timers controllers, interfaces... wtf?

[cosistoner]

hello, this is only my second post here so i hope i don't say something wrong. I have been growing in tents and my closet for the last 2 years (in hydro just an FYI) and kept to the KISS (Keep it simple stupid) philosophy. Now that i have the space, i decided to step up to a larger scale. While going threw the Hydrofarm 08 catalog and the National Garden Wholesale cat. i'm left asking more questions then were solved.

I'm looking for help, i will be turning a super loft (roughly 30x30ft) room into a grow room. I want to make the system as close to set and forget and have no clue what most if any of these do... my last set up was all 120v ran on simple timers and had 2 lights that were switchable from HM to HPS. My new set up is much larger scale and a bit more complex. here is the definitive info i can provide right now.

I will be running (2) 24 site Ebb and Gro bucket systems for the flowering room, in the veg chamber i will be running (2) 8'x4' ebb & flow tables for veg and a single 4x4 table for mothers. In the veg room i plan to run (3) 1000W MH E-Ballasts and (6 to 10) 1000W HPS e-ballasts in the flower room. and a co2 generator in the flower room. I will be cycling and taking cuts every 4 weeks from table to table to bucket to bucket to harvest.

here are my questions....
1: should i have an electrician come out and run 240 lines for both rooms?
2: controllers? Power expansion modules? are these products worth it?
3: A/C, since this will be a filtered room all my lights are going to be fan cooled... is there any point in running a A/C system in it?
4: What should i be looking at as far as timers and so forth? i would like to keep each chamber on its own breaker and one timer.
5: i read a forum on here where someone ran his system on a programmable logic controller... would that be a simpler way to running my system?

i have a lot of the products in hand and will be ordering still when money comes in. I thought i would ask these questions before hand so i could get the best and most info i could.

thnks for the help.
Cosistoner

 

[VenturaHwy]

Start by looking in your main electrical panel. How many empty spots do you have for breakers? What is the panels main breaker? 200 amps for example

Next add up you loads - 9,000 to 13,000 watts
I would use the 40 amp Dayton or Intermatic timers -
need sleep now zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[cosistoner]

gotta wait till the morn to see, no light to look at tonight. damn me and no flash lights!

 

[confedrate69]

yes u will want 240 volts wired in if the house does not have a 200 amp service running that much juice and reg every day stuff could be difficult.


this is the main 100amp power supply box for my rooms flower is 4kw personal flower is 2 kw and veg is running 1200w that's 7200w of hps, add 2 A/C units pumps timers fans relay coils and there's serious power pulled.
as for timers i would build one of the diy jobs were 1-120v timer controlls all of your 240v lights and any thing 120v. belive its "link o rama" on here that has all the cool diy stuff that can be done simple if u can follow instructions. i have built a few large scale power controllers so if there's any way i can help let me know "recent part #-- diagrams ect."

this will be the first and fore most thing u need to get straightened out is the power requirments if u need to higher a licenced electricion to put in a 100 amp sub panel in the loft by all means do it tell them u are having a air handler or electric furnace hooked up up there and your buddy refuses to do the electric part of the job have them use something like a 90 amp breaker those are common on electric furnaces.

 

[cosistoner]

i have a privet contractor who knows me since i was a baby, he knows i grow, so no excuses really needed there. as far as the sub-panal goes i think that will have to be done with out question with the scale.

I got a question how does the a/c work with the ventilation? i have never needed a/c and would think that it would pull the cold air out before doing any good in the room? would i run them in the night cycle or would i turn the vents on in intervals so the a/c would make a difference? with 2 cycles of flowering going on i would imagine that they would produce a good amount of smell? in my tent and closet i ran the vent during the day cycle for the whole 12 hrs.

 

[confedrate69]

the best way for A/C that i have found is run it 24/7 and u run the carbon filter to the intake side of ac unit with a fan of coures pulling through filter pushing through A/C then bring in ducts on 1 end for the lights intake from outside and exaust lights out another duct going out side the room so the light sys is completly sealed off from room and then u can use a small fan to exchinge the air once every 2 hours here for 15 mins

 

[yamaha_1fan]

here are my questions....
1: should i have an electrician come out and run 240 lines for both rooms?

Yes. Have a sub panel installed. You are talking about quite a bit of power

2: controllers? Power expansion modules? are these products worth it?

I dont know. I dont use them


3: A/C, since this will be a filtered room all my lights are going to be fan cooled... is there any point in running a A/C system in it?

Absolutely. That flower room is going to be cooking. I run 9,000 Watts and 6000 of those are air cooled. I still need a 25K BTU A/C. And in summer it struggles. Plus if you plan on using co2, you cant vent the room

4: What should i be looking at as far as timers and so forth? i would like to keep each chamber on its own breaker and one timer.

One breaker may be tough. 10,000 watt /240 V = 41 amps. You will need a 60 amp breaker and some pretty big wire for all that. I split mine across 2 40 amp breakers and use 2 intermatic timers. You could use a cheap timer running a contactor.

5: i read a forum on here where someone ran his system on a programmable logic controller... would that be a simpler way to running my system?

I think that may overcomplicate things. My lights are on one timer, pumps on a timer, and the exhaust fans for the lights are on a timer. The A/C is controlled by a line voltage thermostat.

 

[yamaha_1fan]

I dont understand your A/C and venting setup.

Are you going to flip flop the flower room? You say 2 cycles of flowering?

Your lights should be vented with an intake from outside the room, then exhasuted outside the room. In theory, none of the room air should enter this air flow. Of course that depends on hood leaks, if you are pushing, pulling etc. So you could put a filter on the exhaust.

The room would be sealed in theory. There would be no need to run a filter for the A/C as all the air it pulls in, it blows back out.

If you plan on venting the room, then no need to run co2

Here you can where the intake is



the exhaust next to the A/C


And the exhasut from the outside of the room


All the hoods were not cooled when the pic was taken.

And here is a better look at the timers running the ballasts. The timer in the bottom left runs an air compressor, set to turn on when lights are off.

 

[cosistoner]

i guess ill be ditching a lot of my ideas... lol

I know the venting for the lights, my hydro hut vented from one side to the other.

The CO2 i will be ditching till i can dial this system in better and see how my results are. Back to KISS.

as for the 2 cycles, i plan to have my 1-4 weeks of flower in one ebb system and then for the last 4-? ill run in the last ebb system (each with its own nute requirements.

as far as a/c systems go what would be a good brand/size/ model if possible

I decided for cost sake to just sacrifice my garage, and my car , to build in there, a bit more space to work with, much closer to the breakers, much easier to build wall in there and to remove later if need be.

so i would be making this into a Closed Growroom. thnks for the help so far guys i guess i got a lot more research and planning to do.