Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

[Xoshua]

Hey guys! So I've almost completed my cab. It's a side table.
Inside cab: Cyclone Booster fan PLUS, computer fan used for outtake (12v cell phone charger connected black and black and red and white with electrical tape followed by those orange twisters used for wires. Have 12 cfl lights but only using 6 at a time.
Medium duty extension cord > 2 power bars with on/off button > 3 on each power bar (6 total) cheap plug in socket adapter > cfl lights.
Will the above cause a fire? I'm worried about fire. I secured the lines, ductaped everything into place, used window reflecting shiny stuff with aluminum tape. Im just wondering if I'll be fine with my setup? I thought I bought a timer but I cannot find it.
Thank you for the answers. By the way, my total CFL usage is 150 W (Not equivilent, actual light Watts).
ADDED: I covered the cords with alum tape and that car shiny cover stuff.

I got the idea to use a cell phone charger from many diff setups on the site. Used the foil tape to tape the sun reflectors to the cab.
For clarification, the cell phone charger is a blackberry: input 100-240v, 50-60 hz, 11-17va 0.2a, output 5v=0 75a (0.75a)
And the fan is: dc brushless, dc= 12v, 0.25a.
Power cords are from canadian tired, 6 prong, on off switch and something else like a breaker?
Plugs for light are just your 4 dollar light socket to plug.

 

[wyteboi]

What is the best way to wire these? I tried wiring a standard plug and nothing happened. They have a diagram (see pics) its all Greek to me.

Can you see all the wires or are they inside the case?

Show a pic of the wires and the components and i will help. If your scared to open the case then dont even bother.

Its probably set up for 480v , so you would have to change the wiring inside to 120 ...... should be fairly simple , just get good wirenuts an not just tape.







soil

 

[NWMED]

YA It's got all wires. I'll get some pics inside shortly. Thanks.

 

[wyteboi]

Medium duty extension cord > 2 power bars with on/off button > 3 on each power bar (6 total) cheap plug in socket adapter > cfl lights.Will the above cause a fire?

What size wire is in the extension cord ? (what gauge)
you aint usin much power so you'll proly be fine , but to be sure you will have to know ALL the devices on that circuit , not just the stuff in your cab.
(turn that breaker off an go make note of every single thing that dont work)

ADDED: I covered the cords with alum tape and that car shiny cover stuff.

WHY ?
that foil tape is conductive and would be my main concern.




soil

 

[rbico]

I think this is one of the coolest things - that you have electricians offering advice to be safe. Thanks to you for helping.

 

[smalltymer]

hey wyteboi. ive been wanting to add a sub panel for awhile now. been doing my homework on specs and codes of the box for a 50 amp subpanel. in my situtation my panel in the home is pretty full. its old and small. my question would be couldn't I just run a new subpanel from the meter on the side of the house instead of upgradeing my old panel and runinng the sub off it?

 

[oakley1984]

hey wyteboi. ive been wanting to add a sub panel for awhile now. been doing my homework on specs and codes of the box for a 50 amp subpanel. in my situtation my panel in the home is pretty full. its old and small. my question would be couldn't I just run a new subpanel from the meter on the side of the house instead of upgradeing my old panel and runinng the sub off it?

yes thats possible, but no its not something you should do yourself...

 

[samld1984]

I read that some people run hid lamps on 2 hour cycles to half there power while maintaining 85% of yeild in some cases. would that work with mag ballasts as they have a power surge at startup, or that would negate the point of it? was thinking of using something like this for it http://www.efficientlight.co.uk/BVModules/ProductTemplates/BVC 2004 Layout/Product.aspx?productid=ce454385-83ce-4ff1-916d-ffd3523daaf0

 

[lilganjaboy]

bricks, i got a 4350 joule surge protecter 3 55 watt cfls 2 small fans and 400 watt hid. Can you please tell me why one of my cfls wont turn on? Evrything else wrks fine and i tried diffrent surge protecters and evrything. wats wrong??

