Electrical advice needed! Step up and get your posi-props!

[Yes4Prop215]

posiprops will be dished out too all that answer!

but here are my questions.

1) are 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits enough to power approx 4k in lights and 1k for AC safely? there will be 40 total, being run off a 100 amp subpanel. what it the total wattage potential for two 20 amp circuits. people tell me that a 50amp is enough to power 7-8k in lights...so 40 should easily do six 600 watt lights correct?

2) im trying to get him to install a 240v plug but he saying i dont need one...whats a legit reason to get one in there? i said my dad is gifting me an AC unit with a 240v plug and he said to bring the specs to him...i want a 240v plug to run my dual 1200 watt lumateks.

3) should i suggest he use 6 gauge wire or should i just trust the electricians judgement with whatever he uses. its a pretty legit electric company well known, got their own little service trucks and uniforms lol...

thanks in advance yall!

UPDATE

forgot to add theres a 30amp dryer circuit in the next room.

so 4 600s off one 20amp 240v circuit
equipment and AC off the 20amp 120v circuit.
and any extra lights will be run off the 30amp dryer circuit

 

[Flying High]

I am no electrician, but I have done the majority of my own work with the advice and help from a friend who is a licensed electrician. Don't take my word for any of this; double check yourself just to be safe....
Also know that electrical fires can occur on any part of the electrical system, not just your grow stuff(this I learned the painfully hard way). After watching a utility meter catch fire while under less than a 10amp load with no grow lights, I have become even more conservative. Always better to prepare for the worst.

check out Ohm's law... 600w/240v= 2.5amps per light

I am pretty sure you want to stay under 80% of the rated capacity, so in theory six lights(600w) could be run off one 20amp 2pole circuit; giving a total draw of 15 amps in this set-up.

I am not sure how your Lumatek ballast is set-up, but you can easily change the plug end to match the receptacle. It is possible to use a standard nema 5-15 plug end to run 240v power as long as your receptacle is rated for such use.

For example, I have a CAP MLC-8 with universal receptacles wired with 240v power. My CAP Next Gen ballast's are using the standard 110v cordset with nema 5-15 plug(normal 110v plug); but they are plugged into the MLC-8 which is providing 240 power; essentially 2 "hot" wires and a "ground" wire. Whereas the 110v outlet would have one "hot" wire, one "neutral" wire, and one "ground" wire.


Lastly, I am not sure if using 6 or even 8 gauge wire is possible with a 20amp receptacle; the wire may turn out to be too big to fit into the terminals on the receptacle; I'm just guessing on this?

hope this helps

H

 

[Yes4Prop215]

so a 600 running off a 120 is gonna pull 5 amps? so then running 3 lights would max out each circuit pretty much.

he isnt coming to monday...he said hes putting in 3 or 4 "quad outlets" or something like that and that i would be able to power an air conditioner, two power treadmills, a computer, a 1000w sound system, and a TV and lights all at the same time easily....

i keep telling him that i want a damn 50amp dedicated in the room but he said two 20s if enough....what do yall think? so far i have him fooled on the growing thing..dont wanna seem to eager for that 50amp

 

[Yes4Prop215]

so if im running 240v

4000 watts / 240v = only 16.6 amps so im well under load

but if im running 120v il be pulling 33.3 amps which is close to the full 40.....argh so i definately need to get that 240v installed.

im trying to find the specs for the actual 240v plug but cant find it. he says he needs to know what exact male plug it is so he can put the right female outlet.
this is the lumatek im looking at buying
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00135T8OA/?tag=shyiyodr-20

 

[Yes4Prop215]

not sure which one it is it doesnt say on the description online

 

[rives]

Neither of you are taking ballast losses into account. The ballast itself consumes power doing it's job, so you need to estimate approximately an additional 10% wattage consumption beyond the nominal lamp wattage.

Some equipment besides an air conditioner that could require 240v would include: babbitt pot (for casting bullets, fishing weights, etc); kiln (pottery making); mixers (again, pottery making), etc. Look around on the net and you might find a new hobby!

The crap from CAP is potentially very dangerous. The reason that NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) has set standards on plug configuration is to preclude the possibility of plugging in the wrong voltage device. CAP then comes along and markets their proprietary receptacle as a wonderful solution to not having the appropriate equipment, exposing a stoned client base to all of the dangers of hooking up equipment to the wrong voltage. I would be interested to see what a fire insurance inspector's view would be of finding that gear at a fire scene - I would be willing to bet that your coverage would be void.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

so its the 240v 30a im assuming...

