mike4c4
Well-Known Member
I dont need a wire chart. like i said plug it up. Plug your amp meter up to each hot wire of the 220 wire. each wire will say 4.5 check ohms law and this https://www.rollitup.org/t/220v-or-110v-ballast.427699/
8 light controller on 10-3?
- Thread starter jayjay777
- Start date
mike4c4
Well-Known Member
Darth Vapour
Well-Known Member
If you take 1,000 watts and divide it by 110 volts you get 9.10 amps that will be on one HOT wire.
If you take 1,000 watts and divide it by 220 volts you get 4.55 amps. BUT you are useing 4.55 AMPS on TWO hot wires, So you MUST times the 4.55 by 2. So 4.55 x 2=9.10 AMPS.
You use the same dam electricity with 220 volts as you do with 110. But with the 220 you can use a small gauge wire and breakers and such. Anyone that thinks anything differently should stay away from electrical work.
If you take 1,000 watts and divide it by 220 volts you get 4.55 amps. BUT you are useing 4.55 AMPS on TWO hot wires, So you MUST times the 4.55 by 2. So 4.55 x 2=9.10 AMPS.
You use the same dam electricity with 220 volts as you do with 110. But with the 220 you can use a small gauge wire and breakers and such. Anyone that thinks anything differently should stay away from electrical work.
220v amps is always cut in half compared to 110v
Darth Vapour
Well-Known Member
No matter what just be safe period Never run electrical at its max keep a good safe percentage nothing like watching your house burn down and losing everything for running a tight ship ,, most of the time when insurance finds out you were growing ??? and specially at a rental one word YOUR FUCKED safe is always better i would not run more then 3000 watts on 30 amp as for me i wouldn't even that is pushing it 2 k max
for instance i run 1000 watts on 20 amps and maybe some other devices leaving me a safe zone makes me sleep better at night do we know how old the electrical is etc
for instance i run 1000 watts on 20 amps and maybe some other devices leaving me a safe zone makes me sleep better at night do we know how old the electrical is etc
GOPCHydro
New Member
Why not just get a 50 amp breaker? And not worry about any problems? I'm not a electrician, a plumber by trade, now own a hydro Store. But I wouldn't use a 30 amp breaker if the Titan Helios 7 requires you to use or it recommends a 50 amp breaker no matter how many lights your running. Just a FYI !!!
Aeroknow
Well-Known Member
There's nothing wrong with what the OP wants to do. It will work fine.
10/2-10/3 wire, 30amp double pole breaker = 4000 watts ran at 240v no problem.
You nay sayers evidentally don't know the difference between 120v and 240v.
Just because the lighting controller CAN be wired to handle more lights, doesn't mean it HAS to.
10/2-10/3 wire, 30amp double pole breaker = 4000 watts ran at 240v no problem.
You nay sayers evidentally don't know the difference between 120v and 240v.
Just because the lighting controller CAN be wired to handle more lights, doesn't mean it HAS to.
Darth Vapour
Well-Known Member
Curious as i am not a electrician but with 50 amp relays in the unit ??? i always taught when putting something together or for instance running power i would add what is needed as to specs
so that it would run at its designed specs
now again with relays in the unit being 50 amp does 30 amp cut it when it might even when trying to use the device draw 50 amp to actually work again i do not know
if something is designed for 50 amp you do not run it on 20 amp even if that is all your using ??? would it actually hurt the unit in the long run being under driven
so that it would run at its designed specs
now again with relays in the unit being 50 amp does 30 amp cut it when it might even when trying to use the device draw 50 amp to actually work again i do not know
if something is designed for 50 amp you do not run it on 20 amp even if that is all your using ??? would it actually hurt the unit in the long run being under driven
Aeroknow
Well-Known Member
I'm not an electrician either, but my brother is
I build my own lighting controllers.
Imagine it this way:
Lets say it was wired up for max(8000watts) but only had 4000 watts plugged in. No problem right? Right.
Having contactors or lighting relays that are rated for more load than being used, is NOT a bad thing
All that contactors or lighting relays are doing, is handling the line/load. The 120v trigger cable is what turns them on and off.
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Agreed 100% with you. Like my old avi lol
Eternal
Well-Known Member
That's incorrect.
Running only 4 lights the way you plan to, #10 copper on a 30a breaker is completely safe. The key is sizing the new breaker correctly to the new wire you intend to use, and you seem to already be well aware of that. The only difference the controller will know is lower operating temperatures which is going to increase it's life compared to running all 8, if anything. I am not sure why buddy there feels the wire will get too hot or the controller's life will be shortened. There is no basis for these claims that I am aware of as an electrician who is working large projects in heavy construction. It'd be the same as having it on the 50 with #8 and only plugging 4 lights into it. The 30 amp breaker would trip well before that #10, good for 40 amps (2012 CEC) even gets warm.
The only "improper" thing about what you want to do is if the helios has lug style connections, the #10 could be too small for the manufacturers wire range rating of those lugs. I doubt that will be the case, you are probably fine. Just give each wire a good tug after you tighten the lug, make sure its not going to move at all.
Eternal
Well-Known Member
You are correct that the same amount of power (wattage, ultimately KWH) is used on 110/120 vs 220/240. The reason 220/240 is considered more efficient has nothing to do with lowering your power usage or power bill.
But I think you may be mistaken when it comes to determining the breaker size.
The rating on a 2 pole breaker is per pole/phase, so you do not need to add up the amperage of each individual pole/phase to determine the size of breaker required. You would multiply 4.5amps x 4 instead of 9 amps x 4 to find the expected amperage, which is 18 amps. This is too high for a 20 amp breaker, as far as the Canadian Electrical Code is concerned which is quite similar to the NEC in the US, as you are supposed to de-rate the overcurrent for branch circuits by 80%, so a 20 amp breaker should only be loaded to 16 amps. 30amp breaker then, at 80% rating = 24 amps, thus he is completely in the clear as he will only be drawing 18 amps per pole/phase.
The Titan Helios 7 lighting controller has a built in 24 hours timer which requires a neutral for the 120 volts relay coil.
High Power
Active Member
You can run 4 ballasts no problem, either 240V or 120V, the wattage is the same and so is the amperage draw. Instead of 9A on one hot leg with 120V, you get 4.5A on both hot legs.
Eternal
Well-Known Member
Oh, damn Good call then sir. Thank you.
You will need 3 conductor then, OP. Disregard my recommendation of 2 conductor.
No. Like I said doing what the OP plans is no different than having it on a 50amp and only plugging in 4 lights. lol.
There is no difference. The wire can handle the load, the breaker is properly protecting the wire, the timer is rated for much higher current...what is the problem?
Think about it do you run everything in your house constantly so that it is using the maximum current rating of everything in your home? No.
As long as the breaker is sized correctly to the wire size, and as long as the equipment is rated the same or higher amperage as the breaker, the circuit including the equipment, is fully protected.
The only possible issue here is that he can still plug in 8 lights, nothing physically stopping him. This will cause 36 amps to be pulled through that #10, which is rated for 40 amps (2012 CEC), for a short period of time less than 5 minutes, until the 30 amp breaker trips, as it was designed to. You could pull that 36 amps all day through a number 10 on a 40 amp breaker, although that is not quite to CEC standards these days, I've done it myself and the wire and breaker do get warm but not to the point of concern for me as an electrician.