Ballast running with no bulb plugged in - Growroom Designs & Equipment - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

ItsMoBetta · 02-11-2018, 12:55 PM

Question. If I plug the digital ballast into the wall and it’s running, and I leave the end where it connects to the bulb disconnected, is it still using 1000 watts of electricity?

Sounds weird, but it’s useful because a friend is growing in a property that was recently inspected and he’s super paranoid that maybe LE wanted to see what was using so much power. So he bid all the ballasts inside empty pc cases and had them all running to look like a bunch of web servers. That way on the day of inspection if it was LE they would see that he still used the same amount of electricity on the day they paid him a visit, making them think that the computer operation is what has been drawing so much power every day. Because otherwise it would seem suspicious that his power consumption suddenly went to from super to nothing on the very day they came, which would make it look like he took everything down.

The guys running 12k

Limeygreen · 02-11-2018, 01:50 PM

Plug in a kill a watt metre and see what it says

MJPassion · 02-11-2018, 05:51 PM

I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.
With no bulb in, power draw should be near zero I would think.

BUT...

Then you have 1000watts of potential energy at a high frequency just sitting there ready to strike an arc on the open leads or in the hood.

I would deem that a fire hazard & consider it unsafe.

What’s going to happen when the inspector wants to see where the wires are going?
Fire hazards are probably going to be their main focal point.

02-11-2018, 12:55 PM	#1
ItsMoBetta Newbie Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 2	Ballast running with no bulb plugged in Question. If I plug the digital ballast into the wall and it’s running, and I leave the end where it connects to the bulb disconnected, is it still using 1000 watts of electricity? Sounds weird, but it’s useful because a friend is growing in a property that was recently inspected and he’s super paranoid that maybe LE wanted to see what was using so much power. So he bid all the ballasts inside empty pc cases and had them all running to look like a bunch of web servers. That way on the day of inspection if it was LE they would see that he still used the same amount of electricity on the day they paid him a visit, making them think that the computer operation is what has been drawing so much power every day. Because otherwise it would seem suspicious that his power consumption suddenly went to from super to nothing on the very day they came, which would make it look like he took everything down. The guys running 12k
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02-11-2018, 01:50 PM	#2
Limeygreen Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,750	Plug in a kill a watt metre and see what it says __________________ Your best you try, to harm I and I, Aiming to kill. But I love you still Cause you are here to make prophecy fulfill.
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02-11-2018, 05:51 PM	#3
MJPassion Observer Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: uni-verse Posts: 5,584	I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. With no bulb in, power draw should be near zero I would think. BUT... Then you have 1000watts of potential energy at a high frequency just sitting there ready to strike an arc on the open leads or in the hood. I would deem that a fire hazard & consider it unsafe. What’s going to happen when the inspector wants to see where the wires are going? Fire hazards are probably going to be their main focal point.
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