I need an electrician in LA that I can trust!

can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
OMG. This electrical thing is killing me. My 600 square foot indoor grow room has at least 8 circuits of it's own. Right now I only have 3 1000 watt bulbs in there and the circuits are tripping no matter what I do. I need to double the wattage. WTF! The room doesn't have any plants in in right now but they need to go in. They're getting too big. Help me RIO-kanobi, you're my only hope!:?:confused::-?:confused::-?:confused:
 
bossman88188

bossman88188

Well-Known Member
What amp are the breaker's.
Do you know what else is fead from each breaker?
Can you show some pic's. I will help as much as I can.
I am pretty good with electrical. I also have a really good freind who is a licensed electrician. Who has helped me in a few peep's garden's.
And will answer any ?'s I have. I am in san diego But let's see if we can work this out.
 
Sjerpsy

Sjerpsy

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you are trying to run all three lights off the same circuit,can you turn one or two on before the breaker trips? And are your sure its not 8 plugs and not 8 circuits?
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
ask and ye shall recieve... i am a licensed journeyman electrician.

8 circuits is alot to have for just one room.. i seriously doubt this is the case, unless your room was custom built to have 8 circuits in it, that is... 8 plugs on one circuit in the same room is probably what you have going on... you know this is true if it is the same breaker tripping every time.

your lamps, with the ballasts, are pulling roughly 3120 watts. you can get up to 2100watts off of a 20amp circuit before the breaker wants to trip, and 1800 watts if its a 15amp breaker.

your problem is being caused by having too much power on one circuit. you need to 'split' up the power consumption between 2 circuits, not 2 plugs in the wall.
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
It's 8 circuits for sure. There's a lot more than 8 plugs. I've tried every combination that I can and surge protectors too. I had the 3 lights running off of different plugs and if I plugged them into timers, that was enough to trip them. I only have a small fan for intake and one for outtake. I need to get much bigger fans too.
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
IAm5toned said:
ask and ye shall recieve... i am a licensed journeyman electrician.

8 circuits is alot to have for just one room.. i seriously doubt this is the case, unless your room was custom built to have 8 circuits in it, that is... 8 plugs on one circuit in the same room is probably what you have going on... you know this is true if it is the same breaker tripping every time.

your lamps, with the ballasts, are pulling roughly 3120 watts. you can get up to 2100watts off of a 20amp circuit before the breaker wants to trip, and 1800 watts if its a 15amp breaker.

your problem is being caused by having too much power on one circuit. you need to 'split' up the power consumption between 2 circuits, not 2 plugs in the wall.
Click to expand...
want me to take pictures?
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
if your sure you have 8 circuits in the room, try plugging one light into just one circuit. use 3 of the 8 for just the lights and the lights only, one light per circuit. that means you will need 3 timers though. can i ask, what breaker is tripping? is it a branch circuit breaker (the small ones) or is it the main service disconnect? (the biggest breaker in the panel)
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
IAm5toned said:
if your sure you have 8 circuits in the room, try plugging one light into just one circuit. use 3 of the 8 for just the lights and the lights only, one light per circuit. that means you will need 3 timers though. can i ask, what breaker is tripping? is it a branch circuit breaker (the small ones) or is it the main service disconnect? (the biggest breaker in the panel)
Click to expand...
I did that. And I couldn't use timers or they would trip. I need to double my wattage and I can't even handle what I have. It's the little ones.
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
bossman88188 said:
What amp are the breaker's.
Do you know what else is fead from each breaker?
Can you show some pic's. I will help as much as I can.
I am pretty good with electrical. I also have a really good freind who is a licensed electrician. Who has helped me in a few peep's garden's.
And will answer any ?'s I have. I am in san diego But let's see if we can work this out.
Click to expand...
How do I tell the amps? Sorry, I'm a chick and a blond one at that. This stuff is all new to me. Did you see the pics?
 
