What do YOU do to assure fire safety when leaving your grow unattended? - Security & Legal Issues - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

03-25-2006, 06:47 PM

I'm worried about my fan frying out and causing a fire one day, or something shorting out and causing a fire. It's a slim chance but it could always happen and it's got me paranoid.

Does anyone have any special cutoff switches wired into their grow, or something that will call their cell if something goes wrong? Any other preventative ideas?

I don't like the idea of leaving an HPS on while I'm not home.

l_d_d · 03-25-2006, 09:36 PM

You can run a dedicated breaker to a plug for your light, if you are worried about overloading the one its on.

You need to find out how many things are plugged in to the circuit you are using. Also what size breaker they are on.

I say just start with safe wiring and safe electricity and you shouldnt have to worry. For me that is the best preventative idea.

dmcheatw · 03-25-2006, 10:03 PM

i heard from an old mod on og that you should add up the amperage of all applicances on that circut, and then check to see that your not using more than 80% of the amperage that the circut is rated for... another important principal is redundancy

it's the same reason why airplanes virtiually never crash excepting pilot error, when one system fails design it in such a way as there are other back-ups to fall back on. try to ensure that any one failure will not cause the whole system to go down, i didn't secure my light with 1 chain, i used two, and in ur case you 2 or three fans instead of one, that way if one chokes some air will still be moving

03-25-2006, 10:15 PM

What if a fan is worn out, stops, and the electricity sparks a fire? If a fan failed like that mechanically, yet still had electricity going to it, would a circuit breaker cut off electricity to it? I've tried stopping a fan like that and even though there's a circuit breaker in the house, it doesn't trip any breakers - instead, the fan will just smolder, spark, or melt. This hazard is what worries me the most

l_d_d · 03-25-2006, 10:31 PM

Ive had them burn up on me, but never seen one catch on fire.

Dont use old or cheap fans.

03-26-2006, 06:29 PM

somebody recommended a GFCI type surge protector, you can get them at Home Depot, I got one of those since I was worried, if anything overloads then it shuts everything down, I tested it when I was trying to wire a cool tube, I put it in a regular outlet and it fried the outlet, and then I tried it using that GFCI surge protector, and it just shut everything down and didn't mess up the outlet.

you can also schedule your lights to try and keep them on when you're home, you probably have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm, I believe you can also purchase fire sprinklers at a very low cost. you can also get, but they're really expensive and I forgot what they're called, but they're fire extinguishers for boats and it automatically goes off when there's a fire and extinguishes.

monkeyman · 03-30-2006, 09:14 PM

Someone mentioned an arc fault. Its better then a regular breaker because it will blow if there is a short circuit of any kind. They're like 31 bucks at home depot. I plan on getting on as soon as I have the money.

03-30-2006, 10:40 PM

Does this go in a fusebox?

Isn't there something I can just put in between my fan plug and what it plugs into, in order to act as a fuse incase the fan jams up?

DJ Twist · 03-30-2006, 10:49 PM

I have an arc-fault breaker. Code requires them for bedrooms in my area.

It replaces a standard breaker, and works like a GFCI, but instead of just ground faults, it will trip for arc faults. It senses smaller disruptions in voltage that might not trip a GFCI but could still be hazardous.

Have you ever had something turned on and plugged in and pulled it out and a little spark jumped from the socket to the plug? - that's one example of an arc fault. (Although AFCI's usually are smart enough not to trip in this example.)

As far as something between the fan and socket, you could use some type of surge protecter that will trip. Not all power strips do this, even if they have a reset button.

https://www.ul.com/regulators/afci/

https://www.askthebuilder.com/320_New..._Of_Mind.shtml

03-30-2006, 11:01 PM

So if a fan was connected to a surge protector, and a fan got jammed up while plugged in, the surge protector would trip?

I'm trying to thing of that happening but I thought surge protectors only protect from incoming surges....so like, if the fan got jammed, the power would still get past the surge, and the fan would start burning up....or am I wrong?

