things do i need?

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MH- transformer and capacitor,
HPS-transformer, capacitor and igniter,
You would also need a chassis, connecters, wire etc. as well as a fixture(socket and reflector ) to have a complete unit.
Ballast kits are available, and may be the easiest way if you feel confident in your electrical skills. If you are in any doubt best use a prewired ballast though, it's possible to screw them up, and that is a fire hazard.

jimmyspaz said:

I saw a post saying that someone had 2/12 wire. I thought I'd chime in with advice. Always use 3/12 wire as ballasts MUST be grounded. Personally I use 3/10 for 20 amp lines. Ground fault receptacles are a good idea too.

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12/2 comes with a ground wire too. Its 2 conductor and ground.

Here is my question...I am needing to know how big a breaker I need to handle a 1000 watt,400 watt, fluro lights and a fan or two..plus hydro pumps etc..I am wiring new and adding a breaker for this new adventure...thanks oh yeah it is a 6x9 room also..

Emperor2008 said:

Here is my question...I am needing to know how big a breaker I need to handle a 1000 watt,400 watt, fluro lights and a fan or two..plus hydro pumps etc..I am wiring new and adding a breaker for this new adventure...thanks oh yeah it is a 6x9 room also..

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30 amps. 40 amps for a cushion. Now at 40 amps, might better off running 2 lines/breakers to balance the load.

thanks for that..
heres another question.
do i need a ballast for a 100 watt HPS? or can i just stick it into a normal light fixture?

powerplant said:

thanks for that..
heres another question.
do i need a ballast for a 100 watt HPS? or can i just stick it into a normal light fixture?

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Put the screwdriver down and no one gets hurt!

NO! HPS/MH/Floro need more then just the straight mains to the bulb terminals.

*you* need to buy a pre-made/wired lamp. (save a life, most likely yours)

I am lucky enough to have the breaker room in my grow room, anyhow, how do i wire a few 15 ( or 20 amp, whichever is better, atleast want to run 1200 watts in lights some day ) Breakers, How do i go about this not shocking myself..

Any reading material you can point me to?

Buy the following:

1 25foot roll of romex 12-2awg wire
2 or 3 (your choice) 20 amp outlets back feed design
2 or 3 Outlet boxes (Get the Heavy duty HPDE plastic one, there more fire resistant)
2 or 3 20 Amp Breakers (MAke sure to get the same brand as your main power supply)


Directions:

1. Tap in where you want you outlets to go, and install the Recep Boxes.
2. Cut out the appropiate length of wire you need for each outlet PLUS like 5 or so feet.
3. Turn off Main Breaker Dissconect.
4. Test adjacent outlets arounf to make sure there is no power coming from main.
5. Knock out a Knock out, or go through a already open one.
6. Feed wire into main box.
7. Split wire into its three wires and strip back to where the wire goes into box.
8. Leave the wire hanging
9. Run the wire over, under, through whatever to your recep box and feed into it.
10. connect wire to your recep and install recep into its outlet box.
11.Connect Main side wires to you new breaker. and to the appropiate bus bars.
12. carefully connect you breaker to your main panel.
13. Pull all extra wire taught, and secure with electrical wire staples every 4 feet or less
14. Knock out new spaces in the main box panel for the new breakers.
15.Turn back on main breakers.
16. TEST new outlet(s) with a outlet tester.

Tidy up, and put a cover on the outlets.

also a few of these may be done in a slightly different order like pull the wire taught, then staple then sut excess, the strip then attach to new breaker, then connect breaker.

You will figure out your appropiate strategy.

Thank you for the detailed post - ill give you an update here soon when i do it, and if i have any questions, mind if i pm?

