So I have this Closet....

[ilkhan]

Ok been lurking here for a few weeks and learned allot of things I never knew. Thanks for all the great conversations I've lisened in on.

So I just sold my old house and purchased a much larger one in a new state. I don't know people out here so I want to grow for myself. I was gonna eventually put a room up in my giant attic but that is going to require considerable effort and money refinishing and rewireing. So I have this extra bed room in the back of the house. No reason people would ever need to come back here. There is a 4' wide approx. 8' long and 8' high closet in there. In the closet is a mess of 2' wide 3' long 1'' thick white stirafoam incelation the old owners left, God Loves me.

Anyway, I have one light socket in the closet and having just moved in don't have money to have an electrition come in and rewire it. I don't need the dank (Im a lightweight) But I don't want to do wrong by my plants either. If i was to get a light fixture with several sockets in it what is the best type of light that will fit in a normal socket??

This will be my first grow ever I don't need an A+ grade I would settle for D+.

 

[BongJuice]

First thing you need to find out is how many other lights and outlets are on that same circuit as the light in the closet.
Then find out how many amps are on that circuit breaker.

 

[Igotdialup]

well, why a light socket? Get a 600w HPS and you will love it, will last for a very long time too. then all you will need to do is provide good soil, some basic nutrients to get some nice stuff :]

 

[ilkhan]

Thanks guys for the quick responce will a 600w hps run off the wireing to the bulb already installed. I can install a fixture myself I just don't want to have to rewire the closet... yet.

So I should check the fuses in the box and make sure they can handle the current and go from there?

Sorry You guys know so much I've never done anything like this before. Plz bare with me kiss-ass

 

[Igotdialup]

I dont know what you're talking about "wireing to the bulb" A 600w HPS contains its own ballast, it is it's own little unit. You plug it into an outlet, 3 pronged. And then you get the reflector, and if you're going to do some ducting to control heat, then you can run a cooltube up to it and stuff, you can really make it into anything you want

 

[BongJuice]

I dont know what you're talking about "wireing to the bulb" A 600w HPS contains its own ballast, it is it's own little unit. You plug it into an outlet, 3 pronged. And then you get the reflector, and if you're going to do some ducting to control heat, then you can run a cooltube up to it and stuff, you can really make it into anything you want

Don't listen to this guy ^^^.
This guy is gonna set your house on fire.

First check out how many watts you can put on that circuit first.

 

[ilkhan]

So it will just plug into a socket and hang it with somthing. Ok.
Well about 2/3s of the house lighting is on one breaker including the closet. Its a 30 so should I up that to a 50 75 100?? If I run a 600w on that as well??

 

[BongJuice]

A 30 amp breaker will hold about 3500 watts.
Check out how many watts are already on that one circuit.
Count up every thing that's pulgged in, fridge T.V. everything including lightbulbs.

You'll need at least a 1000 watts to spare to make a small decent grow.

 

[TWISTD1]

Unless you know what your doing trying to change a breaker i wouldn't. 600w light is great but you might want to learn a bit more before trying. It would suck to pay the electric bill and not get alot out of it. Cfl's are pretty good and you can put those into the light sockets and get these converters to be able to plug them into power strips. Get as many cfl's going as you can and watch them plants grow.

 

[ilkhan]

See I'm likin' that Idea CFLs fit in a standard socket then run light strips (we have those in another room my wife wants them taken down free light strips ). I was thinking of taking the old cieling fan out of the kitchen and putting it were the lightbulb is (simple I can do that) that could hold several lights and 8 to 12 on 2 strips??? good no??

 

[TWISTD1]

I'm able to fit 3 per strip. The cfl's are great for learning. Get the knowledge and by the time you want to blow up your attic you'll be ready for large scale. Another thing to do is to keep asking questions. Good luck

 

[ilkhan]

Great info thanks I'm gonna break out the old wiring for dummys books we have and start thinking this all over. and planing my next move thanks guys for your input big help.

 

[Igotdialup]

about the 600w HPS, of course check what your circuit breaker for what you can run and not, hell.. even a 400HPS would be nice. any HID system is nice, but for your size the 600w would be effecient. I dont have a HID system but I know what You just need to plug it in if you buy the right thing and it should all work out well , and if it doesnt, thats when you make changes to your wiring and what not. I'm growing with CFLS and they do work really nice. It would be neat if you got the big flourecent tube ballasts and make like a box-like thing with them, so you have 3 ballasts/pannels with flourecent tubes for side lighting, and top lighting, and then sticking CFLS in between plants or something with lamps or some sort of light socket. If i had the room to do that I would.