joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
we all want the same thing here
electric problem
- Thread starter medicineforpatients
- Start date
I wish I had a picture of your sub panel. Lemme get a pic, hang on...
PuffinTuff420
Member
Just to be safe have a proffesional add another 20 amp(or 2) switch to your breaker thats what i did and still wish i had more power
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
so hey medicine while we wait for jerry to get back with the pic you said scooby was helping you before? Like in person or here on riu?
Honestly, best answer yet IMO.
We don't even know how much we can draw from this sub panel, do we?
I looked for a pic but the only ones I have are like the ceiling outlet idea because that's essentially how I wired my stuff, but you said that wont work for you.
Anyway best of luck. I really am done now.
medicineforpatients
Member
.................................medicineforpatients
Member
Scooby helped me on here before.
medicineforpatients
Member
I wanna grow more. I just somehow need to install an outlet in the garage. I don't care If I run a heavy duty extension cord from the outlet I install to the light inside the grow room.
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
I see, never mind then. I thought maybe I was located fairly close to you.
That's an OLD panel. I put it at mid to early sixties as a guesstimate on age.
As jerry asked a minute ago, is your garage finished?
Also what kind of light fixtures are your existing garage lights and are you planning on using them to illuminate the rest of your garage if you do utilize this circuit for your expansion?
medicineforpatients
Member
1972, garage is finished. I do plan on using the garage lights yes. or at least one light. The bulbs hardly draw electricity as they are small cfl's. Oh um the light fixtures I just rememberd are also a fan too. Its the ceiling fan/light combo thing. 2 of them. Never use the fans though.
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
and there are no three way switches controlling these lights/fans?
medicineforpatients
Member
no....its just a pull string on the fans to turn them off and on and the 1 light switch that controls the power supply to the circuit.
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
nice! that helps. Well, I'd start by turning the power off at the breaker and removing one of those fan/lights from the ceiling. I'd take the one down furthest away from the panel or closest to your grow, whichever is easier for you. The one furthest from the panel SHOULD be a little easier to mess with as the light/fan located in the middle PROBABLY feeds power to the second light.
I say probably cuz we just can't know until you get it opened up.
I say probably cuz we just can't know until you get it opened up.
medicineforpatients
Member
Okay, cool so I take the fan and light off. Then what? I'll probably be looking at a junction box? What do I do from there?
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
Yep, black wire, white wire, and hopefully ground wire.
Before we get to ahead of ourselves you should really buy a tester so you can test these wires and make SURE they are dead.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-Non-Contact-Electric-Voltage-Power-Detector-Sensor-Tester-Pen-Stick-90-1000V-/310656428763?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item485490eadb
When I add a new outlet in my room I like to mount the junction box and wire the new receptacle first. Tying it in to the existing electrical last. Are the walls in your garage drywall or osb,paneling or what?
Also are you in a tent or what type of enclosure are you using to close your girls in?
Before we get to ahead of ourselves you should really buy a tester so you can test these wires and make SURE they are dead.
When I add a new outlet in my room I like to mount the junction box and wire the new receptacle first. Tying it in to the existing electrical last. Are the walls in your garage drywall or osb,paneling or what?
Also are you in a tent or what type of enclosure are you using to close your girls in?
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
I certainly understand where you are coming from jerry and I do respect your opinion here. On this particular subject tho I can only hope the insurance man need not be involved. In fact we'll try and ensure this doesn't happen. If the insurance man shows up because "something happened" he'd really have bigger problems. Yes, the way I have in mind may not be "up to code" but it will be safe, easy and effective for him. If you have anything to add by all means chime in. Different ideas are what makes this place so great.
Yes, conduit would be nice if that's the way he wants to go. I was gonna have him drop a wire out of the light fixture. Wire nut it, tape it, and wire staple that sucker to the ceiling over to his room.
Not the prettiest? sure.
effective, safe, cheap,simple and fast? Yes.
I believe even his being a novice diyer he could handle it. If he does want to run conduit we could go that way too, but I am not familiar with some of the terminology of some of the fittings and things he would need for the conduit and stuff. Conduit would always be a good idea but not necessary imo.
He could also possibly go up into the attic and drop the wire down. If he wants to stay discreet he could probably do this fairly easily but I would be concerned about him falling through. If he is confident enough to get up there that's how we'll do it. with a remodel box. this would be nice and tidy and also within his skill level possibly. We'll see.
And yes a gfci is a good idea for sure. as long as there is a ground in his wire.
look the bottom line is everyone has to cut their teeth on this stuff sometime. If the guy is gonna grow and is serious about it he should understand the basics at least of how his electrical works.
I know I don't want a hired sparky in my room. I'd guess he doesn't either or else he probably would hire one.
we can only assume that it is capable of pulling the 15 amps the circuit is rated for. A 1kw ballast and a cfl or two should leave plenty of room left to stay within the 80%rule.
we are gonna try and stay away from extension cords here. unless you are planning on moving in the near future and this is just a temporary thing here. Then It probably wouldn't be worth the time putting another outlet in permanently.
get your light and fan down tomorrow and get back to us. Also take as many pics as you can of the junction box, ceiling, and just all around the more info the better when it comes to your garage/grow space etc.
edit: also are you going to remote locate your ballasts or are you going to put them in the room?ballasts add a lot of heat to a room. Remotely mounting them is a great idea if possible.
How much of an issue is stealth here? I'm guessing not too much if you are willing to run extension cords.
what kind of budget are you on?
BuzzD2Kill
Well-Known Member
what is your main breaker rated at? amps, this would be the breaker that powers your panel. also looks like you have 3 open slots for breakers? hopefully your dealing with colored wire and not cloth. if your panels rated high enough throw in a 30-40 amp sub-panel. youtube and google the hell outta it lol, unless find an electrician. if in the end you do it yourself please buy a fire estingiusher. its fairly simple to take any of these routes, but ive been wiring houses for 15 years. the net is your friend, well can be.
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's a good idea him messing around in that panel.
He said garage was finished in 1972 so the wire probably is cloth bound huh?
great call on the fire extinguisher.
Ya know Joe, I never meant to argue with you. I just saw a post talking about changing things to 220v and felt a need to gum up that momentum. I succeeded in doing that, though not in the way I would have liked. I got a little hasty, for that I apologize.
I came out to my own grow space and everything is right with the world now haha I love it here. And yes, my garden has wifi
Ok guys, good safety meeting. Pass the peace pipe, it's getting late
I came out to my own grow space and everything is right with the world now haha I love it here. And yes, my garden has wifi
Ok guys, good safety meeting. Pass the peace pipe, it's getting late
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
Ya know Joe, I never meant to argue with you. I just saw a post talking about changing things to 220v and felt a need to gum up that momentum. I succeeded in doing that, though not in the way I would have liked. I got a little hasty, for that I apologize.
I came out to my own grow space and everything is right with the world now haha I love it here. And yes, my garden has wifi
Ok guys, good safety meeting. Pass the peace pipe, it's getting late
no need to apologize man, but thank you
going to my "secret place" always puts me in a better mood too.
I think if we all put our heads together here we can help this guy out.
It makes me feel good to help out a newb every now and then. Especially since truly appreciative people are few and far between on this site.
Medicineforpatients seems to be a good guy and I just wanna help him.
am I correct in assuming you are sparky by trade jerry?
we know buzzdkill is.
if you are too I bet you fellas would be more help to him than I. Just the lowly hvac installer
