Growroom Electricity and Wiring
- Thread starter Phillthy
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Leroy Brown
Member
Don't quote me on this because I have absolutely no clue what I am talking about and listening to me might result in burning the house down.
With that said, Everyone I see using those timers usually runs the 10 gauge to it, then into a sub panel, with branch circuits coming off the subpanel going to the receptacles, that way it's all on appropriate sized breakers. You can't piggyback off of all those receptacles because they are only rated at 15 or 20 amps at most (and you wouldn't even be able to fit 10 gauge onto them anyways).
Keep in mind I've never wired one of those timers in, and my experience is very limited.
Leroy Brown
Member
Figured you guys might find this interesting........
Figured you guys might find this interesting........
Am I correct in catching this no-no performed by a licensed electrician on a fairly new home? 20 amp breaker with 12 gauge leaving the panel, but in the attic where it attaches to the bathroom heater it's 14 gauge. I'd like to know where the junction is as it would be nice to have another 20 amp circuit upstairs, but I'm pretty sure it's buried in the walls.
Figured you guys might find this interesting........
Am I correct in catching this no-no performed by a licensed electrician on a fairly new home? 20 amp breaker with 12 gauge leaving the panel, but in the attic where it attaches to the bathroom heater it's 14 gauge. I'd like to know where the junction is as it would be nice to have another 20 amp circuit upstairs, but I'm pretty sure it's buried in the walls.
Set a sub panel using the current receptacle wiring,
2 hots and a ground?
That 240 is my only source of power.
Ive set a SP off a dryer circuit ( last year in this thread) but that had a neutral
Im unsure how to properly set me a panel with my available situation
thank you
Wait , I was wrong about the available wiring
so can I do this?????
Each branch of the 110 is individually fused with these nifty little boxes I found at the hardware store. Plug n play practically.
---Actually, on those 240v circuits, the neutrals would go to ground
so can I do this?????
Each branch of the 110 is individually fused with these nifty little boxes I found at the hardware store. Plug n play practically.
---Actually, on those 240v circuits, the neutrals would go to ground
Can't answer your question as I'm not an electrician, but I may have an easier solution.
I'd just buy a timer with the circuits prefabricated. Then all you need to to is run 30 amps at 120v into the timer and plug the ballasts directly into the timer.
If you want to give yourself room to expand, check and see if the lumateks can run off 240v, I believe most are switchable. Then run 240v into the timer instead making sure to use 240v ballast cords of course.
Hey, can anyone tell me if MP ever came back or what happened to him? I don't have time to browse through the thread to see if he ever did come back or not - weather conditions here took power out in my home and my home detention officer allowed to to come into town to my uncles place to charge up my GPS tracking unit - I've got to head back home and will be checking back tomorrow if anyone could fill me in on the story if its known.
He was a great guy, always putting the safety of others first and despised the spread of misinformation. Helped me out a lot.
He was a great guy, always putting the safety of others first and despised the spread of misinformation. Helped me out a lot.
thingshappening
Member
OK, if anybody wants to take a stab at this, I would be greatful. Just trying to figure this out. I'm doing a rental house for 6 months so installing a sub panel is out of the question.
In my house hunting, I need to look for a 30 amp, 240 volt washer/dryer combo. Once found, buy a Powerbox DPC 7500. ( http://www.plantlightinghydroponics...0w-light-control-six-240v-outlets-p-2806.html )
- Connect Powerbox to washer/dryer outlet, directly.
- Powerbox can power 6, 240volt, 1K watt HPS bulbs safely, at exactly 25 net amps.
- The extra long ballast cords that come with the ballast are safe to get the ballast to the grow room from the Powerbox.
Thank you.
In my house hunting, I need to look for a 30 amp, 240 volt washer/dryer combo. Once found, buy a Powerbox DPC 7500. ( http://www.plantlightinghydroponics...0w-light-control-six-240v-outlets-p-2806.html )
- Connect Powerbox to washer/dryer outlet, directly.
