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

[IAm5toned]

i understand all this... but my question is... is it easier to add breakers in the panel or to build a 240v panel that i can mount up in my grow room?

and if you read my post i am wanting to run the 6 600w hps systems on this 240v panel. 40amp 240v should handle this safely correct?

40 amps @ 240 will give you 7680w all day and night long.
depending on your needs you could build a panel or feed it directly with a breaker. as for myself i would feed it with a breaker directly as this is the simplest and cheapest option.

 

[Sub Zero]

40 amps @ 240 will give you 7680w all day and night long.
depending on your needs you could build a panel or feed it directly with a breaker. as for myself i would feed it with a breaker directly as this is the simplest and cheapest option.

I just popped in to say Hi to everyone, and would like to offer a hardy and sincere thanks to bricktown73 for starting this Thread.
And a special thanks for IAm5toned, who has help me and many others.
For all the contributors and helpers you are just great Human Beings...

 

[kimextreme]

Question; I have 240V hooked to 1000W HPS, if I hook up the power to 277V line on the ballast instead of the 240V (to lower amps used), what effect will this have on the bulb, and ballast.

We checked our power and have 238 volts going to our board and to the ballast.

 

[Kawn]

Is it possible to turn my smoke detector outlet into a typical elec oultet.. I will be replacing my elec smoke detector with a battery operated one if this whole process is possible.. thanks and aloha...

 

[YouthIslandGrower]

Ey.. i got a Question... could atleast 1 plant grow under this light? http://www.amazon.com/Power-PAR38-LED-Vegging-2501BU/dp/B001NDRGNC/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1267731625&sr=1-19

 

[IAm5toned]

Question; I have 240V hooked to 1000W HPS, if I hook up the power to 277V line on the ballast instead of the 240V (to lower amps used), what effect will this have on the bulb, and ballast.

We checked our power and have 238 volts going to our board and to the ballast.

it wont work.

 

[IAm5toned]

Is it possible to turn my smoke detector outlet into a typical elec oultet.. I will be replacing my elec smoke detector with a battery operated one if this whole process is possible.. thanks and aloha...

no, for several reasons...
the main one being the smoke detector circuit is required by law to have smoke detectors only. tamper with it and your asking for trouble.
especially in a grow room... if your using HID id want a smoke detector!

 

[420MyTime]

I'm new to RIU and first I'd like to say, your offer to help all these good people with their wiring questions is AWESOME!!! You're a great asset to this website, I hope they acknowledge that.

I've got a digital cooler controller that is basically a digital thermostat control for an evaporative (swamp) cooler. It's got the temp control, a slide switch that's "fan or fan/pump" and another slide switch that's "system off/fan low/fan high. Since I'm trying to use this to control vent fans, can I wire a fan to the fan side, as well as wire another fan to the pump side, it's all 120v with heavy copper wiring.

Thanks Bud!!!

 

[IAm5toned]

i dont see why not, if the controller is rated to handle a motor, and if the options for that slide are fan or fan/pump id say your good to go

 

[IAm5toned]

hey guys, ive only got like 30 subscribed threads, lol....
And since this thread was started by Bricktown, and he hasnt been active for 5 months that I can see, Im unsubbing this thread, and going to try and let it die.
Ive had another electrical thread going for a couple months, and I will be answering any electrical questions on it, from now on.
Nothing against this thread, theres tons of advice on it already, its just easier for me to keep up with all the posts in one thread, instead of jumping back and forth between two.
Here's a link to the thread-
A bored electrician to answer your questions


RIP Thread....

 

[wyteboi]

I'll try my best to keep this one going. Where you at bubbz? u alright?
This is now the lazy electrician question thread. For advanced more knowledgable electrical Q's i recommend going to 5toned's new thread!

Thanks for all the help 5toned and bubbz!

 

[mmaaddmmaann]

Hey guys, quick electrical question for you. I'm learning a bit about electronics, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how to apply ohm's law with a regulated power supply. Basically I have a 24v 1.5Amp regulated power supply, and a sensor that I need to power that consumes 6v and 200ma. What I'm trying to do is build a basic circuit that takes my regulated voltage, and drops it to 6v. I'm not sure if passing the voltage thru a resistor will change the fat that the voltage is regulated but not the the current. Also, what If I needed to hook up two of the sensors, will putting them in series after my resistors in the circuit be fine. Cheers for the help if anyone can. mmaaddmmaann

 

[dk0515]

Hey RIU

I live in a 1bedroom apartment. I currently have a 600watt hps, high velocity fan and a inline fan running. Once and a while my lights flicker. Sometime my power will shut off if I overload the circuit.

I was told from another electrician that fixed the fuse box that our wiring was really bad in our unit. A lot of the fuses share walls and different plugs. We have 15A and 20 amp fuses in our fuse box.

1) I was thinking of adding a dedicated 20amp fuse to my current fuse box, run a 12-3wire to a new wall socket right below the fuse box in my bedroom. Then running an extension cord about 30ft away to my grow area. Would this setup have the potential to cause any damage if installed correctly?

2) Install: I was going to open up the fuse box, remove the positive power line, then connect the fuse and all wires on both ends and then reconnect the power line. Is this correct?

Thanks for any help RIU

 

[shinedog]

I'm setting up a new grow room and I need a little help with what may potentially be a screw up. I have a fairly large space that's laid out into two separate rooms. I had two circuits ran, one to each room and both 30amps. They are terminated at each end by a 3-prong dryer outlet.

