How do i set up my wiring?

[GreenMachine420]

Ok so im building a new grow room under my house where i have dug a 4 foot deep hole 8x8. this gave me an 8 foot tall space since there was already 4 feet of space in my basement. This room is super secretive but the only problem is i know nothing about wiring! there is nothing under my house so i need to install an outlet that can support two 600 watt lamps and one 400 watt plus my fans and everything else that would require electricity. Probably around 2200 watts. I've researched but simply cant figure out the BASICS as where to start. Ive also never ran this much wattage before.

So my question is where would one start with wiring this all up?

 

[jokasmoka]

First off, a trip to a hardware store. Some of the things you will need:

-Heavy gauge wires.The thicker, the better. ( ask somebody who works there about the proper gauge for the wattage you will use)
-PVC electrical tape or heatshrink insulators
-Fuzable circuit breakers
-A heavy-duty killswitch (prefferably with a big red button on it )
-A multimeter or electrical tester
-Switches and grounded wall sockets
-PVC tube for wires
-Zip ties or other accessories for mounting cables to walls

Your best bet would be to have a qualified electrician set up your wiring but due to the sensitive nature of your project, it's probably better to just ask for some tips from him.
Bear in mind that you're running a LOT of power on this circuit so don't hook it up to any of the existing circuits in your house unless you want to run the risk of fire or (in best case scenario) frequent blackouts. So you'll need to create a new circuit from your main fuzebox.


NEVER WORK ON YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UNLESS ALL POWER IS TURNED OFF !!!
NEVER use cables with damaged/missing insulation.
NEVER work with wet hands or while drunk/stoned (Some of the biggest tragedies on earth have started with the phrase "Hold my beer and watch this!" )
Use different colored wires so you don't accidentaly create short-circuits.
Always use grounded (Ground fault interruptor) systems!

Assuming you've successfuly created your circuit, test it first with a lamp/radio or any other inexpensive/disposable appliance. No sense in frying your expensive equipment if you've done something wrong.

Good luck!

 

[tehchr0nic]

Best off to hire a licensed electrician to do it for you (that's probably just the sparky in me.) If you would have had the work done before the hole was dug, you could have just had a electrician install you a couple dedicated circuits with outlets under there. Excuse could be a new sump pump and a dehumidifier. Lighting wise, your only pushing 1600 watts, at 120 volts thats only 13.3 amps. So technically you could do what you need with two 20 amp circuits. Now actually getting the deed done is a whole other thing. Depending on if your electrical panel is surface mounted or flush mounted, and where its located is the challenge. If its surface mount, its easy to get a wire or conduit in. If its recessed in the wall, its more of a challenge to fish wires into a panel. Your getting into drilling holes in wall plates and fishing a wire up into it, requires certain tools ect. Best off to hire someone that has the tools and know-how.

 

[Bullfrog44]

First off, a trip to a hardware store. Some of the things you will need:

-Heavy gauge wires.The thicker, the better. ( ask somebody who works there about the proper gauge for the wattage you will use)
-PVC electrical tape or heatshrink insulators
-Fuzable circuit breakers
-A heavy-duty killswitch (prefferably with a big red button on it )
-A multimeter or electrical tester
-Switches and grounded wall sockets
-PVC tube for wires
-Zip ties or other accessories for mounting cables to walls

Your best bet would be to have a qualified electrician set up your wiring but due to the sensitive nature of your project, it's probably better to just ask for some tips from him.
Bear in mind that you're running a LOT of power on this circuit so don't hook it up to any of the existing circuits in your house unless you want to run the risk of fire or (in best case scenario) frequent blackouts. So you'll need to create a new circuit from your main fuzebox.


NEVER WORK ON YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM UNLESS ALL POWER IS TURNED OFF !!!
NEVER use cables with damaged/missing insulation.
NEVER work with wet hands or while drunk/stoned (Some of the biggest tragedies on earth have started with the phrase "Hold my beer and watch this!" )
Use different colored wires so you don't accidentaly create short-circuits.
Always use grounded (Ground fault interruptor) systems!

Assuming you've successfuly created your circuit, test it first with a lamp/radio or any other inexpensive/disposable appliance. No sense in frying your expensive equipment if you've done something wrong.

Good luck!

lol, not even close. Lots of advice here is against code and not advised. Hire somebody that knows what they are doing because you are pulling a fair amount of power. At minimum you are looking at 2, 20amp circuits. However I like to separate my lighting and my fans, so I would run 2, 20 amp circuits for my lights, and one 20 amp for my plugs. Good luck.

Edit: just re-read you said 600w lights not 1000's. You could get away with 2, 20 amp circuits.