Alright, I have a power strip(15A 125V 60Hz 1875w). Can I connect a Light timer(125V 60Hz 15A 1875w) to a 2 split extension cord(125v, says that on both sides of outlet) <does that mean it equals 250v? Connected to that I have a "screw in bulb thing" that you can plug into the splitter ext. cord and its connected to a "Y" splitter bulb thing(it can hold 250v each) and could I put 2- 26w bulbs in it? (total of 4- 26w bulbs). Does that make sense?? I can't really explain it...I will try to get pics

&

Yes you can do that and be fine.

and two no it doesnt make it 250v

it is still 120v

Ok, I think the bulbs I have are 100v and I have 4. So it's ok to run that through the 120v splitter ext. cord? Thanks for the quick reply, I want to get my set up up and running tonight.

The bulbs you have a 100 watt, volts are not watts.

Volts means the voltage that power is being supplied at, the voltage of your power from your outlets is 120v.

Alright, thanks for clearing things up for me...I think I'm ready to grow...

/thanks again

Voltage is consatant, amperage varies with load. 120 volt supply is always 120 volts. Wattage is voltage times amperage. For example a 10 amp load on a 120 volt line would be 1200 watts.

good news everyone... i bought the lighting kit i was looking for.

Hello,
I hope oyu can answer my questions.

I have my grow in a shed, right now its all run through 1 extension cord.... I kow bad...

I want ot wire my shed from teh house and add a sub panel.

Here is what I would like to run.
1 400 watt HPS
1 250 wat MH
5 CFL's
1 portable AC unit
1 portable heater
1 heating mat for propagation
2 air stones
1 water pump
4 fans.

the ocasional power tool to make it a legit shed...

off the extension cord (im sure im losing voltage..) I can run off the extension cord.

the 400 watt on 12/12 the 250 on 18/8 a heater 2 fans and a cfl. (1 surge protector)

right now its running the portable AC unit, 2 fans, and the 250.



Please give me a link to a DIY sight with pictures on how to wire and all.


Do you have any sugestions -- the wire would be run underground from the house to the shed. I will be re-doing the shed also -- addinga false wall in the back, sheetrock on all walls, insulation etc...


please help .... i am a visual person and prefer pictures with descriptions on how to if oyu have a link..

I also woudl like to know what gage wire i need etc...

Spend the money on an electrician.

Now that being said, spend the money on a home wiring book. Some web site is bound to be missing a few items.

They do make direct burial wire, or you can run it in conduit.

Jriggs said:

Hello,
I hope oyu can answer my questions.

I have my grow in a shed, right now its all run through 1 extension cord.... I kow bad...

I want ot wire my shed from teh house and add a sub panel.

Here is what I would like to run.
1 400 watt HPS
1 250 wat MH
5 CFL's
1 portable AC unit
1 portable heater
1 heating mat for propagation
2 air stones
1 water pump
4 fans.

the ocasional power tool to make it a legit shed...

off the extension cord (im sure im losing voltage..) I can run off the extension cord.

the 400 watt on 12/12 the 250 on 18/8 a heater 2 fans and a cfl. (1 surge protector)

right now its running the portable AC unit, 2 fans, and the 250.



Please give me a link to a DIY sight with pictures on how to wire and all.


Do you have any sugestions -- the wire would be run underground from the house to the shed. I will be re-doing the shed also -- addinga false wall in the back, sheetrock on all walls, insulation etc...


please help .... i am a visual person and prefer pictures with descriptions on how to if oyu have a link..

I also woudl like to know what gage wire i need etc...

Click to expand...

Everything you listed actually runs just under 15 amps, thats why you are able to run it all on a extension cord. Suprisingly..

You could continue to run it all on that cord, but I wouldnt use any thing else in the house on the circuit. AT ALL.

you dont need a subpanel, just one open slot in your main breaker box.
From there you could add two slim line 15 amp breakers and get 14/2 UF wire (must be UF, NOT NM) wire and run that to the shed to receps. And voila you have 2 dedicated 15 amp circuits to your shed.

This whole thing wouldnt cost you more than $100, whereas if you installed a sub panel, you are working with seriosly expensive Thick Guage Copper wire like 6/3 which is $3 a foot.

thanks that seems simple enough.