40 amp breaker poping with only 25/30 amps of current??

[DIGITALHIPPY]

double 20. only using 5 ballasts @ 4.8 amps, lets call it 5.5 start-up thats 27.5 amps. isnt it?

do i need a double 25 or double 30 replacement?

this is in 240V thanks.

5k shouldnt be poping the breaker like that should it?

incase this helps.

 

[Whatever]

Not a super duper expert here but just rig half the lights on another timer to start off like 5 minutes later.

EDIT...I've always liked inexpensive water heater timers for heavy duty work.

 

[00420]

double 20. only using 5 ballasts @ 4.8 amps, lets call it 5.5 start-up thats 27.5 amps.

you answered your own ? lol
your not running a 40 amp breaker
when running at 240 it's 4.8 per line there for its 24(or 27.5 at start up) you need to replace that with a double 40

240 dont mean your running half the amp's like everyone thinks your just running half per line.

 

[FirstTracks]

so like 00420 said, the answer is in the question.

you said 40 amps, then double 20. So i'm guessing that you mean you have 20A at 240V. if thats correct, you're way over your limit. you should only have 3 1ks on that.

with 5 x1ks at 240V you're trying to pull 4.8A x 5=24A on a 20A circuit.

you need a 30A if those 5 lights are the only thing you're running on the circuit, which would be 24/30 or 80% of full load, which is max recommended continuous pull if i'm not mistaken.

and like 00420 said (again)

a 40A would make a lot more sense as it would give you an added measure of safety and the option to add accessories like fans and pumps.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

you answered your own ? lol
your not running a 40 amp breaker
when running at 240 it's 4.8 per line there for its 24(or 27.5 at start up) you need to replace that with a double 40

240 dont mean your running half the amp's like everyone thinks your just running half per line.

that still dosent soun right though.
5 amps /2 lines = 2.5 amps each line so the load is evenly split.
2.5X5 = 12.5 each side of the pole. lets call it 14 start-up
still shouldnt be poping.

FirstTracks- its not a 20amp circuit its a 40. (20+20 =40 right?)

also dosent explain why it worked for 2 days in a row without problems.

 

[Whatever]

also dosent explain why it worked for 2 days in a row without problems.

I've been waiting to run into my electrical contractor friend and ask cause I'd like some clarification. I've always looked at the panel, figure which breakers fed a certain circuit, looked at the ratings and never seemed to have a problem.

Anyway...glad this came up cause I need to get something straight for myself.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

I've been waiting to run into my electrical contractor friend and ask cause I'd like some clarification. I've always looked at the panel, figure which breakers fed a certain circuit, looked at the ratings and never seemed to have a problem.

Anyway...glad this came up cause I need to get something straight for myself.

thanks, ive only got a dual30 amp breaker feeding the whole sub....

if this makes any sense i 'snaped' the cover back on the sub, and the breaker poped, ever since then its poping real easy, say 3 days ago.

 

[cocktail frank]

your breaker is overloaded.
it just did its job.
your 1k's draw 5.5a @ 240v.
thats 5.5a draw on each of the hot legs.
you dont cut that in 1/2 again.
and its not 20+20=40a.
whatever the breaker rating is, that is what you can draw on that breaker before it pops.
even tho you dont want to pull more than 80% of the breaker rating.
so essentially 80% of 20 = 16a.

3k on a 20a 240v breaker
that is your cut off zone.

 

[00420]

that still dosent soun right though.
5 amps /2 lines = 2.5 amps each line so the load is evenly split.
2.5X5 = 12.5 each side of the pole. lets call it 14 start-up
still shouldnt be poping.

FirstTracks- its not a 20amp circuit its a 40. (20+20 =40 right?)

also dosent explain why it worked for 2 days in a row without problems.

It's not 5amp/2
it's 9.6amp/2 that's how u get 4.8

4.8 x 5 = 24 x 2poles = 48
& u have it on 20 x 2poles = 40

1k on 240 is still 9.6 amps its just split to 4.8 each pole

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

your breaker is overloaded.
it just did its job.
your 1k's draw 5.5a @ 240v.
thats 5.5a draw on each of the hot legs.
you dont cut that in 1/2 again.
and its not 20+20=40a.
whatever the breaker rating is, that is what you can draw on that breaker before it pops.
even tho you dont want to pull more than 80% of the breaker rating.
so essentially 80% of 20 = 16a.

3k on a 20a 240v breaker
that is your cut off zone.

no way man its 2.75 A on each leg.
x2 =5.5 on startup.
x5 =27.5 amps.

this subpanel is being fed by a double 40 240 breaker, and the room has a 15a 120v/ac pulling on one leg and all the fans, and a 9amp dehumy on the other 120v leg so if what your saying is right the double 40 should be poping aswell. 4 are running just fine, and i was running 5 for a few days.
ive done research on this for months before i put it together and everyone told me this is the peoper breaker. it used to work, now it doesnt. i think im going to try and reseat the breaker, somthing happened when i closed the lid last and it poped.

 

[Johnny Rotten]

You are funny, digital. Really, i always get a laugh reading your posts. LOL

9.6a @ 120v= 4.8a @ 240v x 2 legs SOOOO.......

9.6 x 4= 38.4=working

9.6x5=48.0 not working.....

A 240v circuit splits the amperage over two legs, it doesn't reduce it. You still are pulling 9.6 amps.

Your homework got a big, fat F....and a note to see the teacher.

 

[00420]

DH after reading your last post let me help you out more befor its a prob'...

24+ 15=39 that's more then 80% of your feed breaker take that 40 out and put it to your lights then buy a 60 and use that as your main...

