Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

[Captn]

Ok I understand, the a/c is a small window unit, probably 9+ amps. Other then the lights and the A/C, all I have to run is an 8" inline fan, not sure about the amps on that one.

One more question, how do I run this as 220 instead of 110?

Thanks again Captn.

What do you want to run as 220? The MLC-4 is already 220v. For the A/C, fan and pumps, etc., install a 20 amp single-pole (120 volt) breaker in the subpanel, and run 12/2 romex cable from that to a 20a/125v receptacle. Then plug the A/C and whatnot into that. Here is a rundown of the whole thing again. Keep in mind that though you can get by with 50 amps total, I'm recommending twice that so you can expand your operation in the future. If you choose to go with a 50 amp subpanel, the wire for the feed should be #8/3 romex (copper, 3 conducors plus ground) or #6 SER (aluminum, 3 conductors plus ground).

In your main panel, install a 100a/240v breaker. Run a #2/3 romex or #1 SER feed to a 100 amp subpanel, such as a Square D Main Lug Load Center. In that subpanel install two 20a/120v breakers and one 30a/240v breaker. From each of the 20 amp breakers run a piece of 12/2 romex (2 conductor plus ground) to two 20a/125v receptacles, for a total of 4 receptacles. From the 30 amp breaker run a piece of 10/3 romex to the MLC-4. Mount all of this, subpanel, receptacles, MLC-4, on a 2x2 piece of plywood like in my photo.

Now, plug the A/C into one of the outlets. Plug the fans, etc. into one of the other outlets. Plug all of your lights into the MLC-4. The MLC-4 will have a cord coming off it. Get a plug-in timer like this one http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100647099&N=10000003+500025+90401&marketID=90401&locStoreNum=8125 , plug it into one of the receptacles, and plug the MLC-4 into the timer. Thats it, your all done and good to go.

 

[Captn]

thank man, this is the third apartment ive moved to, and it still happens. i wouldndt really call it a shock but its definetly not statick build. but at the same time three lights are doing it? 3rd apartmet? anyways thinks for the info ill try to figure it out. i just hope im not somehow losing power coming from my light.

There you can rest east, you're not losing any power.

 

[humble learner]

What do you want to run as 220? The MLC-4 is already 220v. For the A/C, fan and pumps, etc., install a 20 amp single-pole (120 volt) breaker in the subpanel, and run 12/2 romex cable from that to a 20a/125v receptacle. Then plug the A/C and whatnot into that. Here is a rundown of the whole thing again. Keep in mind that though you can get by with 50 amps total, I'm recommending twice that so you can expand your operation in the future. If you choose to go with a 50 amp subpanel, the wire for the feed should be #8/3 romex (copper, 3 conducors plus ground) or #6 SER (aluminum, 3 conductors plus ground).

In your main panel, install a 100a/240v breaker. Run a #2/3 romex or #1 SER feed to a 100 amp subpanel, such as a Square D Main Lug Load Center. In that subpanel install two 20a/120v breakers and one 30a/240v breaker. From each of the 20 amp breakers run a piece of 12/2 romex (2 conductor plus ground) to two 20a/125v receptacles, for a total of 4 receptacles. From the 30 amp breaker run a piece of 10/3 romex to the MLC-4. Mount all of this, subpanel, receptacles, MLC-4, on a 2x2 piece of plywood like in my photo.

Now, plug the A/C into one of the outlets. Plug the fans, etc. into one of the other outlets. Plug all of your lights into the MLC-4. The MLC-4 will have a cord coming off it. Get a plug-in timer like this one http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100647099&N=10000003+500025+90401&marketID=90401&locStoreNum=8125 , plug it into one of the receptacles, and plug the MLC-4 into the timer. Thats it, your all done and good to go.

Nevermind on the 220 that was a dumb question considering that the device im getting is 220 and I wanted the ballast to run off that
Right on, I understand completely, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Thats originally the direction I was going in I just wanted to make sure I had all the information right before I go through with it. I'd like to learn more about in house wiring, this is a good start.

