Electrical help

[mim1]

Hello! So usually I don't ask for help as I don't like bothering other and prefer to figure stuff out as I go, but I am CLUELESS when it comes to electrical shenanigans.

I have around a 3x3' grow room(a closet)where I'm trying to grow around 6-8 plants. I'm planning on buying two 300W LED Full Spectrum lights for the vegetative cycle as well as a 1000 watt HPS light(or two 600W) for rootting & flowering

Now, I have access to two outlets(both are 120V)and it looks as thought the LED's may be able to function but not the HPS. I live in a house where I can't mess around with the breaker, not sure if I want to either, so I'm looking for an alternative. From what I've gathered looking around, it seems that I'll need a mogal socket and 600w switchable ballast.
Can anyone who has grow in the past or has any knowledge with this help me out? I'm as new as it can get when it comes to growing and I would very much appreciate the help. Thank you!

 

[visajoe1]

only two outlets, like this?

 

[mim1]

No, two separate double outlets. I do have access to a few other outlets just like these but I would have to use an extension cord to use them.

 

[Rahz]

Wait, the total grow space is 3x3 foot, or you have separate areas to light?

 

[mim1]

The area is more of 4x6, 10 feet high. The 3x3 is an estimate of the minimum amount of space I'd be able to use; I plan on hanging the lights above the plants.

 

[Mellodrama]

1200W (you mentioned two 600W HPS units) at 120V works out to roughly 10A. The typical residential wall outlet is rated for 15A.

The consensus on the LED forum seems to be 35 to 50W per sq. ft. You have roughly 9 sq. ft. 9 X 50 = 450W. 450W at 120V is roughly 4A. Much safer than 10A.

You don't need two separate lighting units for veg and flower. The popular COB units cover both situations.

EDIT: If the two outlets are on the same breaker then you'd have to be conservative. If you could spread the loads over two separate house breakers there would be more leeway. Still think LED is the way to go instead of power-sucking street lights.

 

[mim1]

Thank you! That's pretty much the info I was looking for. Gonna look at the breaker tomorrow and see if I can tweak it a bit.

 

[Olive Drab Green]

Thank you! That's pretty much the info I was looking for. Gonna look at the breaker tomorrow and see if I can tweak it a bit.

I hope you know what you're doing, or I wouldn't fuck with it. Since you're 18 and a chick, I suspect you don't.

 

[Mellodrama]

Um, yeah, I share Olive's concern.

The most likely result of "tweaking" the breaker panel would be a house fire, so just put that out of your head.

Besides, there's no point in pushing the house wiring anywhere near its limits. Forget about HID/HPS. Timber makes a 225W unit. Get two of those kits, build a frame or two, and you'd be good to go for veg and flower.

 

[JavaCo]

Not good you cant tweek a breaker panel. If those plugs are on the same circuit and wired with 14awg then 15 amps is the limit. If the breaker is popping there is no tweek for that. Putting in a higher amp breaker will just cause a fire.

 

[Boatguy]

You could just pick up two extension cords, chop off the ends and wire them to a single outlet.
Plug each extension cord to a separate outlet fed by different breakers and now you have 30a to work with.

 

[Olive Drab Green]

You could just pick up two extension cords, chop off the ends and wire them to a single outlet.
Plug each extension cord to a separate outlet fed by different breakers and now you have 30a to work with.

Please don't encourage her. If she doesn't set her house on fire, she might electrocute herself, and not only is that immoral, but I fear this suggestion might leave you culpable/liable.

 

[Boatguy]

She is just as capable as you..... Messing with a breaker box is one thing, combining two breakers via extension cords is pretty simple. 9 wires, 3 sets of 3 wires neatly tied together. Hardest part will be determining which 2 outlets are fed by different breakers.
This is a far safer subject to discuss than making your own bho.

 

[VegasWinner]

house wiring is setup so that two rooms share one 15a circuit. A 1000w HPS should be on one circuit and the leds should be on a separate circuit. 15A x 120V = 1800W max for one circuit. Two lights and some pumps and fans and you are maxed out. HPS is 1000w alone.

 

[Boatguy]

house wiring is setup so that two rooms share one 15a circuit. A 1000w HPS should be on one circuit and the leds should be on a separate circuit. 15A x 120V = 1800W max for one circuit. Two lights and some pumps and fans and you are maxed out. HPS is 1000w alone.

You never know how a house is wired. Last place i was in, the entire 2 bedroom with kitchen and bath, was on the same 20a breaker.

 

[mim1]

I hope you know what you're doing, or I wouldn't fuck with it. Since you're 18 and a chick, I suspect you don't.

I appreciate your concern for my safety but I'm perfectly capable of handling work myself, well perhaps not electrical work since I have no prior experience in it, but me being a chick has nothing to do with that.
I decided against getting the HPS lights as I think the LED's are plenty and I'm growing for mostly personal consumption so I don't care all too much about high yield. If needed I can always use the unused 15A in the bedroom next to mine if I need more but I think I should be fine. Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[Olive Drab Green]

I appreciate your concern for my safety but I'm perfectly capable of handling work myself, well perhaps not electrical work since I have no prior experience in it, but me being a chick has nothing to do with that.
I decided against getting the HPS lights as I think the LED's are plenty and I'm growing for mostly personal consumption so I don't care all too much about high yield. If needed I can always use the unused 15A in the bedroom next to mine if I need more but I think I should be fine. Thank you everyone for your help!

Do you know how many amps it takes to kill you? Because 15's more than enough. If you fuck up, you may either fry yourself or burn your entire house down. If you think, with this in mind, that you are capable of doing something you'd usually call in a certified electrician for, then I guess you have a reason to be confident, but I just want you to know the very real risks of what you're implying you're going to do.

 

[mim1]

Do you know how many amps it takes to kill you? Because 15's more than enough. If you fuck up, you may either fry yourself or burn your entire house down. If you think, with this in mind, that you are capable of doing something you'd usually call in a certified electrician for, then I guess you have a reason to be confident, but I just want you to know the very real risks of what you're implying you're going to do.

Did you even read what I wrote? I'm NOT going to mess with any of the electrical shit. As I said, I think the number of amps I have is plenty for the LED lights, fans, humidifier, etc so I have no reason to try and improve it.

 

[Olive Drab Green]

Did you even read what I wrote? I'm NOT going to mess with any of the electrical shit. As I said, I think the number of amps I have is plenty for the LED lights, fans, humidifier, etc so I have no reason to try and improve it.

Good. You're probably too pretty to die by electrocution.

 

[Zulunature]

Well done asking questions is the way to understanding.

I see quite a few builds of lights here by people with little electrical training and sometimes I cringe at what I see and I'm not a qualified electrician either.

mim1 can I suggest when you setup your room that you use a watt meter to get the Amps being pulled from the socket a handy piece of information.

And change the breaker to RCD type this way if there is earth leakage it'll save your life if you happen to be that earth leakage.