Electrical Ques. If I can help someone I will...

skywalker1

New Member
In my new place theres a 20 amp breaker in the room I want to convert to a growroom and on the other side of the wall theres an outlet for the oven.If the oven is also on its own 20 amp could I run 3 600's on the rooms breaker and one 300 and all the fans,blower on the 20 amp on the other side of the wall?How do you tell if the wiring in your house is old or faulty?Should I get an electric clamp meter to tell me where im at regarding my amp usage?
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
The stove is actually probally 40 amp, and it is on 240v.

The outlets in the room that you say are on a 20 amp breaker are probally 120 volts.

This is vital in running your room.

You can power 120v appliances off the room and possibly the lights if they are 240v compatable off the stove outlet, with some modification....

Check your box to see if your stove is on 20 amp, 30 amp, 40amp breaker.
And it will be on 240v, no matter what...

You could turn off power, undo the recep, hook on a normal 20 amp 240v recep and run that into the room behind the stove....


The main thing to remeber is the VOLTAGE that is being supplied...
 
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jimmyspaz

Well-Known Member
Well it was obvious from context what you meant, but we have to be careful,a lot of people reading this don't have electrical training and need simple directions,, keep up the good work on this thread, noobs need a place to ask basic questions, electricity is unforgiving of errors after all,,,
 

B4 Time

Active Member
First off, A big thank you to the folks who help me in my last question.
My wiring is as follows, Two one ten lines into a sub panel with two 20 amp breakers. (separate) From there it goes in to my control box. The control box as of now has one one ten line running in to a bus block with the other one ten line capped with wire nuts (<unused for now) In to the bus bar is the "Hot" line and below that is the common (white) line, The ground goes to a grounded block (four multiple grounds, Block grounded to metal control box)

From the bus bar I have separate lines run for each circuit (12 GA.) One circuit is timed, One circuit is switch controlled, and one is constant on.

Both the timed circuit and the switch controled circuit are hooked to these. See below pick.




Well not those but the same, with a single circuit. Some times, and not All the the time they emit a loud hum. Why is this? Is it that I wired them wrong? I have the timer and switch Hot to the side pole (12 GA) and a larger 8 GA. to the main circuit.

Where did I go wrong?

Or...... are they just about to burn out? I had some others that were burnt out, are these about to go the same way?

As always thanks again
 
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CustomHydro

Well-Known Member
I have a 350 watt metal halide pulse start ballasts. Can I use any of the ballast parts for a 400 watt ballast? (like the ignitor, etc...)

GG, it's good to see u still holding down the fort. This should be a section not a thread. People should be on there knees kiss-ass, it used to be really hard to get good electrical advice, especially as fast as you respond to the ?'s
 

ganjagoddess

Well-Known Member
I have a 350 watt metal halide pulse start ballasts. Can I use any of the ballast parts for a 400 watt ballast? (like the ignitor, etc...)

GG, it's good to see u still holding down the fort. This should be a section not a thread. People should be on there knees kiss-ass, it used to be really hard to get good electrical advice, especially as fast as you respond to the ?'s

Thanks you Custom,

So from what I can gather, your pulse start ballast uses a Ignitor as opposed to a probe start inside the MH bulb, essentially I think you can get a simple 400 watt Ignitor and be fine.

Information is rather scarce about replacement parts and swappage regarding pulse start.


But I think it should work fine.


 

CustomHydro

Well-Known Member
Thanks you Custom,

So from what I can gather, your pulse start ballast uses a Ignitor as opposed to a probe start inside the MH bulb, essentially I think you can get a simple 400 watt Ignitor and be fine.

Information is rather scarce about replacement parts and swappage regarding pulse start.


But I think it should work fine.
Thanks so much for checking into that for me..!
 

B4 Time

Active Member
Any one got any thoughts on my situation? Why the switches emit such a loud hum sometimes?

As always thank you.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
Any one got any thoughts on my situation? Why the switches emit such a loud hum sometimes?

As always thank you.
The relay makes the noise? You have the timer wired into the coil of the relay and the line and load wires of the relay on the NO contacts?
Odd for relay coil to make noise.

Timer
120 N
| |
{}{}{}{}

From breaker box
120 N Line
| |
| |
\ \
\ \
| |
| |
| | Load
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
This is how it's wired, Is this right?
Thanks so much for your help.
Can't tell. not enough info.

Looking at the 'switch' (aka: relay)
From the first pic. (top view) Hook the lamp to one side (hot and common) Then to the wall on the other side. (hot and common)

Then on the second pic, those two spade terminals are for the coil. The timer's output go to these. Now I see them on both sides of the relay. You will need an ohm meter and figure out which are which. a reading of 0 ohms (dead short) and those are NOT the two you want to connect the timer to. If they read some resistance (150ohms is a normal resistance for a coil in 24VDC.)
Make it 'click' from the timer/coil first with nothing else hooked up. Then hook the lamp to it.

Standard word of caution: Please turn off the power before each wiring change.
 

B4 Time

Active Member
Hmmm..... It sounds like I have it wired right. Both spade connectors are the same terminal.

It all works just fine, it just makes a hum sometimes...
Let me get a pick of the actual wiring, one sec.

Thanks again
 

B4 Time

Active Member
Sub Panel

Two one ten lines, Common, and Ground.
One one ten line unused for now. Not sure why the pick wont rotate?

Power into control box.

Hot
Common
Hot

Ground to strip on bottom of pick

Relay

Yellow is hot in.
Blue is hot out to timer motor.
Blue under that is hot out to timed circuit.
Red is hot in from timed circuit
White is common in from timer motor.
Black is hot out of the relay, into a G.F.I. outlet
The ground on the G.F.I. Goes in to the ground strip in the control box, The white commons are tied together and run back to the main common ("bus block"?)

I would be easy just to change out the relay for another one.
Should I just change it out and see if it hums as well?
Thanks you so much, I just dont want to screw this up and burn down the house .
 

CustomHydro

Well-Known Member
I would be easy just to change out the relay for another one.
Should I just change it out and see if it hums as well?
Thanks you so much, I just dont want to screw this up and burn down the house .
This is what I would do. If it hums then u know u have a prob
 

lorenzo08

Well-Known Member
This is what I would do. If it hums then u know u have a prob

it could be perfectly normal. it is a high voltage ac relay. it has a magnet in it that changes polarity 120 times per second, which causes the hum. there may be a specific capacitor or other part that is made to help with this problem. maybe something called a choke. they are used in light dimmers to dampen hum and line noise.

if it's working and nothing is overheating, then it should be fine to continue using it.
 
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