Electrical Problem

Dj1209

Dj1209

Well-Known Member
Hello I was just wondering if any one out there knows whether I need the third round prong to be plugged in. I was running all of my cfls off a 120v timer but it was just the two rectangle slots and today when I went to put my 400w hps in I noticed that if I plug it in that other round pin would not be plugged into anything I think its just the ground but am unsure does it have to be in. I must know soon because I can't run it wig a risk of fire or something worse.
 
Dj1209

Dj1209

Well-Known Member
Will do I guess ill have to switch the plants from 18/6 to 24/0 for now until I can get a timer I will have to go to the hardware store.
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
Hmmm. I'm not a big fan of 24/0 (and no I don't want to get into a debate about it).

You can get away with it for a day or two if you have a grounded to ungrounded adapter. The deal is that if there is a short somewhere..like say the plug gets wet, in the absence of a ground circuit, the breaker won't trip. You'll essentially have current running through all the metal that is plugged in. So you could think everything was cool till you touched something that was plugged in..ZAP!!

I learned this the hard way. I picked up a drill once that was not grounded. It was damp out.... ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz my hand tightened around the handle of the drill and I actually had to throw my arm to get the drill to come out of my hand.

That would have killed a mere mortal (or someone that was simply too stoned at the time to get electrocuted to death). LOL :)

happy growing.
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
Dj1209 said:
Hello I was just wondering if any one out there knows whether I need the third round prong to be plugged in. I was running all of my cfls off a 120v timer but it was just the two rectangle slots and today when I went to put my 400w hps in I noticed that if I plug it in that other round pin would not be plugged into anything I think its just the ground but am unsure does it have to be in. I must know soon because I can't run it wig a risk of fire or something worse.
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no you don't. i have ran my 1000wtt hps with no ground to the bulb. i have also ran two prong times b4 for over a year running 1000wtt hps.
 
Dj1209

Dj1209

Well-Known Member
legallyflying said:
Hmmm. I'm not a big fan of 24/0 (and no I don't want to get into a debate about it).

You can get away with it for a day or two if you have a grounded to ungrounded adapter. The deal is that if there is a short somewhere..like say the plug gets wet, in the absence of a ground circuit, the breaker won't trip. You'll essentially have current running through all the metal that is plugged in. So you could think everything was cool till you touched something that was plugged in..ZAP!!

I learned this the hard way. I picked up a drill once that was not grounded. It was damp out.... ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz my hand tightened around the handle of the drill and I actually had to throw my arm to get the drill to come out of my hand.

That would have killed a mere mortal (or someone that was simply too stoned at the time to get electrocuted to death). LOL :)

happy growing.
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So I could get away with it for a day or two if I am extra cautious?
 
warfey

warfey

Active Member
If you have an harbor freight tool store you can get em for $6.they have the ground plug with 2 outlets and 15 min intervals.
 
T

TheLastWood

Well-Known Member
Legally flying is right. You can get aqway with it and it has less to do with you being careful than it has to do with "shit happens". And in this case if shit happens and your not grounded it will be bad.

Many houses and building is redo electrical in don't even have grounds! But only because they are old. Nowadays ever box, recept, light, or anything is grounded anywhere a person has access to the conductor.

Its there for a reason and very important. good luck
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
Admittedly, my repply was overly harsh but it was a very long day and sometimes the bad advice people give on this forum about potentially serious matters really bothers me. Why would you take the risk? To save $8 on a grounded timer? I dunno, but that just falls under stupid in my book
 
M

Mua Dib

Member
in short, yes you want things grounded, as far as death by electrocution,
fairly unlikely, I have shocked myself at least 10 times in my life (remodeling/construction/and dumbasses leaving live wires cut and on)
its annoying as hell, but Im not dead yet.

14/2 lines with a 15amp breaker is what Ive shocked myself off, its fairly safe, i mean dont stand knee deep in water and lick a live wire, but /shrug, even got a 14/2 live wire that was cut off in my basement while remodeling, right in the neck, and it was just a WTF kinda moment.

IDK though, maybe I have super abilities, best to practice safe methods and always make sure that if the appliance has a grounded prong it goes into something.

On a sidee note anyone notice how so many fans/pumps/ and so on aren't grounded.
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
That is odd that many pumps are not grounded. At any rate, its not so much the volts as it is the amps. I think that the amount of amps your body "draws" would be related to how much resistance your body has. So yeah, if your feet were wet, you would be more conductive and more electricity would course through you. To the original poster though, if your real name is Harry McGrew, you can probably just hold your ballast plug in one hand and stick a coat hanger in the socket with the other until you get a proper timer.....

