electricity help

UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Hey guys. Looking at setting up a tent in my garage for the first time. (First time growing indoors also) and am looking at running 1000w hps lights and ballast and obviously other things too (still dont know everything im gunna need). Problem is my garage isnt attached to my house n im pretty sure it is just one lead going into shed from house to power shed. Iv got no electrical experience and am a rooftiler by trade. What do I do? Will I be right to run everything off a powerpoint board that has lead plugged into it from house? Im thinkn I cant. Therefore I cant exactly ask an electrician to come n set it up. Also I rent. So where online wld I be able to find info on what I need to do to not short circut everything and not cause a fire. And then instructionals on how to apply it?
 
N

nobody important

Active Member
UpInTheHills said:
Hey guys. Looking at setting up a tent in my garage for the first time. (First time growing indoors also) and am looking at running 1000w hps lights and ballast and obviously other things too (still dont know everything im gunna need). Problem is my garage isnt attached to my house n im pretty sure it is just one lead going into shed from house to power shed. Iv got no electrical experience and am a rooftiler by trade. What do I do? Will I be right to run everything off a powerpoint board that has lead plugged into it from house? Im thinkn I cant. Therefore I cant exactly ask an electrician to come n set it up. Also I rent. So where online wld I be able to find info on what I need to do to not short circut everything and not cause a fire. And then instructionals on how to apply it?
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you are going to have to run you a subpanel out there from your main circuit breaker panel. Plan to size your wire for the wattage you want to use. If its just 1000 watt light and you live in most of America you will still need an AC unit or you will suffer heat issues. You can do away with out an AC unit but that 1000 watt light inside of a garage will put your temps at around 10F degrees(minimum) hotter than your outside air no matter how much air exchange you have even if you are cooling your hood. This is mostly due to infrared heat. How far is it from your main breaker panel to garage?
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Haha fuck! This is a foriegn language to me. Its about 30m to the house circut board. Yea il b running no more than 1000 watts. But then plus everything else I have to run. How much for a cheap ac unit? And how much will that cost to run? Also I live in australia. Just spotted ghis in the garage. The wires go undefground to the house im guessing. It reads 500v 40A
 

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N

nobody important

Active Member
UpInTheHills said:
Haha fuck! This is a foriegn language to me. Its about 30m to the house circut board. Yea il b running no more than 1000 watts. But then plus everything else I have to run. How much for a cheap ac unit? And how much will that cost to run? Also I live in australia. Just spotted ghis in the garage. The wires go undefground to the house im guessing. It reads 500v 40A
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Sorry, While Im an electrician and AC tech, Im only used to our power grid system here in the U.S. . While the correlation between amps, voltage, ohms etc are universal, Id rather not give advice on something im not 100% familiar with. You may want to search some threads with Electricians that are familiar with Australias power grid/systems
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Yea completely understand and appreciate your candidness and attempt to help. Hopefully someone from oz can shed some light
 
G

Glaucoma

Well-Known Member
If you have 40A in your garage, you are good to go as is. Unless you are on, like, a 12V grid (which I'm sure you are not). Sounds like they expected to run a 100% duty cycle welder and some large air compressors in that garage.
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Oh sweet. How do I find out what grid im on? And il b able to run a shorload of things in there you recon? Will the power cut off before a fire? Cause I got some sentimental things in there
 
panhead

panhead

Well-Known Member
UpInTheHills said:
and am a rooftiler by trade.
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Ah a fellow roofer on site , last tile job i did before switching over to the sheet metal trade was Detroit Institute of Arts , i hate tile slate & shakes , hows your back bro ? Most of my yrs roofing was flat roofs using hot Coal Tar Pitch & Asphalt .
 
panhead

panhead

Well-Known Member
There is a thread here called " The UK Growers Thread , im sure there is atleast one Aussie up in there its such a massive multi year thread .
 
