First timer having trouble. HELP!

Hey everyone! I've been lurking for a good while and I can't thank you all enough for the information here. I've never grown before but always dreamed of it. What smoker doesn't, right? Anyway now that I'm single, living alone, and have money I decided to start puting things together. My first grow still might be a long way off, especially given the problem I'm having. I hope someone here can shed some light on it for me. I apologize in advance for the length of the post.

OK, here's what I have so far. A DR60 tent (24" x 24" x 63") with a 250w HPS in a cool tube (very tight fit for that tent). I vent this with a EcoPlus 4" inline fan (170cfm). I have the fan on a speedster fan control. The lowest setting seems to be enough to vent such a small tent.

Here's the problem. I live in a one bedroom unit in a building built around 1932. The electrical has never been updated. A 30amp fuse box is all I have for the unit. My place has only 2-prong outlets so I had to use one of those adapter thingies that screws onto the outlet cover in the middle. When I first got my HPS, I opened it up and plugged it in. After it had been on a while I went into my kitchen and realized that the digital screen on my range was off. I couldn't turn it on or anything it looked like it wad been unplugged. The electric starters on the burners still worked though. Anyway, when I unplugged the light the digital screen on the range came back on, blinking like the power had been off. Evrerything else worked fine. My TV and stereo are on the same circuit as the kitchen, and everything else worked fine the whole time.

So I moved the light into my bedroom which is on the other circuit (the place is divided in two). My grow was going to be in the bedroom closet anyway. When the light was used on that separate circuit, the range was fine. I thought that was weird but decided to press on. So I put the tent up, hooked up the light and the fan and put in all the ducting. I decided to put a house plant in there overnight just as a test. I turned everything on and it seemed golden. Until an hour later when my cable box shut off. Now remember, the cable box and TV are in a separate room and on a separate circuit. When I tried to turn the cable box on, I got the blue screen. It was getting power but it would not work. I had to unplug the light for it to work again (which it did instantly). I researched this a little and found out that RFI can mess with cable, prompting the cable company to shut you off. I did a little AM radio test and sure enough, I wasn't quite grounded properly. So I fixed that, turned everything on and waited. Sure enough, the cable box shuts off again. OK, RFI isn't the problem there it seems. So what gives? Am I just puting too much strain on my apartment's electrical system? I was going to try changing the actual outlet out for a 3-prong one but I'm not sure that will help anything. I'm starting to think I will need to walk away until I buy a house (1-2 years). It really sucks though because I dropped a lot of cash on this setup. I even have beans. Thoughts?

sure....im not an electirician, but my bro is an elect. engineer so i know a few things

sounds like your ballast is pulling too much eneergy, tripping breakers. you can put a three-prong outlet, but all that the third prong is is a ground(safety feature). thought i highly recommend installing a 3 prong grounded outlet for safety precaution.

basically, you either gotta update your electrical components in your house if you want to run the 250 HPS. Suggestion in the meantime, and cheapest alternative? Retu8rn your HPS. Buy some CFLs or T-5 fluoros and rip your seedlings through the soil till about 8" with that; this will bring down your electrical usage. then, grab a UFO LED lamp or smoething with LEDs....abnd flower with that. those these can get expensive, they will last forever, draw less juice, and give you good results.

or, you could make a dedicated circuit to your grow room outlet, so just the 250 hps is pulling from that one circuit. def need an electrician for this if you dont have experience.

Thanks Snafu, I kind of figured that would be my only option. I had really hoped to use an HPS, but it looks like I won't be able to until I move. It just seems like a 250 shouldn't be that much of a problem.

One other thought. My HPS light is not a well-known brand. It's some cheap Chinese thing I bought on Ebay (I think the ballast says Fuyi Lighting on it). Is it possible that I would have better results with a better ballast? Probably not but I just can't let it go so easily.

Yeah, I don't own the place so updating electrical would be impossible. Landlord is cool with me though, he saw my mushroom grows in years past.

yikes, id stay away from unknown brands/companies. youre dealing with potential fire hazards. i prefer lumatek ballasts, hortilux bulbs and hydrofarm hoods.

You're totally right of course. I'm kicking myself now for that decision. And it makes no sense to go buy a new Lumatek ballast if I likely can't even use it. Looks like I'm headed the T5 route. Don't even know if I want to bother.

This is what the problem is. I have over 15years repairing houses and construction. Whats going on here is theres a line attached to the back of that outlet that sends the voltage to the thing you had problems with. Probably a faulty outlet, because when you take and plug a plug into it it cuts the connection that passes the voltage on. I had this occur in a customers house. I replaced the outlet and checked all the plugs for loose wires ect, as I sit today years later I never got called back.....FOR THAT!

EDIT: if it was drawing to much current it would cut the breaker. I specialized in carpentry and plumbing so I might be wrong. Dont think so.

Hmmm. That's interesting TK, thanks. So would you guess that replacing that outlet might help? I can do that easily. Maybe I need to check all the plugs.

If anyone has a good recommendation for an LED fixture to use in a 24" x 24" area, I might be in the market for one.

I would start at that one outlet and replace it, you wont NEED the third wire connected(Code allows the three prong installed as long as its sold explained that it doesnt have the third wire. In Cali anyway.) I would check wire contacts on the other plugs. Then you could get rid of that adapter.

TokingKing, you were absolutely right. I replaced that outlet, tested it on a tester and now everything works fine. I would +rep you, whatever that means but I don't know how. I'm not very net savvy. Anyway, looks like I'm good to go. Many thanks.

im thinking about getting this grow tent to start off with... http://buyagrowbox.com/xxl.html ....it has 120W LED & is saying that it is supposed to be proven to beat a 400W HPS, is this true? i also want this because it has the veg box at the top with t5 floros....but someone told me that i should go with the HPS because the LED isnt that powerful and it will be my first time grow.....heres the other grow tent with the 400W HPS option or the 600W HPS http://buyagrowbox.com/tents2.html which one should i go with it? i want something that will give me big yields....at least 1oz per plant.....plz help