Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions
- Thread starter bricktown73
- Start date
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
Why the surge protector? They are based on a MOV; and item that gives no warning when its bad. They last 6 months to a year typically, and as previously stated when they are worn out, there is no indication that they are no longer protecting anything.
(loved the mexicengineer thingy
)
SeanIzen
Active Member
okay so i want to set up, 2 T5HO lights and I was wondering if this ballast would work or if i would work for 2 or do i have to buy two ballasts for two bulbs? I'm hoping I can just Y the cords to each light... thanks in advance!
here is the ballast
http://www.1000bulbs.com/F24T5-Fluorescent-Ballast/6175/
here is the bulb
http://www.1000bulbs.com/F24T5-High-Output-3000K/39558/
here is the ballast
http://www.1000bulbs.com/F24T5-Fluorescent-Ballast/6175/
here is the bulb
http://www.1000bulbs.com/F24T5-High-Output-3000K/39558/
wolftickets500
Member
i have a room that is run all on my basement circuit breaker and everytime my girlfriend runs the dishwasher the breaker flips unless i have just my 400w hps going if i have my 600hps going it breaks the circuit. how do i wire a new breaker to just that room? i have some electrical exp. like wireing outlets and switches but the breaker box intimidates me thank you
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
I put in a whole house surge suppressor, so hopefully things are taken care of at the panel. I think it was only $60 or so. Still meaning to get a line conditioner for the AV equipment; get that audio sounding as nice as possible. Makes gaming betteri guess i should have said a contractor grade 15 amp surge protectorole!
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
According to the chart, that ballast will run 2 of those bulbs.
But let me ask you this, are you buying a standard floro fixture and replacing the ballast with this one? Or making a fixture from scratch?
From scratch seems like too much trouble if you ask me. Getting the sockets set right and sturdy may be a bear. I'd go for the modding a built fixture.
But let me ask you this, are you buying a standard floro fixture and replacing the ballast with this one? Or making a fixture from scratch?
From scratch seems like too much trouble if you ask me. Getting the sockets set right and sturdy may be a bear. I'd go for the modding a built fixture.
It's not that difficult to figure out it's cost.
Basically, you take the amps drawn by the ballast, multiply that times the voltage (120/240) to get watts, divide that by 1000 to get kw, then multiply that by the number of hours used each day and how many days in the month. Take that answer and multiply it by the amount that your electric provider charges per kwh. It'll be on your bill.
For me, it is [(4.5x240)/1000]x12x30x.07= $27.21 per month for a 1000 watt bulb.
Hope that helps
IAm5toned
Well-Known Member
i use a denon reciever with HDMI for my gaming fixes, 7.3 audio (3x400w subs on a daisy chain)I put in a whole house surge suppressor, so hopefully things are taken care of at the panel. I think it was only $60 or so. Still meaning to get a line conditioner for the AV equipment; get that audio sounding as nice as possible. Makes gaming better
i think it pisses off the neighbors, but im not sure, i cant hear them 
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
The cost savings claims of digital is *only* on what the ballast uses, the bulb will still pull its full rated current/watts.
Example:
400W magnetic:
Bulb = 400W
Ballast = 50Watts
total = 450Watts
If a digital claims a 20% savings, thats 50Watts - 20% (10 watts)
So final actual usage is 440 watts.
If thats worth it is up to you and your KWHr rate.
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
hehhehe. Been pondering for a while a transducer. But want new furniture first.i use a denon reciever with HDMI for my gaming fixes, 7.3 audio (3x400w subs on a daisy chain)
whatapothead
Well-Known Member
ok bricktown.
got a situation here.... i grow in a shop. it has 4 20amp breakers and a 240v plug.
2 breakers go to the outlets. so i have 40amps of breaker to work with. i currently have 2 600w hps 1 400w hps and multiple other things plugged in.
I'm about spent on safe amperage but want to setup a stadium with 3 600w hps and fans to cool them.
the other 2 breakers are split up like this. 1 for lights (which are 14 ft up so i don't use them) 1 for heater (i have hps heat for that) and 1 that is labeled welder and is the 240v 40amp breaker.
what is my easiest route? i'd be interested in making a panel off the 240v and getting 240v hps systems. and possibly getting cords to move my other two 600s to 240v as well as they have the capability.
let me know if you agree that going 240v would be my best bet.
got a situation here.... i grow in a shop. it has 4 20amp breakers and a 240v plug.
2 breakers go to the outlets. so i have 40amps of breaker to work with. i currently have 2 600w hps 1 400w hps and multiple other things plugged in.
I'm about spent on safe amperage but want to setup a stadium with 3 600w hps and fans to cool them.
the other 2 breakers are split up like this. 1 for lights (which are 14 ft up so i don't use them) 1 for heater (i have hps heat for that) and 1 that is labeled welder and is the 240v 40amp breaker.
what is my easiest route? i'd be interested in making a panel off the 240v and getting 240v hps systems. and possibly getting cords to move my other two 600s to 240v as well as they have the capability.
let me know if you agree that going 240v would be my best bet.
