wires on the small side, hmmm. one of the wires should say lamp on it, that goes to the black coming from the lamp. if a common doesnt say lamp just take the common from your lamp and the two other commons and wire to your common coming in. i have done alot of these but its kinda hard to remember without seeing a diagram. id just hook it up like that and fire it up. watch out for that capacitor, even with the juice turned off it can zap you. if you want to, post the diagram that is on the ballast and i can tell you for sure.
Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions
- Thread starter bricktown73
- Start date
Uncle Jimmy
Member
Got 2x1000w lights . I made a homemade electric box outta wood with 4 receptacles and ran a dedicated line to my breaker box. Is this over kill ? Still run fans pumps stuff like that off of the wall sockets. I just felt better about a dedicated line for the lights . Whats your thoughts ?
the code recommends a 20 amp circuit have no more than 1920 watts at 120 volts of continuous power. the breaker is designed to trip at 2400watts. grow lights are considered continuous, so your actually over the edge on what is recommended. your pushing somewhere around 2100 watts continuous.
Its always a good idea to dedicate circuits just for the lights. Just count the watts (on the ballast, not the bulb). One circuit or your existing circuit should take care of anything else you want to plug in unless its huge like a heater.
yeah, most are done that way unless the house owner asks for a 400a service. if you take a normal electric heater that is standard around here, it is rated at 20,000 watts. thats almost half of your 200amp service alone.
hey man,at the top of the page type in ballast diagram capacitor . then go to the thread labeled 'wiring a HPS ballast?? help??' at the bottom of that first page someone has a nice picture on how to do it. you will be fine if you follow that. just about every device needs a common just about. fire that thing up!! let me know if it worked.
Evo8Emperor
Well-Known Member
I've got a dilemma going on I can't seem to figure out. I was rearranging my grow room in my apartment. Its a 12x14 office on a 15a gfci breaker that's also tied in with my living room.
So after I was gone going to plug everything back in mind you I have no lights on in my grow tent either. But everytime I got to plug my pumps and compressors in the breaker pops.
I tested everything alone and nothing pops. But if I got to plug anything else in along with my t-5 that's on my clones the breaker pops. I have ran an extension cord from my room and its running the 3 sub pumps in my aeroponic bins.
I was thinking the breaker shit the bed so I switched it with my kitchen 20amp breaker and its still doing the same shit. I have nothing in water besides my pumps and everything works as long as its not plugged into the office plugs now.
Got any ideas ? Thanks..
So after I was gone going to plug everything back in mind you I have no lights on in my grow tent either. But everytime I got to plug my pumps and compressors in the breaker pops.
I tested everything alone and nothing pops. But if I got to plug anything else in along with my t-5 that's on my clones the breaker pops. I have ran an extension cord from my room and its running the 3 sub pumps in my aeroponic bins.
I was thinking the breaker shit the bed so I switched it with my kitchen 20amp breaker and its still doing the same shit. I have nothing in water besides my pumps and everything works as long as its not plugged into the office plugs now.
Got any ideas ? Thanks..
benny blanco
Active Member
Will I blow a fuse if I run my 1000hps and a 10000btu portable a/c on the same surge protector?
I have a question for the electrician if he is in.
Can I run a dual receptacle on a single 240v line? I am thinking not but I might be wrong.
I have 4 1000w 240v HPS to run. I have an 8 light (sentinel) controller and I am figuring on running the unused dryer wire through the attic to the garage and into a ceiling receptacle to plug the controller to. My light controller uses a separate timer so I would like to be able to run another plug/timer for a single 240v 600watt light for the veg chamber in the same space. Thus the need for two receptacles. It seems like it should be possible but I don't think it's as simple as running the wires to both plugs with a common ground like 120v.
Can I run a dual receptacle on a single 240v line? I am thinking not but I might be wrong.