G

Glaucoma

Well-Known Member
UpInTheHills said:
Oh sweet. How do I find out what grid im on? And il b able to run a shorload of things in there you recon? Will the power cut off before a fire? Cause I got some sentimental things in there
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You can find out for sure by using a volt/multi meter. Just probe an outlet. Wikipedia tells me you guys are on 230V. With a 40A line, that equates to a shit ton of Watts. Amps x Voltage = Wattage

As far as fire, as long as the breaker is matched to the wire gauge and length, there shouldn't be a problem. The point of a circuit breaker is to keep the conductor (wires) from catching fire. Seeing as you are in a rental, I'd safely assume that it is wired properly already. You can have an electrician verify it before you setup if you like, though. Never hurts to be cautious, especially when it comes to a grow.
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Haha yea back hips n knees def dont appreciate wat I put em through each day. Never done slate. Wldnt mind gettn into metal roofing. Better money n not as strenuous.id jump outta this game in a heartbeat if something were to pop up that paid better haha hot tar and asfalt? Haha
Glaucoma said:
You can find out for sure by using a volt/multi meter. Just probe an outlet. Wikipedia tells me you guys are on 230V. With a 40A line, that equates to a shit ton of Watts. Amps x Voltage = Wattage

As far as fire, as long as the breaker is matched to the wire gauge and length, there shouldn't be a problem. The point of a circuit breaker is to keep the conductor (wires) from catching fire. Seeing as you are in a rental, I'd safely assume that it is wired properly already. You can have an electrician verify it before you setup if you like, though. Never hurts to be cautious, especially when it comes to a grow.
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Yea true. Well that box says 500v so green light yea? So stoked it is good to go :) now to get all my gear
 
G

Glaucoma

Well-Known Member
UpInTheHills said:
Haha yea back hips n knees def dont appreciate wat I put em through each day. Never done slate. Wldnt mind gettn into metal roofing. Better money n not as strenuous.id jump outta this game in a heartbeat if something were to pop up that paid better haha hot tar and asfalt? Haha


Yea true. Well that box says 500v so green light yea? So stoked it is good to go :) now to get all my gear
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That just means the panel is rated for 500V. It's not uncommon to see that. I'm pretty sure my panel is rated the same, and I'm only 110V.

To be honest, 40A seems really high for a garage. Double check it. If it really is 40.. yeah man. Absolutely no problem.
 
panhead

panhead

Well-Known Member
UpInTheHills said:
Haha yea back hips n knees def dont appreciate wat I put em through each day. Never done slate. Wldnt mind gettn into metal roofing. Better money n not as strenuous.id jump outta this game in a heartbeat if something were to pop up that paid better haha hot tar and asfalt? Haha
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One of my journeyman cards is for roofing & waterproofing , the other is in sheet metal & my last card is a Certified Crane Operator , then advanced to job site superintendant , all steps up in pay .

In roofing here you get paid by the square with slate tile & shingles , with flat work its hourly pay & alot more steady work , i was making $30 an hour 25 yrs ago doing flat work & getting tons of OT at premium time , i got burned badly & was allready great at sheet metal so i went back to school & went into sheet metal , then up the ladder a few more times until retiring after i finished the punch list at Motor City Casino .

Been retired like 5 yrs now & miss the trades badly .
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
O
Glaucoma said:
That just means the panel is rated for 500V. It's not uncommon to see that. I'm pretty sure my panel is rated the same, and I'm only 110V.

To be honest, 40A seems really high for a garage. Double check it. If it really is 40.. yeah man. Absolutely no problem.
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Yea will do. Thanks for your help mate
 
UpInTheHills

UpInTheHills

Well-Known Member
Yea wld think it wld be pretty dangerous wrkn with hot tar! Haha im on 30hr now! N thats on the books with no penalties or holiday pay. Got a little girl n another on the way so gunna have to look somewhere else I recon. Yea its like highschool. Cant wait to get out but when u do you wish u were back. Such is life.
kerp your eyes peeled for my grow journal when I get set up
 
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