IAm5toned
Well-Known Member
as long as your not running hydro.... you dont find very many 240v pumps and cycle timers for cheap
you really dont gain that much by running 240v unless your out of amperage; and that is where the true benefit of 240v comes in handy. heres how:
lets assume you have a 600w lamp thats hooked to a 120/240v ballast. the ballast draws an additional 60w. so you have 660w total for the one light. right now you have it running on 120v-
660w @ 120v = 5.5 amps
now, take the same ballast, switch it too 240v-
660w @ 240v = 2.75 amps
the higher the voltage, the lower the amperage. voltage and amperage are inversely proportional.... electricity is all about the math man.
by raising the voltage, it allows you to have more fixtures on the same circuit.
and thats about it. dont fall for people saying it will reduce your bill... you get billed for wattage by the power company, and wattage is always constant when dealing with electricity.
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
Hey IAm5toned, got a couple Qs
GFIs, any prob with using GFI breakers over outlets? (other then cost and the whole circuit goes out instead of just the outlet)
And a down stream GFI outlet (from a controlling GFI outlet) are they supposed to be in series or parallel? Series makes sense, but have heard a few times that parallel is the ticket.
GFIs, any prob with using GFI breakers over outlets? (other then cost and the whole circuit goes out instead of just the outlet)
And a down stream GFI outlet (from a controlling GFI outlet) are they supposed to be in series or parallel? Series makes sense, but have heard a few times that parallel is the ticket.
IAm5toned
Well-Known Member
yeah,ive had probs with gfi breakers where if in the panel where there are physically located is close to another breaker that is used constantly, and gets warm, starts to cause nuiscance tripping of the gfi breaker, which then wears it out, and becomes a repeat problem. arc faults are notorius for doing the same thing. i hate arc fault breakers.... i try to put all my gfci breakers on the bottom of the panel if possible for this reason, sometimes a 50amp breaker for a heat pump that is constantly running can heat up all the breakers on top of it, so having the gfci's down low helps prevent it.
any outlet should be fed in parallel with the incoming line... i always use pigtails, and never feed through a device, unless its a gfci specifically designed to do so, and your wanting to protect additional outlets downstream. its common to do this in resi settings with a gfci on the homerun for the bathroom circuit, and then you feed all bathroom receptacles in the house off the load side of the one gfi. some inspectors like to have a gfci breaker on the bathroom circuit and that's usually where the BS annoying multiple point nuisance tripping begins. often times, at homeowners request, i have returned to a house a month or 6 after the homeowner takes possession and removed either the GFCI ouitlet or swapped the gfci breaker for a standard ITE or whatever panel type....
its not nessecary to feed a gfi downstream off of another gfci, sometimes one can trip faster than the other, or one will trip when you reset the one that tripped the first time, it becomes a pain in the ass... tho some people just like to see the gfi outlet in the wall, inspectors especially. you can argue till your blue in the face with an inspector (not a wise choice, lol) but in the end what the man says goes, regardless if you have 10 gfci's all fed downstream from each other and fed originally from a gfci breaker.
any outlet should be fed in parallel with the incoming line... i always use pigtails, and never feed through a device, unless its a gfci specifically designed to do so, and your wanting to protect additional outlets downstream. its common to do this in resi settings with a gfci on the homerun for the bathroom circuit, and then you feed all bathroom receptacles in the house off the load side of the one gfi. some inspectors like to have a gfci breaker on the bathroom circuit and that's usually where the BS annoying multiple point nuisance tripping begins. often times, at homeowners request, i have returned to a house a month or 6 after the homeowner takes possession and removed either the GFCI ouitlet or swapped the gfci breaker for a standard ITE or whatever panel type....
its not nessecary to feed a gfi downstream off of another gfci, sometimes one can trip faster than the other, or one will trip when you reset the one that tripped the first time, it becomes a pain in the ass... tho some people just like to see the gfi outlet in the wall, inspectors especially. you can argue till your blue in the face with an inspector (not a wise choice, lol) but in the end what the man says goes, regardless if you have 10 gfci's all fed downstream from each other and fed originally from a gfci breaker.
whatapothead
Well-Known Member
i understand all this... but my question is... is it easier to add breakers in the panel or to build a 240v panel that i can mount up in my grow room?as long as your not running hydro.... you dont find very many 240v pumps and cycle timers for cheap
you really dont gain that much by running 240v unless your out of amperage; and that is where the true benefit of 240v comes in handy. heres how:
lets assume you have a 600w lamp thats hooked to a 120/240v ballast. the ballast draws an additional 60w. so you have 660w total for the one light. right now you have it running on 120v-
660w @ 120v = 5.5 amps
now, take the same ballast, switch it too 240v-
660w @ 240v = 2.75 amps
the higher the voltage, the lower the amperage. voltage and amperage are inversely proportional.... electricity is all about the math man.
by raising the voltage, it allows you to have more fixtures on the same circuit.
and thats about it. dont fall for people saying it will reduce your bill... you get billed for wattage by the power company, and wattage is always constant when dealing with electricity.
and if you read my post i am wanting to run the 6 600w hps systems on this 240v panel. 40amp 240v should handle this safely correct?