Powering on 10 x 250w at once from one socket.

DaveInCave

DaveInCave

Well-Known Member
According to the datasheet the inrush current is 60A.
I can't open the inrush current limiter link.
What I think you should do is hire an electrician to change the circuit breakers C, and make sure your infrastructure can handle those currents.
Then those 3000 series activated sequentially 1 minute apart would be ok, if your main panel is 60A and above.

The inrush current limiter might work, I never tried those myself so I can't give any advice.

Whatever you do, consult an electrician.
Electricity is really not the place where you want to improvise if you want to be alive long enough to smoke what you're growing.
 
fjbudboy

fjbudboy

Well-Known Member
I only have 3 drivers, but I used ah3-3 delay timers and haven't tripped a breaker. There may be a better way it is just what I did it.
 
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George2324

Well-Known Member
Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
@DaveInCave Whilst hiring an electritian to change over the breakers maybe one option, Im sure there will be many other less invasive alternatives to this problem...

Instead of hiring an electrian and paying that much, its better to just buy 10x timers...

Perhaps using a Contactor with multiple other components which have a delay between them..., or at worse, 1 normal household timer per 2 drivers delays 2 min apart...
 
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Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
So the reason meanwell limits only 2 drivers per Breaker B type is because its likely to trip our electricity, not because it will damage the drivers using more? In that case if we had unlimited Amperage/voltage breakers, we could power 200 drivers at once?
 
DaveInCave

DaveInCave

Well-Known Member
Joe34 said:
So the reason meanwell limits only 2 drivers per Breaker B type is because its likely to trip our electricity, not because it will damage the drivers using more? In that case if we had unlimited Amperage/voltage breakers, we could power 200 drivers at once?
Click to expand...
The electricity trips for reason, or actually 2 reasons.
The first is to prevent electrocution, the second is to prevent fires.
Wires heat up when electricity flows through them. The thicker the wire, the less its resistance, the less it warms up.
If you try to push more than 16A on 16A wires (1.5 square mm solid copper, or about 16 AWG if you're in NA) they will heat up, melt the insulation and cause fire.

This is also a matter of timing.
Each wire has a rating of how much current it can carry for 10 seconds, 1 second, and few milliseconds before reaching a temp of 60 degrees Celsius.
Usually 16 gauge wire can take up quite a lot for 1 second or less.
But again, it depends on the insulation, whether the wire is in air or inside the wall, etc.
 
qballizhere

qballizhere

Well-Known Member
Stranded wire or soild core makes a difference you can push more amps safely through a solid core wire http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-gauges-d_419.html

Using C class breakers is not that hard but the planning is the difficult part if you are unfamiliar with it. They are also more expensive.
Each breaker would have a timer if you can put 6 drivers on a class c breaker then you would only have 5 timers controlling 30 drivers
here is a pic of a panel I am working on 20170325_072734.jpg 20170325_072742.jpg there is 6 class c breakers 5 of them are for drivers the other one is to run the power supplies and multiple ssr there is 4 drivers connected to each breaker when its finished there will be 28 drivers controlled by the 5 breakers all of them are elg 240s
 
sixstring2112

sixstring2112

Well-Known Member
i run 3 x 250w drivers and 1 x 800w on a single 20 amp plug @ 240v and have zero problems with inrush current.no fancy breakers.i think it was growmau5 that told me he had run as many as 5 or 6(could have been more) drivers on one plug with no problem,although he did say he did not recommend doing it as a disclaimer lol.as far as 3000w of meanwells on 1 breaker i think its a bad idea even on a 20 amp,break them up into 2 breakers or get a 30 amp installed.remember your only supposed to use 80% of the rated amps for continuous use.
 
DaveInCave

DaveInCave

Well-Known Member
qballizhere said:
Stranded wire or soild core makes a difference you can push more amps safely through a solid core wire http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-gauges-d_419.html

Using C class breakers is not that hard but the planning is the difficult part if you are unfamiliar with it. They are also more expensive.
Each breaker would have a timer if you can put 6 drivers on a class c breaker then you would only have 5 timers controlling 30 drivers
here is a pic of a panel I am working on View attachment 3912947 View attachment 3912948 there is 6 class c breakers 5 of them are for drivers the other one is to run the power supplies and multiple ssr there is 4 drivers connected to each breaker when its finished there will be 28 drivers controlled by the 5 breakers all of them are elg 240s
Click to expand...
I see some relays and a raspberry pi too?
Looks like an interesting project you got there!
:)
 
qballizhere

qballizhere

Well-Known Member
DaveInCave said:
I see some relays and a raspberry pi too?
Looks like an interesting project you got there!
:)
Click to expand...
Yes there is a pi it will control 8ssr for uvb lights and there is 2 dc ssr to control the power supplies the ldds they are for 660 and 720 they will be on all day it will also control co2 and have temp humidity sensors throughout the garden its a big project and a lot of wiring.
Converting 4k hps on light rails to 5k led with a controller that does everything but water.
 
DaveInCave

DaveInCave

Well-Known Member
qballizhere said:
Yes there is a pi it will control 8ssr for uvb lights and there is 2 dc ssr to control the power supplies the ldds they are for 660 and 720 they will be on all day it will also control co2 and have temp humidity sensors throughout the garden its a big project and a lot of wiring.
Converting 4k hps on light rails to 5k led with a controller that does everything but water.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a dream grow room!
I've been thinking about doing something similar, but including water and even nutrients also with some reservoirs and pumps.
Automate everything.

Do you have a thread where you are posting updates? I would love to follow!
 
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George2324

Well-Known Member
I don't suppose anyone here has any experience with the in rush current limiters?

By the sounds of it these will solve the problem entirely.

Just not sure if you just wire them into the AC side of the drivers and that's it or there's more complicated stuff needed
 
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