LED FAQ) Building and DIY

[Three Berries]

I'd just be getting 14 ga SOJW cord for the outlet to driver. It's only a 700 watt load. Typical 120v house wiring is 12g branching off to 14 ga. 15A or 20A.

Almost all plant LEDs are 100-250v input. They just swap the plugs for your country's flavor.

 

[xet]

updated image

 

[Three Berries]

SJOW is regular water resistant extension cord. You need regular house wiring for the mains. Romex or conduit,. And it would be 14/2 w/ground or a three conductor cord.

Are you running new wiring from your mains to the room? A new circuit?

 

[xet]

SJOW is regular water resistant extension cord. You need regular house wiring for the mains. Romex or conduit,. And it would be 14/2 w/ground or a three conductor cord.

Are you running new wiring from your mains to the room? A new circuit?

Man you are a true life-saver.

Yes I believe a new circuit is a good choice for me; new wiring from my mains to the room.

updated image

 

[xet]

Should I step down to 9ga from 10ga to accommodate for the cob wire practically resting on the face of the heatsink?

Or perhaps drill holes for the wire to neatly tuck away from the face of the heatsink?

The heatsink is exactly this, same size, flat face on the bottom. I pulled this photo from the net tho

 

[xet]

If I wanted both 708 cobs to use the same wall outlet would that mean I want 30amps to go from the main to the outlet and from the outlet to the split for each driver

pic for example

 

[xet]

I will probably end up adding my other 540w of cobs to this 1416w build for a total of 1956w so bare with me this should be fun

You will need shades and an umbrella hat to tour the grow

 

[Three Berries]

Personally...

If I was expecting to run 30A in my grow area I would be running 240v 30A three wire #10 w ground to a disconnect in a sub panel. And wire directly to a terminal strip inside a control box. If it's the typical one armed bandit gray box disconnect switch it has to be independent of the control panel. You could use a 240v 30A toggle switch as an on/off inside the panel.

that way you can be certain the mains to panel is to size and easily add on. 30A outlets are generally one plug jobs , bulky and and expensive.

 

[xet]

Personally...

If I was expecting to run 30A in my grow area I would be running 240v 30A three wire #10 w ground to a disconnect in a sub panel. And wire directly to a terminal strip inside a control box. If it's the typical one armed bandit gray box disconnect switch it has to be independent of the control panel. You could use a 240v 30A toggle switch as an on/off inside the panel.

that way you can be certain the mains to panel is to size and easily add on. 30A outlets are generally one plug jobs , bulky and and expensive.

This is the knowledge I am here for.

I got some studying to go do now.

Thank you @Three Berries

 

[Three Berries]

This is the knowledge I am here for.

I got some studying to go do now.

Than you @Three Berries

What you are looking for code wise is a Branch Circuit. And you might as well make that good for 50A. It's only copper....

Much like a electric oven or other large load AC appliance.

For reference anything under 600v is considered low voltage.

Information by Electrical Professionals for Electrical Professionals

Information by Electrical Professionals for Electrical Professionals

forums.mikeholt.com

 

[xet]

What you are looking for code wise is a Branch Circuit. And you might as well make that good for 50A. It's only copper....

Much like a electric oven or other large load AC appliance.

For reference anything under 600v is considered low voltage.

Information by Electrical Professionals for Electrical Professionals

Information by Electrical Professionals for Electrical Professionals

forums.mikeholt.com

You the man for that. Thank you.

Should I present my project to those fellas? Let them engineer-argue it into perfection? lol

 

[Three Berries]

You the man for that. Thank you.

Should I present my project to those fellas? Let them engineer-argue it into perfection? lol

Ha, they are pretty high grade. So go in all newbie on the forums or they will tear you to pieces.....

Some very good training videos on the NEC code. They are THE MANs who develops the newer code rules.

 

[xet]

Ha, they are pretty high grade. So go in all newbie on the forums or they will tear you to pieces.....

Some very good training videos on the NEC code. They are THE MANs who develops the newer code rules.

My only apprehension is being rejected because of announcing how newb I am. I greatly appreciate your direction!

 

[Three Berries]

My only apprehension is being rejected because of announcing how newb I am. I greatly appreciate your direction!

They make training series for the beginners. Like I said the videos are very enlightening as is their forum if you can keep from sticking your foot in your mouth too much.

I took an NEC code class in 2000. 'Im sure it's changed quite a bit. The grounding and bonding has certainly changed over the years.

 

[xet]

They make training series for the beginners. Like I said the videos are very enlightening as is their forum if you can keep from sticking your foot in your mouth too much.

I took an NEC code class in 2000. 'Im sure it's changed quite a bit. The grounding and bonding has certainly changed over the years.

Hm.
Sort of at a cross-roads then.

I can become an expert at understanding this sort of advanced branch circuit electrical work thing now which is possible but requires X(*100) hours (which would be a lot nicer over time to have my lights running while studying this stuff up and then picking a weekend to "upgrade" the electrical work (? lightbulb idea) ..)

Or add a breaker and outlet for each 708 since I basically got a blueprint for that now.

The latter is smashing my "yes grow now" button.

In either case I am so grateful I now have a clear path to follow for understanding where it is I must go from here.

 

[xet]

I just watched this video on wiring a 240 volt circuit.

I am a pro at that now.



For the 1 708 on the 14ga to 10ga circuit am I installing a 30amp 240 breaker?

This thing here for $19?

https://www.amazon.com/Siemens-30-Amp-240-Volt-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B00TW2DA68

 

[xet]

Connected to this 10-30R here? https://www.amazon.com/ENERLITES-Receptacle-Residential-Commercial-Industrial/dp/B07RCLBV2B

 

[xet]

Or maybe even better, would it be sacrilege to use this locking plug as my "outlet"

https://www.amazon.com/Journeyman-Pro-Connector-Industrial-Grounding-Generator/dp/B07JM5NDJH/

 

[xet]

Tentatively building a parts list.

Cool stuff out there.

Solid copper wire lugs.

Tinned copper wire lugs.

Looking for silver right now.

I was unsure if ring terminals was a thing on LED drivers and it looks like it is. Crimping the lugs and mashing the strand wire makes me nervous, not a fan, I wish they could be soldered, Maybe they can. I have not looked it up yet.

I am working out the idea of how to go about doing some sort of wire lug, with heatshrink wrap of course around it's base, with a short maybe 6" wire off the driver with a plug so I never have to drag around a lot of cable when the driver is moved.

240v breaker > wire > rv style locking outlet > wire > another rv style locking plug 6" from the driver > wire > wire lugs > driver > wire lugs > wire > soldered to cobs > cobs stuck to heatsink > and I have not begun to figure out how to address the drivers whether they are on a board on the wall or in a power supply box with an outlet for the driver on the box which would mean i need some sort of plug on the heatsink for the cobs which is great because I worry about the longterm instability of wires soldered to a cob being moved around so I want the wire basically stuck in place.

Still thinking about 9 gauge instead of 10 because of the heat on the heatsink and much of the wire travelling on the face of the heatsink. 9 gauge is for 35amps? That almost seems reasonable? Honestly I want to use the teflon coated silver plated copper strand wire with fluoroplastic insulation and it is made in either 9 or 11 gauge and 11 will not cut it and 10 is not available and extra heat being extraordinarily and conventionally transferred to the wire makes 9 gauge look very attractive.

Then I need to locate where to order the hanging parts for this heatsink since the manufacturer I got the heatsink from did not manufacture the hanging portion of the heatsink (lol) and then setup the grow space and probably get some cables etc

 

[xet]

I have the 750-27, but yeah something just like this, I wonder what those connectors are at the top. More searching to do.