Here's where my potential problem may or may not be. I had the guy at my local hydro shop fabricate a nice power source for both plugs. They were supposed to be 3 240v outlets and 1 120v outlet boards that plugged into the dryer plugs. The 240v outlets would be controlled by a timer and the 120v is outside the timer.

Now, the plugs I have on my current lights are both 240v, but they actually look like 120v. I have attached pick of both boards one of them looks like a 120v plug with the exception of the little part for the 240v. The other just looks like horizontal plugs.

Which one is correct or are they both correct? Can I swap the horizontal plugs for the ones that look more like 120v plugs?

Then outside of all of that can a 120v item like a fan be plugged into a 240v plug?

Photo #1 matches my current plugs for my lights. Photo #2 is something I do not have.

 

[BigBudBalls]

Hey guys, quick electrical question for you. I'm learning a bit about electronics, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around how to apply ohm's law with a regulated power supply. Basically I have a 24v 1.5Amp regulated power supply, and a sensor that I need to power that consumes 6v and 200ma. What I'm trying to do is build a basic circuit that takes my regulated voltage, and drops it to 6v. I'm not sure if passing the voltage thru a resistor will change the fat that the voltage is regulated but not the the current. Also, what If I needed to hook up two of the sensors, will putting them in series after my resistors in the circuit be fine. Cheers for the help if anyone can. mmaaddmmaann

Passing it through a single resistor is not really going to work well.
If you take 2 resistors and connect them in series (one feeding the other) Then take that and put the 2 free ends across the 24V and 0V you have a voltage divider at the junction between the two resistors.

+24V-----------------------
|
R1
|
|--------something between the 24V and 0
R2
|
0V-----------------------

But you will need to work out the math on R1 and R2 and the wattage needed.

Better option is to go to radio shack and grab a LM317 adjustable voltage regulator. Has the info in the back of the package. Don't forget a heat sink.

 

[BigBudBalls]

Not the best solution. But I'd use a 10 gauge ext cord.

Hey RIU

I live in a 1bedroom apartment. I currently have a 600watt hps, high velocity fan and a inline fan running. Once and a while my lights flicker. Sometime my power will shut off if I overload the circuit.

I was told from another electrician that fixed the fuse box that our wiring was really bad in our unit. A lot of the fuses share walls and different plugs. We have 15A and 20 amp fuses in our fuse box.

1) I was thinking of adding a dedicated 20amp fuse to my current fuse box, run a 12-3wire to a new wall socket right below the fuse box in my bedroom. Then running an extension cord about 30ft away to my grow area. Would this setup have the potential to cause any damage if installed correctly?

2) Install: I was going to open up the fuse box, remove the positive power line, then connect the fuse and all wires on both ends and then reconnect the power line. Is this correct?

Thanks for any help RIU

 

[BigBudBalls]

Photo1 is 120 outlets, 20amp at that.

As to what to plug you lamp into, Can't tell ya. What was it plugged into? Might wanna open it up and check the wiring of the ballast and make sure it *is* wired for 240. Using a 120 pug for a 240 device is just asking for trouble.

I'm setting up a new grow room and I need a little help with what may potentially be a screw up. I have a fairly large space that's laid out into two separate rooms. I had two circuits ran, one to each room and both 30amps. They are terminated at each end by a 3-prong dryer outlet.

Here's where my potential problem may or may not be. I had the guy at my local hydro shop fabricate a nice power source for both plugs. They were supposed to be 3 240v outlets and 1 120v outlet boards that plugged into the dryer plugs. The 240v outlets would be controlled by a timer and the 120v is outside the timer.

Now, the plugs I have on my current lights are both 240v, but they actually look like 120v. I have attached pick of both boards one of them looks like a 120v plug with the exception of the little part for the 240v. The other just looks like horizontal plugs.

Which one is correct or are they both correct? Can I swap the horizontal plugs for the ones that look more like 120v plugs?

Then outside of all of that can a 120v item like a fan be plugged into a 240v plug?

Photo #1 matches my current plugs for my lights. Photo #2 is something I do not have.

 

[dk0515]

Not the best solution. But I'd use a 10 gauge ext cord.

What would be a better solution?

Thanks BBB

 

[BigBudBalls]

What would be a better solution?

Thanks BBB

Well considering you are growing in someone else's place (typically a no-no) the outlet right below it the best option. Don't think the landlord is gonna dig tearing up walls to run wire.

But be careful. have a buddy that knows this stuff? Calling it the positive wire leads me to think you might be a bit in over your head. Are they actual fuses or circuit breakers?

 

[Sadista]

Hi Bricktown, just need some electrical advice!
I would like to know what the maximum load capacity would be for my growroom so that I can determine the safest way to set up my equipment and to avoid the breaker tripping as soon as i get everything going! I could really do with a simple circuit for setting it all up too if you could kindly oblige!

Im guessing you need some info to determine that so il give you what I know!

Im im Ireland, so we have 230V AC here. Im not sure what the amp ratings are, im assuming its the same as in UK and ive collected this info regarding amperage, (although i dont have a clue what it means!):
Ring main maximum am reating 32a
Radial Circuit maximum amp rating 16a
Individual plugs up to 13a

I have 2 outlets in the room.
I am hoping to run 2 aircooled 1000 watt HPS and ballasts, 4 water pumps, an exhaust fan and intake fan, and 2 oscillating fans. Would all of this equipment combined be a safe load for the circuit?

I also have no clue how to go about setting up some sort of thermostat/RH meter to control fan speed, so any help there would be greatly appreciated too!

I look forward to hearing from you and thanks again for the great service you are doing for your fellow growers!

Peace,
Sadista