- Powerbox can power 6, 240volt, 1K watt HPS bulbs safely, at exactly 25 net amps.
- The extra long ballast cords that come with the ballast are safe to get the ballast to the grow room from the Powerbox.
Thank you.
thingshappening
Member
Anybody? I'm sorry, I've read the thread and also read the instructions on the Powerbox available online. Very confused still.
You need to spell out your question a little more clearly, it appears as though you are just making a statement. If you are concerned about the Powerbox's capacity, with that load you are just slightly over the 80% rule (25 amps vs 24), but not enough to be a deal killer. Long cords should be avoided where possible, but if this is the only way that you can get there, just make sure that they aren't a tripping hazard or subject to damage. They should already be appropriately sized if they came with the ballasts. Hope this helps, if not ask again!
thingshappening
Member
Thanks man. I guess I'm just confused as to the logistics of it. I've plugged in a playstation and a laptop; that is the extent of my electrical knowledge. 
So, the dryer in my rental is 40 amps rated, 3 prong. The Powerbox "dryer plug" is literally just that, in that it plugs directly into the socket that normally runs the dryer? I read about "male" "plugs" needed or something and it confuses me?
From there, I mount the powerbox to...something, so that it's not on the ground. Then, I run HUGE, heavy duty, "10/3" extension cords about 40 feet from the Powerbox (which is mounted near the dryer) to the grow room. I run said cords along the wall, elevated so as to not be in contact with the ground.
Sort of correct?
I'm in a situation where I'm dealing with electrical myself for the first time, and it's a rental in a state where hiring an electrician for a sub is a no-go. So I'm embarrassed to ask these stupid questions, but I'd be much more embarrassed with a burned down home.
So, the dryer in my rental is 40 amps rated, 3 prong. The Powerbox "dryer plug" is literally just that, in that it plugs directly into the socket that normally runs the dryer? I read about "male" "plugs" needed or something and it confuses me?
From there, I mount the powerbox to...something, so that it's not on the ground. Then, I run HUGE, heavy duty, "10/3" extension cords about 40 feet from the Powerbox (which is mounted near the dryer) to the grow room. I run said cords along the wall, elevated so as to not be in contact with the ground.
Sort of correct?
I'm in a situation where I'm dealing with electrical myself for the first time, and it's a rental in a state where hiring an electrician for a sub is a no-go. So I'm embarrassed to ask these stupid questions, but I'd be much more embarrassed with a burned down home.
The link that you have to the Powerbox shows a 4-prong plug, which is necessary for you to get 120vac out the other end. A 4-prong plug has a ground, (2) 120 vac hot legs, and a neutral. You will get 240vac from going between the (2) 120 legs, and you get 120vac by going from either of the 120vac lines to the neutral. A 3-prong plug does not have the neutral available. It contains a ground and the (2) 120vac hot legs only, giving you access to 240vac only. If you want to run a single, large extension cord, it needs to be between the existing dryer plug and the Powerbox, and rated to carry the full ampacity of the circuit. You have two different approaches detailed in your posts - the first post talks about long cords to the ballasts and the Powerbox plugged into the wall. This scenario would require a separate cord for each ballast, so you would have a total of 6 cords running from the Powerbox, one to each ballast. In your post today, you talk about a 10/3 cord, (good for 30 amps, not 40, and won't work with the shown Powerbox because it requires 10/4, see above). This version would allow you to move the Powerbox into the grow room (if the cord was compatible, which it isn't) and plug the ballasts in directly. If you get the 3 prong vs 4 prong worked out, the breaker feeding the dryer plug could be changed to a 30 amp double-pole breaker so that you wouldn't have to needlessly oversize the extension cord.
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thingshappening
Member
Thank you very much for clearing this up. I think I've got it down now. It's a pretty easy concept but I'm verrrry slow.