bossman88188

bossman88188

Well-Known Member
The #'s on the tip of the swith.
It look's like they say 30.
What is the #'S on the one that is flipping.
Are they labeled as to what switches goe's to what outlet?
Would it be posible to get pic'swith the cover off. (The breaker box that is).
The four screws around the outside. And the cover come's rite off.
If you could get some close up's of the inside's
it would help greatly. I am trying to figure out when the next time I will be in L.A.
I grew up In San fernando valley. And visit my friend's pretty often.
make sure if you take the cover off not to touch Anything.
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
shows you a little trick or two:

w = i x e

watts = amperage x voltage

1000w = 8.333 amps x 120v

15 amp circuit (#14awg)is good for 1440watts continous duty load (on longer than 8 hours) and 1800watts for intermittant use

20 amp circuit (#12awg)is good for 1920watts continous duty load (on longer than 8 hours) and 2400watts for intermittant use

those breakers in the pic look like ancient relics... old federal pacific panel? i would replace them all, the elements in them are probably worn out from all the tripping problems you have bongsmilie

ps- the amp rating of the breaker is the number on the handle of the switch... look closely
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
bossman88188 said:
The #'s on the tip of the swith.
It look's like they say 30.
What is the #'S on the one that is flipping.
Are they labeled as to what switches goe's to what outlet?
Would it be posible to get pic'swith the cover off. (The breaker box that is).
The four screws around the outside. And the cover come's rite off.
If you could get some close up's of the inside's
it would help greatly. I am trying to figure out when the next time I will be in L.A.
I grew up In San fernando valley. And visit my friend's pretty often.
make sure if you take the cover off not to touch Anything.
Click to expand...
It's a little more complicated than that. I have this thing about electricity. Electrical things spin out around me. I break hard drives all the time. More electricity comes out of my fingers than most. All these crazy issues all involving electricity happen around me. If you knew me for at least 6 months, you would see crazy shit and be a believer. I'm afraid of it really but I have an internet company and I'm a cultivator so I have to deal with it. I'm pretty scared about opening that thing. On my first grow, I had a hose burst and had 2 ballasts in the room on the floor. I ran in and got electrocuted. I stopped growing after that for over a year.
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
Get your mind out of the gutter!

That last picture is of a light that is outside of the building. It has a metal halide bulb in it. Not sure of the wattage. It's never on except now when I'm testing everything. It's making a terrible sound. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 

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IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
can.i.buz said:
Get your mind out of the gutter!

That last picture is of a light that is outside of the building. It has a metal halide bulb in it. Not sure of the wattage. It's never on except now when I'm testing everything. It's making a terrible sound. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Click to expand...
if you shut off that 30amp double pole breaker (the twin) does all the power shut off out there?

buzzing= mechanical ballast getting old
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
no, just wanted to make sure you had enough power out there to run all that stuff... you should be good to go if you get it split up accordingly and get those breakers replaced ;)
 
can.i.buz

can.i.buz

Well-Known Member
IAm5toned said:
no, just wanted to make sure you had enough power out there to run all that stuff... you should be good to go if you get it split up accordingly and get those breakers replaced ;)
Click to expand...
The problem is finding someone that I trust to do it for me.
 
Johnboh

Johnboh

Active Member
IAm5toned said:
shows you a little trick or two:

w = i x e

watts = amperage x voltage

1000w = 8.333 amps x 120v

15 amp circuit (#14awg)is good for 1440watts continous duty load (on longer than 8 hours) and 1800watts for intermittant use

20 amp circuit (#12awg)is good for 1920watts continous duty load (on longer than 8 hours) and 2400watts for intermittant use

those breakers in the pic look like ancient relics... old federal pacific panel? i would replace them all, the elements in them are probably worn out from all the tripping problems you have bongsmilie

ps- the amp rating of the breaker is the number on the handle of the switch... look closely
Click to expand...

I strongly agree with this.

Not sure what your plans are but if I was you I would get myself a new panel and all new breakers.

I would install a 15amp breaker on a 12-2 line for each 1000w light. This will leave you a room to install other small appliances without fear of trippin the line.

By having a breaker for each bulb you dont have to worry about them all trippin.

I can help you with whatever you need as far as elec work goes.

If you go to lowes you can pick up a diy book on household wiring to help you out.

Do you own the house or rent it?
 
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