I have 4 1000w 240v HPS to run. I have an 8 light (sentinel) controller and I am figuring on running the unused dryer wire through the attic to the garage and into a ceiling receptacle to plug the controller to. My light controller uses a separate timer so I would like to be able to run another plug/timer for a single 240v 600watt light for the veg chamber in the same space. Thus the need for two receptacles. It seems like it should be possible but I don't think it's as simple as running the wires to both plugs with a common ground like 120v.
Honkeycorn
Well-Known Member
I also have a question for the electrician if he is in.
I want to wire a toggle switch to into a extention cord between the wall outlet and the load, As an emergerncy switch for my growdrobe.
What type of switch should I use? (SPST or DPST) not to sure for a grounded extention cord.
Also detailed wiring instructions would be nice.
Any help is appreciated.
I want to wire a toggle switch to into a extention cord between the wall outlet and the load, As an emergerncy switch for my growdrobe.
What type of switch should I use? (SPST or DPST) not to sure for a grounded extention cord.
Also detailed wiring instructions would be nice.
Any help is appreciated.
n00bGrower
Well-Known Member
I have a question regarding re-wiring my Sunsystem 150w HPS (http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=HLCSHPS015SS) so I can put it into a DIY CoolTube (https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/121080-diy-cool-tube-how.html) I already have all the plans and materials for making the tube, but I need some assistance wiring the remote ballast. I opened the light last night and have a few questions...
1) The ignitor says that the ballast cannot be further than 2 feet from the lamp. OK, no big deal. I'd like to have it further away, but I guess I make 2 feet work.
2) I'm used to having 3 wires to deal with (B/W/G or Live/Neutral/Ground) and seeing the B/W coming from the fixture and then into the switch, only to come out and go into the ballast and ignitor, makes me nervous; never wired anything that needed a ballast or ignitor except my t5 tubes, but that was just (B/W/G).
I'm all sorts of confused about how to wire it. I'd like to omit the switch entirely and just have my timer regulate when to supply power. I'm at work and can't put up any pics of the unit and I can't seem to find a wiring diagram. I'm sure this is a simple project, but as with anything "It's only easy if you know EXACTLY what you're doing".
Thanks!
1) The ignitor says that the ballast cannot be further than 2 feet from the lamp. OK, no big deal. I'd like to have it further away, but I guess I make 2 feet work.
2) I'm used to having 3 wires to deal with (B/W/G or Live/Neutral/Ground) and seeing the B/W coming from the fixture and then into the switch, only to come out and go into the ballast and ignitor, makes me nervous; never wired anything that needed a ballast or ignitor except my t5 tubes, but that was just (B/W/G).
I'm all sorts of confused about how to wire it. I'd like to omit the switch entirely and just have my timer regulate when to supply power. I'm at work and can't put up any pics of the unit and I can't seem to find a wiring diagram. I'm sure this is a simple project, but as with anything "It's only easy if you know EXACTLY what you're doing".
Thanks!
Hey, it depends on the voltage your feeding it with and the size of your breaker. A 20a breaker is good for 1920 watts at 120volts. if your running 240volts then you have almost 4000 available for use.
Ya, just use the right plugs. they will say 240volt on them. You can go from one to another and another and another if you want. its up to you not to overload it though.
make sure you use the proper connectors and secure a box somehow to the wall or something. if you are running 240 then dp switch. 120 is only a sp switch, you are just switching the hot and not the common. you can splice the common in the switch box but dont break it with the switch. the hot goes in on one screw and comes out on the other to the load. doesnt matter which screw as long is its not the green one. that is the ground.
it uses the same watts no matter what. so for anyone listening, you can quit thinking your saving money on these things. it just burns off the excess energy in heat!! now after i said all of that i will retract that statement if anyone knows if these ballasts let you remove your 1000watt bulb and let you install a 400 in its place. then i would actually think about buying one of those overpriced ballasts.
If the bulb is rated for 1000 watts then it is going to pull that 1000 watts no matter what.