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[rives]

so its the 240v 30a im assuming...

I can't tell from the picture, but if it is the size of a standard plug, i5 is probably the 15a.

 

[OsWiZzLe]

This is what you need to run your equipment through bro....this guy makes anything u want custom for wayyyy cheaper then the shitty CAP products...

Run everything at 240v ...it puts half the load on your breakers and you can run things more effiecent/smooth

http://www.dxsoundco.com/

 

[Yes4Prop215]

^sorry im kinda new at this...can you run a 240v at 220? or is 220v a whole new configuration. i went to the hydro shop today and looked at the 240v ballast plugs and they all look like the one i posted....240v 15/30a

also kinda confused about the pic....arent those 120v outlets?

i forgot to mention that he is installing a new 30amp circuit for my washer and dryer which is right in the next room, so i could possibly run that timer box off the washer/dryer and easily run more power into the room.

 

[OsWiZzLe]

I meant 240 not 220 ...damn OG Kushhhhy making me space that one

 

[Yes4Prop215]

damn my dryer outlet is not the four-prong dryer outlet (Nema 14-30R) that those light controllers run off....

 

[rives]

220 & 240 are the same thing in a residential setting. The voltage can range anywhere from about 220 to 250. Yes, those are 110 receptacles in the picture, but from the labeling they have them wired for 240. Really, really bad practice. You will get a demonstration of why if you plug in a radio, vacuum, or anything else. This is what I was talking about in my preceding post - a bunch of stoners have decided that it is a good idea not to have to use the appropriate plugs & receptacles, and have bypassed about 75 years of safe electrical practice.

^sorry im kinda new at this...can you run a 240v at 220? or is 220v a whole new configuration. i went to the hydro shop today and looked at the 240v ballast plugs and they all look like the one i posted....240v 15/30a

also kinda confused about the pic....arent those 120v outlets?

i forgot to mention that he is installing a new 30amp circuit for my washer and dryer which is right in the next room, so i could possibly run that timer box off the washer/dryer and easily run more power into the room.

 

[rives]

That plug configuration for a dryer doesn't have the neutral there to pull 120 off of the 240 legs. See the following link for more discussion about this.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=192116

 

[Yes4Prop215]

^thanks for the link...so basically the only thing i can run off the 10-30r dryer outlet is this timer box? and that would be safe?

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-Amp-Timer-Bo...656?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a500bff20

and im also confused about what you guys are talking about "grounding" the ballasts...is this only needed if you are installing custom ballast? if im using out of the box ballasts isnt this all already taken care of?

 

[rives]

^thanks for the link...so basically the only thing i can run off the 10-30r dryer outlet is this timer box? and that would be safe?

http://cgi.ebay.com/30-Amp-Timer-Bo...656?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a500bff20

Since there is no schematic, it is pretty hard to see how they are working things with that controller. If the cord with the 120 volt plug on it supplies the 10 amp breaker, and the dryer cord provides exclusively 240 volts, it would be fine. On the other hand, if the 120 volt cord is supposed to plug into the timer to control the lighting cycle and they are deriving 120 volts by using the ground wire in the dryer plug in place of a neutral, it is not safe.

 

[rives]

Any commercially available ballast should already be grounded when you purchase it.

 

[GanjaIsMyLife]

Good to hear you finally got a sparky in there, its your money you tell him what you want!

Yea your dryer plug no big deal you could just switch out the plug on those boxes for the one your dryer uses. Your plug has 2 hots and a ground, the new plug on the pre assembled box has 2 hots 1 neutral and 1 ground.

 

[rives]

Good to hear you finally got a sparky in there, its your money you tell him what you want!

Yea your dryer plug no big deal you could just switch out the plug on those boxes for the one your dryer uses. Your plug has 2 hots and a ground, the new plug on the pre assembled box has 2 hots 1 neutral and 1 ground.

And do what with the neutral wire?

 

[Yes4Prop215]

Sent you a pm. Use 6-20R receptacles, a 6-15 or 6-20 will plug into it. A 240 circuit requires a double-pole breaker and a 120 circuit a single pole, so no, they cannot be combined.

i posted in the wrong thread...so if i want two 240v outlets il have to run it off its own 20amp circuit. and then the other 20amp circuit will be only 120v. i seee....

so my total plans are, since i want to stay well below load. is to run four 600s off the 240v 20 amp circuit. for a total load of 10amps....then run my AC and equipment off the 120v 20amp circuit...then run the remaining lamps off the 30amp dryer circuit..

sound about right!? thanks for everyone who contributed...