How many watts till flagged in an apartment?

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Temperamental69

Active Member
Ok, I live in an apartment building and my utilities/hydro usage is included in my monthly rent. It stays fixed at the same rate regardless of how much or how little I use.

My question is..

I am getting a FREE 1000Watt HPS Light (for flowering I hear?) from a friend. Will this set off a flag? I only have the regular household apartment utilities running, and when I have my lights running for growing I will always have other lights off. I've got fridge, dishwasher, microwave, all the regular kitchen stuff. My living room is normal too, tv, ps3, xbox360, computer (all of course not running at once). I ususally leave every swingle light in my apartment on 24/7, even before I started to grow. Have lived here for almost 3 years doing so and not had any issues.

Will this 1000w HPS set off any flags?
 
K1Ng5p4d3

K1Ng5p4d3

Junior Creatologist
well, that is a toughee. You can grow with a 400 or 600 without changing your electrical bill hardly at all, but i dont know about a 1000 watt setup. It all depends man. If you have it on for 12 hours a day, it probably wouldnt make much of a difference, but if your using it for veg too, you might have to explain a spike in the monthly bill.
 
NeoAnarchist

NeoAnarchist

Well-Known Member
well i asked my hydro store guy about how much it would cost extra on my bill using a 400w hps, and he told me not much like 20 bucks, so id say like 50 bucks extra for ur 1000w, but it also depends on if ur usin it 24/7 or 18/6
 
G

gangjababy

Well-Known Member
yeah it'll be around 50 bucks, but you also have to add on a few bucks to cool that sucker down, you do have central air right?
 
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Temperamental69

Active Member
No... Lemme clarify...

My utilities are included in my rent, at a fixed rate. They do not increase or decrease no matter how much or how little I use. My rent is Exactly 1055 a month every single month of the year, no matter how much electricity I use or how little. It's a fixed rate.

I have central air but that's not an issue. Cooling will be simple for me and it won't be close to the plants @ all. And since I will be using it for flowering (if that's what a HPS bulb is for) I will be using it 12/12.

Also, I have been told that HPS lights are for flowering.. Which is what my plants getting close to being ready for (almost 4 weeks of vegging now). That any true?
 
NeoAnarchist

NeoAnarchist

Well-Known Member
lol then u shouldnt have any problems with gettin flagged, just dont have ur place smellin like dank and ur fine
 
NeoAnarchist

NeoAnarchist

Well-Known Member
its when ur meter starts spinning is when u are gonna get flagged, but really u should be ok with one 1000w, 2 tho would be a different story
 
tckfui

tckfui

Well-Known Member
basic rule of thumb according to a bunch of grow vids and a few books, is your safe running an extra 1,000 watts x the number of bedrooms in your house, or apartment. If you use alot of electrisity to begin with, you may have to start cutting down on other things. but unless your stealing electrisity, you dont have anything to fear... enless your using like 6, or more 1000 watters... and even then, some people do it with no fear at all... (seen a few illegal grows here with more than 13 1,000 watters)
 
ragged crushing

ragged crushing

Well-Known Member
dude get a window fan and use 4" 0r 6" duct hose from ur setup to a shoe box and creatively connect the shoe box to the fan blowin out. now no one knows u have a duct system which may be mistaken for a dryer and might lead to a housing inspection. as for the smell, if u ger a exhust fan 180cfm's or better u can insert a carbon filter(pre-fabed or diy)
 
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Temperamental69

Active Member
Yea. I'm not really worried about the smell, since our floor entirely sme4lls like weed 24/7 anyways so that will cover it up (ther are about 4 families on my side of the floor and they ALL smoke weed). It's a 1 bedroom apartment, so only ONE 1000watt light?

I am not at all concerned about the heat since I've got so many large areas open to me with tons of fanning available. :)
 
Hillbilly420

Hillbilly420

Well-Known Member
i have a friend running 2 1000w hps lights in his apt. and as long as you pay your bills... and dont have your landlord coming over all the time... you should be fine.
 
bazoomer

bazoomer

Well-Known Member
ime sure your'e landlord, or whoever u rent the flat off will have something to say about paying an extra 50 plus bucks every month for the elecy !, i use a 600w hps and pay an extra £30 a month ($bout 55) a month for just that over here in blity .
 
thelastpirate

thelastpirate

Well-Known Member
smppro has a good point. It's not like you can blow that air under your house.
You don't have to worry about the electric co "flagging" you. I'd worry more about the landlord when he gets the bill. I have a clause in my rental agreements that states the electricity will be included in the rent, up to a certain amount. I make 'em pay for anything over that amount. I am quite certain that the LL will have something to say about a $40 or $50 usage increase. I would. But as long as you go to your LL and tell him you got a couple of gaming computers (They are about 500w or better), and that you'd be happy to pay any overage. you should be golden and able to run as many lights as you want. The power bill is in the buildings name, and that's what the electric co sees.
We are on a "fixed rate" utility bill here at my house. They average out my usage for a year, and that's what I pay. Now NEXT year is gonna be a whole 'nother story.




Am I the only one who thinks growing dope on someone elses property is wrong?
 
skunkbudnice

skunkbudnice

Well-Known Member
bazoomer said:
ime sure your'e landlord, or whoever u rent the flat off will have something to say about paying an extra 50 plus bucks every month for the elecy !, i use a 600w hps and pay an extra £30 a month ($bout 55) a month for just that over here in blity .
Click to expand...

were abouts int the uk are ya? im in the north. and Ive been trying to find out how much a 600w would cost per month, but when i try to figure it out im always to bakedbongsmilie and I end up getting it either less than what it is now or 10 times what it is now..............man that shit does my head in hahahahah
 
bazoomer

bazoomer

Well-Known Member
skunkbudnice said:
bumpty bump bump
Click to expand...

im'e in s/wales m8, on a token metre at the mo, and with the elecy prices going up last month or so ime buying an extra £7 -10 a week !! thats £20- 25 a week in totall. thats just on 1 600w hps going !

ps. yer seeds will av a good home this end kiss-ass
 
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