Trust me homie

Your reasearch don't touch my experince...... who ever told you that a 20 would work was wrong

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

Your homework got a big, fat F....and a note to see the teacher.

no one asked you to come up in here and be a big old dick.
when i originaly did the amperage guaging i was spliting 4.8/2 not 9.6/2 so eat a fat one.

 

[Whatever]

Haha...it's been awhile since dealing with electrical and just talked to a friend who was basically an unlicensed electrical contractor of sorts for years. He got into the whole 20A 110V single leg breaker with 12 gauge then 2 of those to make a 20A 220V breaker and neutral in that case typically won't carry any juice, blah blah. My brain just ain't wired to deal with wiring...lol.

From what he explained a double 110 20A setup is still just 20A 220. Why that didn't pop sooner I don't know. For me I always went to the panel, read the rating on the breaker (single or double), used a meter to test the voltage at the socket I wanted to use, flipped the breaker to make sure I had the right one and if a 220 outlet and the double was marked 20 I only ran under 20. Mostly I used 30A and 40A 220 circuits though.

Maybe not hearing you right DH but like I said not good with this stuff.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

Haha...it's been awhile since dealing with electrical and just talked to a friend who was basically an unlicensed electrical contractor of sorts for years. He got into the whole 20A 110V single leg breaker with 12 gauge then 2 of those to make a 20A 220V breaker and neutral in that case typically won't carry any juice, blah blah. My brain just ain't wired to deal with wiring...lol.

From what he explained a double 110 20A setup is still just 20A 220. Why that didn't pop sooner I don't know. For me I always went to the panel, read the rating on the breaker (single or double), used a meter to test the voltage at the socket I wanted to use, flipped the breaker to make sure I had the right one and if a 220 outlet and the double was marked 20 I only ran under 20. Mostly I used 30A and 40A 220 circuits though.

Maybe not hearing you right DH but like I said not good with this stuff.

im not an electrician either...

 

[Whatever]

Why the spanking? You're the one that has the breaker popping...lol.

you need to replace that with a double 40

...if he's got #10 wire running to that spot and not #12...right?

3k on a 20a 240v breaker

That's the way I've always understood it.

double 20. only using 5 ballasts @ 4.8 amps, lets call it 5.5 start-up thats 27.5 amps. isnt it?

From what I learned today what you're calling a 'double 20' is only 20A 220 capable.

 

[00420]

quick lesson from http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/is-220-volts-more-efficient.asp

Watts Cheaper 110 or 220 Volts?

How much will I save on my electric bill if I run my lights on 220 volts?

A quick answer: Probably nothing.

This is a common misunderstanding about how electricity works and how the power companies charge you for it. The point often noted for the money saving argument is that the amperage is half as much when running grow lights on 220 volts instead of 110 volts. This is true but the utility company doesn’t charge you for amperage, they charge you for wattage. They bill you in kilowatt-hour units. A kilowatt-hour is 1000 watts of usage for one hour or approximately equals a 1000 watt light running for one hour. There’s a nice formula for this: Wattage / Voltage = Amperage. If we plug in the numbers for a 1000 watt sodium grow light, you can see that although the voltage and amperage can change, the wattage always stays the same.

1000 Sodium Grow Light
On 110 Volts: 1100W / 110V = 10A - On 220 Volts: 1100W / 220V = 5A
Note that a 1000 watt sodium ballast draws 1100 watts.

Right about now is when I get the question "well why do they make stuff to run on 220 volts then?" Usually large machines and appliances that draw lots of power run on 220 volts (or more) mainly because of the size wire you would need to use to run them on 110 volts would be very large. The gauge and length of the wire will determine the maximum amperage it will handle before it melts! On a 220 volt circuit, the load is split between two 110 volt wires. This allows you to run smaller wire. This brings us to the "probably" part of the answer. There is another factor, it’s the voltage drop or the voltage lost when the power travels down the wire. The lower the resistance on the wire, the less the voltage drop. If you are running one or two lights in a typical home with the breaker box a short distance away, the efficiency lost due to voltage drop may not be significant enough to justify rewiring your grow room for 220 volts.

 

[Whatever]

That wasn't my question and do understand the basics of that...here was my question...

...if he's got #10 wire running to that spot and not #12...right?

Would not changing out double 20's for double 40's create a potential hazard if using only #12 wire to those breakers?

 

[00420]

if he's got #10 wire running to that spot and not #12...right?

i never run #12 all way's #10

#10 is rated for 30amp's (up to 75 feet if i remember right it might be to 100')
4 1000watt lights = 40amp's 120v or 20amp's x 2 240v
5 1000watt lights = 50amp's 120v or 25amp's x 2 240v

now DH
when you ran 4 lights (20amp's) and your a/c (15amp's) you where pushing 35amp's on one line or your 40 amp 240v main....
soon as you fix the light from popping brakers with that 5th light (25amp's) by putting in a 30 ( i would put in a 40amp or a 2nd 20 ) you 40amp main will start popping it might run for a few days like this one did it might not....

what size wire do you have running from your main to your sub? this is what you need to do DH

take that 40amp out from the main and put it to your lights then buy a 60amp and use that as your main...

 

[00420]

That wasn't my question and do understand the basics of that...here was my question...

Would not changing out double 20's for double 40's create a potential hazard if using only #12 wire to those breakers?

yes.... but only if running #12

if you look at his set up.... he is running 3 off 1 orange 30 amp #10 but has a 4th plug for it thats the one popping the breaker and the 5th on a 2nd orange #10 .....

so he is running 2 #10 to the same breaker right DH?

btw i would split that up too 3 n 3 you know your going to add a 6th soon and if you do that you could just keep your 20 an buy a 2nd 20 but u still need to replace the main 40....