Electrical question

The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
Alright so I have a minor issue with where my tents will be set up. There is only 1 outlet in my basement which currently has my irrigation system and water softner hooked up to it. My dryer is in the basement so I plan on splicing into that to get me power to run 3 lights (2 - 500w & a basic light for mothers/clones) and my fans. Now I was planning on using an MLC-4X which I had previously used at my old house the same way(splicing into 30amp dryer). Now my question is the lights I'm using dont include/run off a 240 cord. If I set up the MLC ... can I still plug my timer into the MLC and my lights into the timer? I have been reading around on this topic and I'm getting a little confused... had read somewhere that the 240 will "be delivering too much power". Can anyone help me with this situation? I basically need to find a way to splice into the 30amp dryer to run everything and most importantly do it safely.

Tried PMing the electrical guy on here but his damn inbox is full haha
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
The Count said:
Alright so I have a minor issue with where my tents will be set up. There is only 1 outlet in my basement which currently has my irrigation system and water softner hooked up to it. My dryer is in the basement so I plan on splicing into that to get me power to run 3 lights (2 - 500w & a basic light for mothers/clones) and my fans. Now I was planning on using an MLC-4X which I had previously used at my old house the same way(splicing into 30amp dryer). Now my question is the lights I'm using dont include/run off a 240 cord. If I set up the MLC ... can I still plug my timer into the MLC and my lights into the timer? I have been reading around on this topic and I'm getting a little confused... had read somewhere that the 240 will "be delivering too much power". Can anyone help me with this situation? I basically need to find a way to splice into the 30amp dryer to run everything and most importantly do it safely.

Tried PMing the electrical guy on here but his damn inbox is full haha
Click to expand...
240 wired to a 120 device will fry it. This before that large breaker even kicks. Is there not another leg off the breaker box with a 20 amp 120 volt breaker? If so simply wire Romex cable to it correctly and lay the Romex to your room like an extension cord. 12/3 wire will do nicely. If a long run then calculate your voltage/amperage needs (max draw is startup) and go to HD or Lowes. They can tell you the wire gauge size needed to accommodate for line voltage drop. Also is your ballast capable of 240? If it is you can switch the leads from the transformer to supply 240. Cheaper to run 240 volt anyway.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
Im using LED lights so no ballasts... I was pretty sure on the whole frying thing. Pretty sure the breaker is used up and I cant add anymore. Ill take a picture of how it looks.
 
Brother Numsi

Brother Numsi

Well-Known Member
The Count said:
Alright so I have a minor issue with where my tents will be set up. There is only 1 outlet in my basement which currently has my irrigation system and water softner hooked up to it. My dryer is in the basement so I plan on splicing into that to get me power to run 3 lights (2 - 500w & a basic light for mothers/clones) and my fans. Now I was planning on using an MLC-4X which I had previously used at my old house the same way(splicing into 30amp dryer). Now my question is the lights I'm using dont include/run off a 240 cord. If I set up the MLC ... can I still plug my timer into the MLC and my lights into the timer? I have been reading around on this topic and I'm getting a little confused... had read somewhere that the 240 will "be delivering too much power". Can anyone help me with this situation? I basically need to find a way to splice into the 30amp dryer to run everything and most importantly do it safely.

Tried PMing the electrical guy on here but his damn inbox is full haha
Click to expand...
Prolly can be done...do a bit more reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_7588030_120v-220v-line.html

Hope this answers all your questions :)
 
Warlock1369

Warlock1369

Well-Known Member
You can splice into the 240 dryer useing a subpanal. But you won't be useing the dryer when everything is running. If I was you I would run a cord from the water softener plug to the washer. The use the washer outlet for the tent. That way your not tapping the 240. Momma won't be mad for not having a washer dryer. Irrigation and softener pull low amps so washer Shuld be fine with them. But now your left with the 20 amp braker all for the tent. But you should only plug in about 15 running amps into that.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
My issue with that is theyre on opposite sides of my basement so I'd have to run extension cords connected to power strips... would that be ok? Its a good 20-30 feet from where the washer is to where it would plug into the power supply/outlet and vice versa with grow tent/20amp washer plug.
 
ScoobyDoobyDoo

ScoobyDoobyDoo

Well-Known Member
honestly, if your breaker panel is in the basement then i would just add a 30amp 240v breaker and wire it up with some #10 to your light controller. that light controller should come with a trigger cord that has to be plugged into a 120v socket. that is where you plug it into a timer and then into the wall. you don't put the timer on the controller. then, anything plugged into the controller is on that same timer. if it is wired for 30 amps at 240v then you have access to 60 amps at 120v on the light controller. way more than you'll need. doesn't sound like you will have anything else that would need to be on the same timer as the lights. if you do then it can go on the controller as well. everything else can run on a powerstrip on the outlet that is in the basement. you'll have more than enough room.

send me a PM if you want to know how to wire up that light controller. honestly; it won't take you more than 20 minutes and about $20 at the hardware store.
 
Hugo Phurst

Hugo Phurst

Well-Known Member
The Count said:
My issue with that is theyre on opposite sides of my basement so I'd have to run extension cords connected to power strips... would that be ok? Its a good 20-30 feet from where the washer is to where it would plug into the power supply/outlet and vice versa with grow tent/20amp washer plug.
Click to expand...
With a 30ft cord, the voltage drop might prevent your ballast from firing.

DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. 220VAC cable is basically made with 3 or 4 wires. They are L2, L2, Return(neutral), and Ground. L1 and L2 are both 115VAC each, with opposite polarity to give 220VAC. By running 220VAC to a bank of 115VAC plugs, you have L1 supplying half the plugs, and L2 to the other plugs, all the plugs will share the return and ground.