Thanks again sincerely for your patient, well-written explanation.
Wait , I was wrong about the available wiring
so can I do this?????
Each branch of the 110 is individually fused with these nifty little boxes I found at the hardware store. Plug n play practically.
---Actually, on those 240v circuits, the neutrals would go to ground
Looks like you are using the ground wire as a neutral as well?
Hi I had a quick electrical question and didn't feel like making a thread. 
I just switched my room to vertical and it's bright as shit! I want to install a kill switch for the lights while I'm in there for safety and I'm thinking the easiest way to do this is to just use a powerstrip and hit the toggle switch...only thing is the ballasts are on 240v ...I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be safe to do as long as I don't exceed the 80% rule of whatever the gauge of the wire is or whatever the max amps of the powerstrip is right? It will be safely labeled and stuff so no fools plug 120 stuffs into it
There's 2 x 1k lights/ballasts, so I was thinking 1 20amp (minimum) powerstrip per ballast and just have 2 switches?a 15amp powerstrip is cutting it kinda close though right? with 1k continuous load already being something like 82% of 15%amps and that's not factoring in the power consumption of the ballast.
er wait a sec...since they're running 240 I could downsize the amperage on the powerstrip right? looking at the chart on page 1
"12 gauge - 20 amps - 1920 watts @(120)
................................ 3840 watts @(240)
so if I can find a 12 gauge powerstrip I should be able to plug in both 1k ballasts into it since I'm using it as a 240v "receptacle" and have them on a single switch safely right? cuz 80% of that 3840watts is like .. somewhere around 3100..
electrical dudes please yell at me if it's not safe to do this.
thanks in advance
edit: in hindsight the safety issue here seems to be that I'm not using the proper 240v plugs in the first place...now that I'm thinking about that I might change them out...is there a cheep option for a 240v switch...I've wired in 120v switches before but I don't get how you wire up a switch to 240 since there's 2 hot leads...are there special 240v switches for gang boxes or something? ...oh hey I guess that means that 120v powerstrip would probably only be turning off the hot line and leaving the common closed..that doesn't seems safe...damn I'm answering all my own questions here....
*currently loading another bowl and rethinking things
I just switched my room to vertical and it's bright as shit! I want to install a kill switch for the lights while I'm in there for safety and I'm thinking the easiest way to do this is to just use a powerstrip and hit the toggle switch...only thing is the ballasts are on 240v ...I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be safe to do as long as I don't exceed the 80% rule of whatever the gauge of the wire is or whatever the max amps of the powerstrip is right? It will be safely labeled and stuff so no fools plug 120 stuffs into it
There's 2 x 1k lights/ballasts, so I was thinking 1 20amp (minimum) powerstrip per ballast and just have 2 switches?a 15amp powerstrip is cutting it kinda close though right? with 1k continuous load already being something like 82% of 15%amps and that's not factoring in the power consumption of the ballast.
er wait a sec...since they're running 240 I could downsize the amperage on the powerstrip right? looking at the chart on page 1
"12 gauge - 20 amps - 1920 watts @(120)
................................ 3840 watts @(240)
so if I can find a 12 gauge powerstrip I should be able to plug in both 1k ballasts into it since I'm using it as a 240v "receptacle" and have them on a single switch safely right? cuz 80% of that 3840watts is like .. somewhere around 3100..
electrical dudes please yell at me if it's not safe to do this.
thanks in advance
edit: in hindsight the safety issue here seems to be that I'm not using the proper 240v plugs in the first place...now that I'm thinking about that I might change them out...is there a cheep option for a 240v switch...I've wired in 120v switches before but I don't get how you wire up a switch to 240 since there's 2 hot leads...are there special 240v switches for gang boxes or something? ...oh hey I guess that means that 120v powerstrip would probably only be turning off the hot line and leaving the common closed..that doesn't seems safe...damn I'm answering all my own questions here....
*currently loading another bowl and rethinking things