 

[VictorVIcious]

Nevermind on the 220 that was a dumb question considering that the device im getting is 220 and I wanted the ballast to run off that
Right on, I understand completely, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Thats originally the direction I was going in I just wanted to make sure I had all the information right before I go through with it. I'd like to learn more about in house wiring, this is a good start.

... would be to buy one of the books that are available at the big box stores. I bought one of those rare 40th edition copies for about $10.00. Covers it all. VV

 

[mrduke]

do any of you know away to put a AC unit onto a timer/thermostat? my unit has adial thermostat which works pretty well dut the fan runs constant how do i have the whole unit shut of then come on to cool then off again, seems to waste alot of electricity the way it is. thanks ya'll

 

[Captn]

... would be to buy one of the books that are available at the big box stores. I bought one of those rare 40th edition copies for about $10.00. Covers it all. VV

True that...with a well illustrated manual you'll be able to tackle most residential wiring projects.

 

[Captn]

do any of you know away to put a AC unit onto a timer/thermostat? my unit has adial thermostat which works pretty well dut the fan runs constant how do i have the whole unit shut of then come on to cool then off again, seems to waste alot of electricity the way it is. thanks ya'll

I'm not promising anything, but if you post the model # I'll see if I can find a wiring schematic online.

 

[ElephantRider]

OK.. here's a question for you. In NE US, how many solar panels would I need to power 12 1000 W HID lamps and what is the recommended method for getting your power company involved so that, if you skimp on self-sustaining solar, the grid is there waiting for you? Is wind a better option for this region? I know this is a difficult and somewhat vague question, but I just don't know how to go about calculating it. I'm not interested in this to avoid "the man." I just don't want coal to be burned for something like this.

A fair question is, "Why not use the sun itself, instead?" The answer: "Because they don't make 12 foot autoflowering 1/4 pound yielders yet."

 

[VictorVIcious]

do any of you know away to put a AC unit onto a timer/thermostat? my unit has adial thermostat which works pretty well dut the fan runs constant how do i have the whole unit shut of then come on to cool then off again, seems to waste alot of electricity the way it is. thanks ya'll

... way, if you don't think it through. When your compressor unit shuts off it still needs air to circulate through it so it doesn't 'freeze up'. In addition the fan running keeps the ambient temperature more constant limiting hot and cold spots in the room. It has been proven that leaving your furnace fan running when the furnace is not running will save you energy, the air-conditioner is the same. VV

 

[Captn]

OK.. here's a question for you. In NE US, how many solar panels would I need to power 12 1000 W HID lamps and what is the recommended method for getting your power company involved so that, if you skimp on self-sustaining solar, the grid is there waiting for you? Is wind a better option for this region? I know this is a difficult and somewhat vague question, but I just don't know how to go about calculating it. I'm not interested in this to avoid "the man." I just don't want coal to be burned for something like this.

A fair question is, "Why not use the sun itself, instead?" The answer: "Because they don't make 12 foot autoflowering 1/4 pound yielders yet."

I don't know much about solar, but I do know that homes that are "off the grid" use special appliances, cfls, no a/c, etc. to reduce their load so they can run off solar/wind and batteries (when the solar panels/turbine aren't producing. I would imagine the cost for what you're talking about would be prohibitive. But you can start by visiting one of the many websites offering solar, and asking them.

You can use the sun without auto flowering strains, though. I saw a picture of a greenhouse, and the guy would cover it with a tarp as necessary to induce flowering. It was a pretty big greenhouse, too, looked to be at least 20x30.

 

[KolorBlind]

Hello

I have a very simple question which should hopefully require a simple answer. I am just sick fo wasting money buying the wrong stuff so I thought Id ask before spending another penny.

I bought a 12v DC Axial fan and I am wanting to wire it up to an adapter. The fan is 12v .5A. Do I have to use an adapter with exactly 12v output? If I use a lower one (Like 10v or so) will the fan speed be slower? Also, I can use any Amp rating as long as it is more than .5A right?

From my understanding the amp rating on the adapter lets you know how many fans you can run, so if its 1000mA then I can theoretically run 2 500mA fans right?