115Vac plugs have a metal tab that connect the upper and lower socket, you can easily break off this tab, isolating the 2 sockets from each other. Then L1 goes to one socket, while L2 goes to the other, again both sides share ground and return.




Best is what Warlock said, install a pony panel, then the 220 is split inside.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
So if I go the sub panel way is this how it would go... 30 amp in the box... 1-10 gauge 30amp out going to dryer... 2- 14 gauge 15 amps running across the room to new outlets? Obviously I'm either running the dryer or the lights which is fine cause thats how I had my last set up.
 
ScoobyDoobyDoo

ScoobyDoobyDoo

Well-Known Member
you alreadyhave a subpanel. it's the CAP MLC-4X. that is basically a subpanel with a built in relay. might as well use it instead of buying one.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
ScoobyDoobyDoo said:
you alreadyhave a subpanel. it's the CAP MLC-4X. that is basically a subpanel with a built in relay. might as well use it instead of buying one.
Click to expand...
Yea but I cant plug a 120v product into it since it is 240 cause it will fry my lights right? My LED lights only take 550W with a 120 power cord... but the MLC splits the voltage up to 7.5amps per outlet so that 60v? Am I thinking this through correctly?
 
ScoobyDoobyDoo

ScoobyDoobyDoo

Well-Known Member
The Count said:
Yea but I cant plug a 120v product into it since it is 240 cause it will fry my lights right? My LED lights only take 550W with a 120 power cord... but the MLC splits the voltage up to 7.5amps per outlet so that 60v? Am I thinking this through correctly?
Click to expand...
I use the same light controller; just the MLC-8DX which has dual trigger cords. i used to use that same one but the MLC-4XT which had the built in timer. you run 240v to the box but you can plug both 120 and 240v into it. I have my ballasts on 240v cords and my inline fans on 120v cords all plugged into the same box. not a problem at all.

each outlet on the box is rated for 7.5 amps at 240v. that's 15 amps at 120v. so, if you bring in 30 amps to the box at 240v you will have 60 amps availabale at 120v. or 15 amps per outlet. understand?
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
ScoobyDoobyDoo said:
I use the same light controller; just the MLC-8DX which has dual trigger cords. i used to use that same one but the MLC-4XT which had the built in timer. you run 240v to the box but you can plug both 120 and 240v into it. I have my ballasts on 240v cords and my inline fans on 120v cords all plugged into the same box. not a problem at all.

each outlet on the box is rated for 7.5 amps at 240v. that's 15 amps at 120v. so, if you bring in 30 amps to the box at 240v you will have 60 amps availabale at 120v. or 15 amps per outlet. understand?
Click to expand...
My concern is the instructions say "not plug in a 120V device to the controller as its wired from the factory to output 240V" ... I understand what you're sayin in theory and it should work... just hesitant in plugging in my $2,000 LED to watch it go poof!
 
ScoobyDoobyDoo

ScoobyDoobyDoo

Well-Known Member
i don't know where it says that in the instructions but i've never read it. just call up greners.com or R&M supply directly. they will verify that you can plug BOTH 120v and 240v into that timer. i've been doing this a LONG time and using thos light controllers as well. i run my rooms on an 8 light CAP MLC-8DX and i have both 120v and 240v plugs in it. why do you think the outlets look that way? if they were only for 240v then they wouldn't put an outlet that takes 120v plugs.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
These instructions are just fuggin confusing! Read somewhere it said "if your ballasts have been rewired for 240v you do not need to switch plugs." I was using 1000W quantums with the 240v cords before and obviously had no issues but when I switched to the LED's I thought I couldnt use the MLC anymore bc it would fry my power supply. So one last time haha... you have an inline fan plugged into an outlet in the MLC? I feel like it should work like you say but then I read the damn manual online where it says this...

The ballasts must be wired for 240 vac operation. Most ballasts have multiple taps

which allow several voltages to be used with the ballast. Please consult your ballast manufacturer

if you have any questions about the voltage of your ballast. If you plug in a ballast wired for 120 volts

into an MLC, you will burn out your ballast and potentially risk having a fire.
 
The Count

The Count

Well-Known Member
I called Hydro Grow who makes my LED and asked them if the light is compatible with a 240 source and she said they are rated to work with a 110/220 so I'm thinking the 240 wont be an issue. I think the reason the MLC has the two different prong female holes for the 120/240 is because if your ballast is rated to work with a 240 you dont HAVE to use a 240 cord... the 120 will work as long as your product works with a 240 source... make any sense?
 
ScoobyDoobyDoo

ScoobyDoobyDoo

Well-Known Member
The Count said:
These instructions are just fuggin confusing! Read somewhere it said "if your ballasts have been rewired for 240v you do not need to switch plugs." I was using 1000W quantums with the 240v cords before and obviously had no issues but when I switched to the LED's I thought I couldnt use the MLC anymore bc it would fry my power supply. So one last time haha... you have an inline fan plugged into an outlet in the MLC? I feel like it should work like you say but then I read the damn manual online where it says this...

The ballasts must be wired for 240 vac operation. Most ballasts have multiple taps

which allow several voltages to be used with the ballast. Please consult your ballast manufacturer

if you have any questions about the voltage of your ballast. If you plug in a ballast wired for 120 volts

into an MLC, you will burn out your ballast and potentially risk having a fire.
Click to expand...
call CAP, R&M Supply, or even Greners. they will all say the same thing. maybe you have an older version or something. Can you take a picture of the outlet on the controller? that will tell you. i'm positive on the models sold in the last 5 years that you can plug both 120v and 240v plugs into them. i'm running 2 1000w lights at 240v and then a high output 8" inline fan and UVB lights all at 120v on one side of the controller and on the other side i am running 1000w at 240v and 430w of T5, another high output 8" fan, and an inline fan all at 120v. that's all on the same CAP MLC-8DX.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top