However, Harry F. Mcgrew came into direct contact with a 340,000 volt transmission line in Huntington Canyon, Utah, and survived. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the largest known electric shock that was survived.

Damn! that is ALOT of juice. Think of simultaneously sticking your finger in three hundred and forty 1,000 watt bulb sockets..
 
T

TheLastWood

Well-Known Member
Legallyflying, as many dumbasses giving bad electrical advice as there are, it is nice to find someone that a) knows what there talking about and respects the dangers of electricity and b) understand the dangers of bad advice and takes it as seriously as I do. Kudos to you. I've been on 2 threads now concerning electircal and we need more people that care about ppl hurting themselves with bad advice.

+ rep to you. Not sure if it will do anything but the intent is there.
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
legallyflying said:
Admittedly, my repply was overly harsh but it was a very long day and sometimes the bad advice people give on this forum about potentially serious matters really bothers me. Why would you take the risk? To save $8 on a grounded timer? I dunno, but that just falls under stupid in my book
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so you saying im giving bad addvice.. the stupid thing about this is u think your right.. its still going to light up, its not going to burn your house down.. 110 volt is ok with out the groung . look at the old days.. even sum of your old houses still only have a 2 prong outlet. and the work just fine..
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
TheLastWood said:
Legallyflying, as many dumbasses giving bad electrical advice as there are, it is nice to find someone that a) knows what there talking about and respects the dangers of electricity and b) understand the dangers of bad advice and takes it as seriously as I do. Kudos to you. I've been on 2 threads now concerning electircal and we need more people that care about ppl hurting themselves with bad advice.

+ rep to you. Not sure if it will do anything but the intent is there.
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you have a lot to learn also my friend..
 
drgreentm

drgreentm

Well-Known Member
well hell im just going to say i am a journeyman electrician and i can say that 3rd prong is nothing more than a useless ground and for the fact that well all houses have what is called a neutral bond in the panel that bonds the ground bar to the neutral bar sooooo the two rectangle slots in the plug (which are neutral and hot) well hate to admit it but one is essentially a ground and runs to the same exact spot as all the other useless grounds in your house lol. i personally just cut mine off but if you are completely apposed to that action than they do sell a little connector at home depot that plugs in the 3 prong to a 2 prong (basically not using the 3rd prong anyway) and i can assure you that it will not cause your grow room to spontaneously combust. all a ground does in a house is put unused electricity into the ground and i do mean literally the ground (through a piece of re bar connecting to the foundation) as does the neutral that carries backfed current back to the panel which is as we know hopefully bonded to the grounds anyhow so it essentially finds its way to the ground as they are connected in the main panel via a neutral bond. so im sorry but mygirls is completely 100% right not to piss anyone off but i can confirm its a useless piece of crap the N.E.C (national electrical code) makes manufacturers have.
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
drgreentm said:
well hell im just going to say i am a journeyman electrician and i can say that 3rd prong is nothing more than a useless ground and for the fact that well all houses have what is called a neutral bond in the panel that bonds the ground bar to the neutral bar sooooo the two rectangle slots in the plug (which are neutral and hot) well hate to admit it but one is essentially a ground and runs to the same exact spot as all the other useless grounds in your house lol. i personally just cut mine off but if you are completely apposed to that action than they do sell a little connector at home depot that plugs in the 3 prong to a 2 prong (basically not using the 3rd prong anyway) and i can assure you that it will not cause your grow room to spontaneously combust. all a ground does in a house is put unused electricity into the ground and i do mean literally the ground (through a piece of re bar connecting to the foundation) as does the neutral that carries backfed current back to the panel which is as we know hopefully bonded to the grounds anyhow so it essentially finds its way to the ground as they are connected in the main panel via a neutral bond. so im sorry but mygirls is completely 100% right not to piss anyone off but i can confirm its a useless piece of crap the N.E.C (national electrical code) makes manufacturers have.
Click to expand...

thank you and + reps oever and ever if i could..
 
drgreentm

drgreentm

Well-Known Member
mygirls said:
thank you and + reps oever and ever if i could..
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im just surprised more people havent seen this adapter i speak of. funny thing is allot of older houses dont even have the third prong outlets in them and this is why the adapter is made. how would you be able to pick up a adapter that in essence will burn your house to the ground???
 
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