I have a lot of 9v and 10v adapters laying around with a sufficient amperage rating, but I dont know if they will work and dont want to fry my fan. Also I need it spinning as fast as possible so if they will cause it to run slower I dont want that either.

Thanks a TON in advance, been racking my brain over this. Me and electricity just dont mesh well

KB

 

[humble learner]

... would be to buy one of the books that are available at the big box stores. I bought one of those rare 40th edition copies for about $10.00. Covers it all. VV

Very true, thanks for the advice VV, I will take a look around see what I can find.

 

[Captn]

Hello

I have a very simple question which should hopefully require a simple answer. I am just sick fo wasting money buying the wrong stuff so I thought Id ask before spending another penny.

I bought a 12v DC Axial fan and I am wanting to wire it up to an adapter. The fan is 12v .5A. Do I have to use an adapter with exactly 12v output? If I use a lower one (Like 10v or so) will the fan speed be slower? Also, I can use any Amp rating as long as it is more than .5A right?

From my understanding the amp rating on the adapter lets you know how many fans you can run, so if its 1000mA then I can theoretically run 2 500mA fans right?

I have a lot of 9v and 10v adapters laying around with a sufficient amperage rating, but I dont know if they will work and dont want to fry my fan. Also I need it spinning as fast as possible so if they will cause it to run slower I dont want that either.

Thanks a TON in advance, been racking my brain over this. Me and electricity just dont mesh well

KB

On the amperage question, you're right. The adapter must be rated to at least the appliance, but can be more. A .5a fan can be used with a 1.5a adapter, but not the other way around.

Now, keep in mind that I don't work with DC much. That said, a drop from 12volts to 10volts represents about 17.5%. In AC power, that would be enough to drop the motor speed without causing damage. I would imagine the same with DC, but I can't say for sure. Maybe VV can weigh in here.

 

[mizke]

trying to hook up a 120mm fan to a cell phone type charger. the only 2 problems are 1. idk which wire coming off the charger is positive or negative. there are 2 wires both black, one has a white line down it and the other is solid black. 2. the pc case fan does not have colored wires, they are clear. thus no way to tell which is positive or negative.

also does the mah have anything to do with runing the fans ? the fan i bought is 12v, but the charger i have from an old nokia i think. is rated for a dc output of 9v. it should just spin alittle lower correct ?

thanks.

 

[mrduke]

... way, if you don't think it through. When your compressor unit shuts off it still needs air to circulate through it so it doesn't 'freeze up'. In addition the fan running keeps the ambient temperature more constant limiting hot and cold spots in the room. It has been proven that leaving your furnace fan running when the furnace is not running will save you energy, the air-conditioner is the same. VV

so VV are you saying that i should leave that AC running all the time? it only cools for about 10 min the fan runs for half hour or so and repeats

 

[Mrnoprints]

Brick I just bought a Signaline 338 recycle timer and don't know how to wire it. There's a diagram but it's greek to me. It's an 8 pin circular if that's any help.

 

[Mcgician]

OK.. here's a question for you. In NE US, how many solar panels would I need to power 12 1000 W HID lamps and what is the recommended method for getting your power company involved so that, if you skimp on self-sustaining solar, the grid is there waiting for you? Is wind a better option for this region? I know this is a difficult and somewhat vague question, but I just don't know how to go about calculating it. I'm not interested in this to avoid "the man." I just don't want coal to be burned for something like this.

I used to install solar units. I can tell you right now, unless you've got a SHITLOAD of money and enough land to put all those photovoltaics, just mustering 12 kilowatts AT ALL would be a feat in itself. The Kyocera units we installed at the time were the best on the market, and at peak efficiency could theoretically put out 150 watts, at high noon with no cloud cover. As the earth rotates, obviously, you get less and less. If you assume the best, the LEAST amount of panels you could use would total 80! Not to mention, you'll lose some of that power in the transfer, and then have to convert it into AC with an inverter. I'd say 100-110 panels will get you close, but you'd better be living somewhere that gets A LOT of sun, and year round.