03-25-2006, 06:47 PM	#1
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	What do YOU do to assure fire safety when leaving your grow unattended? I'm worried about my fan frying out and causing a fire one day, or something shorting out and causing a fire. It's a slim chance but it could always happen and it's got me paranoid. Does anyone have any special cutoff switches wired into their grow, or something that will call their cell if something goes wrong? Any other preventative ideas? I don't like the idea of leaving an HPS on while I'm not home.
	Quote

03-25-2006, 09:36 PM	#2
l_d_d Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 334	You can run a dedicated breaker to a plug for your light, if you are worried about overloading the one its on. You need to find out how many things are plugged in to the circuit you are using. Also what size breaker they are on. I say just start with safe wiring and safe electricity and you shouldnt have to worry. For me that is the best preventative idea.
	Quote

03-25-2006, 10:03 PM	#3
dmcheatw Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 120	i heard from an old mod on og that you should add up the amperage of all applicances on that circut, and then check to see that your not using more than 80% of the amperage that the circut is rated for... another important principal is redundancy it's the same reason why airplanes virtiually never crash excepting pilot error, when one system fails design it in such a way as there are other back-ups to fall back on. try to ensure that any one failure will not cause the whole system to go down, i didn't secure my light with 1 chain, i used two, and in ur case you 2 or three fans instead of one, that way if one chokes some air will still be moving
	Quote

03-25-2006, 10:15 PM	#4
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	What if a fan is worn out, stops, and the electricity sparks a fire? If a fan failed like that mechanically, yet still had electricity going to it, would a circuit breaker cut off electricity to it? I've tried stopping a fan like that and even though there's a circuit breaker in the house, it doesn't trip any breakers - instead, the fan will just smolder, spark, or melt. This hazard is what worries me the most Last edited by Shibby Dobbins; 03-25-2006 at 10:18 PM..
	Quote

03-25-2006, 10:31 PM	#5
l_d_d Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 334	Ive had them burn up on me, but never seen one catch on fire. Dont use old or cheap fans.
	Quote

03-26-2006, 06:29 PM	#6
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	somebody recommended a GFCI type surge protector, you can get them at Home Depot, I got one of those since I was worried, if anything overloads then it shuts everything down, I tested it when I was trying to wire a cool tube, I put it in a regular outlet and it fried the outlet, and then I tried it using that GFCI surge protector, and it just shut everything down and didn't mess up the outlet. you can also schedule your lights to try and keep them on when you're home, you probably have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm, I believe you can also purchase fire sprinklers at a very low cost. you can also get, but they're really expensive and I forgot what they're called, but they're fire extinguishers for boats and it automatically goes off when there's a fire and extinguishes.
	Quote

03-30-2006, 09:14 PM	#7
monkeyman Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Swinging from a tree branch... Posts: 173	Someone mentioned an arc fault. Its better then a regular breaker because it will blow if there is a short circuit of any kind. They're like 31 bucks at home depot. I plan on getting on as soon as I have the money. __________________ Currently Growing: 600 watt 7 LST'd Sour Diesel
	Quote

03-30-2006, 10:40 PM	#8
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Does this go in a fusebox? Isn't there something I can just put in between my fan plug and what it plugs into, in order to act as a fuse incase the fan jams up?
	Quote

03-30-2006, 10:49 PM	#9
DJ Twist OG Refugee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hell's Pit Posts: 116	I have an arc-fault breaker. Code requires them for bedrooms in my area. It replaces a standard breaker, and works like a GFCI, but instead of just ground faults, it will trip for arc faults. It senses smaller disruptions in voltage that might not trip a GFCI but could still be hazardous. Have you ever had something turned on and plugged in and pulled it out and a little spark jumped from the socket to the plug? - that's one example of an arc fault. (Although AFCI's usually are smart enough not to trip in this example.) As far as something between the fan and socket, you could use some type of surge protecter that will trip. Not all power strips do this, even if they have a reset button. https://www.ul.com/regulators/afci/ https://www.askthebuilder.com/320_New..._Of_Mind.shtml __________________ "Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." - Albert Einstein *Abusus non tollit usum.* Alternative Garden Supply Last edited by DJ Twist; 03-30-2006 at 10:53 PM..
	Quote

03-30-2006, 11:01 PM	#10
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	So if a fan was connected to a surge protector, and a fan got jammed up while plugged in, the surge protector would trip? I'm trying to thing of that happening but I thought surge protectors only protect from incoming surges....so like, if the fan got jammed, the power would still get past the surge, and the fan would start burning up....or am I wrong?
	Quote