 

[tehchr0nic]

Funny story, I went to a house one morning to to a "panel upgrade." Now this guys a school teacher, he went to work shortly after I got there, came back for lunch and kinda looked nervous walking around his house. I thought he was checking to see if I was stealing his shit or something. He goes back to work, I finish my work, the power company comes and puts the meter back in. I turn all the breakers on, and I like to go through the house after I'm done and make sure everything works and I didn't miss a wire. I walk in a bed room and I smell green weed smell. So I kinda blow it off and open a door to what I thought was the master bathroom, nope, closet with one budding pot plant under a 150 watt hps. I laughed, closed the door and went about my day. Lucky for him the guy working on his house is a burnout too.. lol

 

[Cartel530]

ive got a 360 page electrical book. i used it when i installed my 60 amp 240 line to my room. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<edited, due to terms of use violation>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[LAboutz]

im electrician in quebec, french , so sorry for bad english....

you can do all that with 2 x 15A at 120v ,

you just cant load more then 1440w for a 15A breaker 120v ( its 80 % of 15 A ) 120v X 12A = 1440w


take 1 breaker for 2 x 600W, and the second breaker for the 400w and the others stuff you have.

just split correctly the circuit, watt!

15A 120v breaker = 1440w max or 12 A
20A 120v breaker = 1920w max or 16 A
20A 240v breaker = 3840w max or 16A

hope that help, just ask for question

 

[Hammerhead]

install a 40a breaker in your main box. Buy 8-4 power line. Run that power to the new location .Build a light controller box very easy to do here is a schematic of one that will work for you. Total cost to build 80$? or less not including the new power line. This will run both 240v and 120v timed and continues. Just replace the 30a breaker to 2 20amp breakers

 

[Cartel530]

thanks for that schematic i was wondering how i could change one of my 240 outlets to being continuous. So when the outlet is wired to the LINE its always continuous and the LOAD is the site controlled through the time. Good Shit Hammer

 

[Cartel530]

anyone have a place i can put this PDF so i can link it? i tried to upload it on here but its 69.75mb and there is a 1mb limit..

 

[Hammerhead]

Yes line side is constant. Load side is energized when 120v is applied to the relay

 

[LAboutz]

hey hammerhead , this is a good wirring for the light controller ,

exept the neutral ( white wire ) are not connected to 4 plugs to the left ...

labz

 

[rives]

hey hammerhead , this is a good wirring for the light controller ,

exept the neutral ( white wire ) are not connected to 4 plugs to the left ...

labz

That's because the two receptacles on the left are 240v. Note the direction of the openings on their faces.

 

[VolcanicDirt88]

12000 btu ac unit plus a 1-4 hp chiller plus 1600 watts of lighting plus a dehui plus two fans two pumps one air pump so after doing the math its under 5k watts

my question is my house already pulls a decent amount of electricity so how many amps should it be at least a 100 amp rated box

i dont know anything about this i have only read a little tiny bit

i know that the ac should be on its own breaker and the lights and ballast on another one

i know for a fact i need to upgrade the breaker box and wiring i cant cut corners i just dont know how and i dont trust anyone i am not going to mess with live wires but i can minimize the bullshit by having everything bought before i decided who to bring and who to not

i believe everything running all at once should be under 5k but just to make sure lets make it 8 k my wife washes and dries things everyday plus the computer tv ect...

i am going to minimize the usage of my electric once up and running

 

[onavelzy]

Funny story, I went to a house one morning to to a "panel upgrade." Now this guys a school teacher, he went to work shortly after I got there, came back for lunch and kinda looked nervous walking around his house. I thought he was checking to see if I was stealing his shit or something. He goes back to work, I finish my work, the power company comes and puts the meter back in. I turn all the breakers on, and I like to go through the house after I'm done and make sure everything works and I didn't miss a wire. I walk in a bed room and I smell green weed smell. So I kinda blow it off and open a door to what I thought was the master bathroom, nope, closet with one budding pot plant under a 150 watt hps. I laughed, closed the door and went about my day. Lucky for him the guy working on his house is a burnout too.. lol

there needs to be a way for electricians to let people know they are cool with wiring a home for a grow. like some kind of code in their yellow pages ad: "Available for appointment after 4:20" or something. be a lot easier on everybody

 

[GanjaplantaSTL]

im electrician in quebec, french , so sorry for bad english....

you can do all that with 2 x 15A at 120v ,

you just cant load more then 1440w for a 15A breaker 120v ( its 80 % of 15 A ) 120v X 12A = 1440w


take 1 breaker for 2 x 600W, and the second breaker for the 400w and the others stuff you have.

just split correctly the circuit, watt!

15A 120v breaker = 1440w max or 12 A
20A 120v breaker = 1920w max or 16 A
20A 240v breaker = 3840w max or 16A

hope that help, just ask for question

Labouts is rite 2* 15a circuits. One for the 2*600w lights with equals to a safe 10a circuit. Then on the other circuit u could load up everything else u need. it's very simple just hope ur panal is not to fare from ur setup.u need to check your panal box , to inform yourself on which15a breaker switch you need to buy for your setup.GL