 

[Mcgician]

Hey chunky, you have the idea. Kinda. For a normal 110 volt circuit you would have 3 wires, black (Hot), White (Neutral), and Green (Grounding wire). To make it a 220 circuit you would add a fourth wire (Usually red) that wire would be considered hot as well.
In order to change the 220 into 2-110 volt outlets, you need to change the dipole breaker for 2- single pole breakers. Check the manufacturer of your panel and go get the right ones at one of the big box stores, I used 20 amp breakers just to be safe and I used 12 wire instead of the normal 14 used for most household circuits.
Remove your old wire from the dipole breaker or turn the old receptacle into a work box for the 2 circuits you want. I would have a tendency to redo it with new wire from the service panel out, it can be done using the existing wires. The black wire would be used to run one circuit and the red wire would be used as the hot for the other circuit. The white wires ( the 2 new ones and the old one) would all be tied together, they are returns and you can attach the green wires to a screw in your new work box. I just did this for one of our members, it is really as simple as abc and in this case d. Took less than an hour, we did not have to go through any walls.
Remember when you turn off the main switch to connect the wires in the service panel, you will want a good flashlight and someone to hold it for you would be nice. VV

Wow, right on! This is exactly the question I had, and my patience in reading through so much of this thread actually paid off. If I understand things correctly, on a normal 240V line, there are 2 white return lines? If the circuit gets split into 2, 120V circuits why are there 4 white return lines in total? Are two return lines needed per each circuit due to the switch? Most normal 120V lines only use 1 white return don't they? Thanks.

 

[VictorVIcious]

so VV are you saying that i should leave that AC running all the time? it only cools for about 10 min the fan runs for half hour or so and repeats

Yep, the air circulating will keep the temperature more even in the space. VV

There are directions for wiring a Computer fan in the FAQ section, I have not used one. VV

 

[VictorVIcious]

Wow, right on! This is exactly the question I had, and my patience in reading through so much of this thread actually paid off. If I understand things correctly, on a normal 240V line, there are 2 white return lines? If the circuit gets split into 2, 120V circuits why are there 4 white return lines in total? Are two return lines needed per each circuit due to the switch? Most normal 120V lines only use 1 white return don't they? Thanks.

In a 220 circuit there are four wires instead of three. Two of them, normally black and red are hot legs, one is white and is the ground, the fourth is green or bare and is the grounding wire.
In your service panel, a 220 line will have a di-pole switch, it looks like two single switches that have a bar on top of them that makes them turn on and off together.
There are two ways you can change them to 2-110 outlets. You can do it in the service panel, the method I prefer, by removing the di-pole switch and installing 2 single pull breakers. Remove the old 220 wiring and install new, normal 12-3 wire for 20 amp circuits. Black (Hot) goes to the new breaker switch, white goes to the ground, and green goes to the grounding bar.
The other way is to split the circuit close to where you want the new lines to be. I would convert the old box to a work box by removing the recepticle. Take two pieces of 12-3 wire, hook one of them, black to black, white to white, and green to green. For the other one hook red to black, green to the two green wires you just joined and hook the white wire to the two white wires you just joined. Now install your 2 boxes for the new receptacles, black to the gold screw, white to the silver screw, and green to the green screw.
Don't know where you picked up the extra white wires, there is only one of them coming from the service panel. When you split it you still only have one returning to the service panel, it just covers both 110 outlets, same for the green grounding wire.
If you have not done this and you are thinking about doing it, I would recommend doing some research. First take the cover off your service panel. Be careful when you remove the last screw, hold the cover in place, have a helper if possible the first time you remove it. Now look at the wires and switches. You will be able to 'see' all of this stuff. Don't reach into it just look at it.lol Follow some of the wires you can see. If you can follow the 'circuit' you can change it.
The breakers 'fit' in a specific way. They are put in from the outside and pushed into the center until the front part of the breaker is pushed down all the way 'connecting your switch' to the bar.
To take one out you use a rubber handled screw driver and pry gently at the raised part on the front of the breaker. As soon as it clears the bar it is out of the circuit, it is no longer a live circuit, all that remains connected is the common wire and the grounding wire.
Panhead posted a thread on this with pictures, please check that out. VV