 

[superfly101]

I got 8 1000watt hps ballast and I want to know whats the best way to run these? I was thinking of getting a 50amp timer box(like the one in the pic). If I get this will I have to add a 50amp breaker to my main panel and wire a 220v plug? Do you guys have any better ideas? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ravendarkangelx]

what do i need to do/buy to get cfl lightbulbs to be able to plug into a normal electrical outlet (sry don't know the term :/) instead of a lightbulb socket

 

[bimmerragtop]

Hi Bricktown73....i have a problem and i am stumped....i run 3 1000w hps in my flower room....i just moved to another home and i moved my wiring to the new home....i ran the wire from my breaker box in the grow room to a pool sub panel on a double 20 breaker....my grow room sub panel has 2 single 30 amp breakers....plugged in 2 of the lights and everything worked fine....when i turned on the 3rd light (a few days later), the light came on and ran for a little while, then shut down....and a little while later, the other two lights shut down....when i plug one in now, the bulb blinks and the ballast makes a ticking noise in time with the blinking....after it blinks a little while, it shuts down completely.....i have replaced all the breakers to no avail...all connections are tight....i cannot get even one light to come on through my grow room panel now....i can plug any of them in elsewhere and they work fine....what happened? and how can i fix it?.....i ran the wire to another sub panel, a 60 amp a/c disconnect (just to see if it would work coming out of there) but it does the same thing....any ideas?.....any advice is appreciated

 

[wyteboi]

hey wyteboi. ive been wanting to add a sub panel for awhile now. been doing my homework on specs and codes of the box for a 50 amp subpanel. in my situtation my panel in the home is pretty full. its old and small. my question would be couldn't I just run a new subpanel from the meter on the side of the house instead of upgradeing my old panel and runinng the sub off it?

No , you can not run anything extra off of the meter outside your house. It can be done but its waay against code, an can be very unsafe.

Its possible to run a sub off the old one but you would need the electrical specs off everything in the house including all the new stuff an how much juice you intend to use.

how many amps is your current panel ?
how much juice does/can your house use? (amps or watts)
how many watts/amps do you intend to add?





soil ~~~~

 

[wyteboi]

I read that some people run hid lamps on 2 hour cycles to half there power while maintaining 85% of yeild in some cases. would that work with mag ballasts as they have a power surge at startup, or that would negate the point of it? was thinking of using something like this for it http://www.efficientlight.co.uk/BVModules/ProductTemplates/BVC 2004 Layout/Product.aspx?productid=ce454385-83ce-4ff1-916d-ffd3523daaf0

My own personal opinion says this is a waste of time. i dont think it would get 85% at all. i would never try this without a direct associate telling me he's done did it.

Now on the money saving side of things , it would save half the bill on a digital ballast an very close to half on a magnetic ballast.






soil

 

[wyteboi]

bricks, i got a 4350 joule surge protecter 3 55 watt cfls 2 small fans and 400 watt hid. Can you please tell me why one of my cfls wont turn on? Evrything else wrks fine and i tried diffrent surge protecters and evrything. wats wrong??

The light bulb or ballast is bad. thats the only explanation.






soil

 

[wyteboi]

I got 8 1000watt hps ballast and I want to know whats the best way to run these? I was thinking of getting a 50amp timer box(like the one in the pic). If I get this will I have to add a 50amp breaker to my main panel and wire a 220v plug? Do you guys have any better ideas? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

To do it with a 50 amp timer box then you would have to make sure all your ballast are setup for 220volt. an then yes you would need a 50a breaker in your existing box and a 220 plug to match the plug coming off the new box.

You could run them all separate if you want , as long as you have room in the old panel. there are multiple ways of running those. i would need to know more about your existing breaker box and your ballasts to generate my own opinion.





soil.....

 

[wyteboi]

what do i need to do/buy to get cfl lightbulbs to be able to plug into a normal electrical outlet (sry don't know the term :/) instead of a lightbulb socket

something like this :









soil

 

[wyteboi]

Hi Bricktown73....i have a problem and i am stumped....i run 3 1000w hps in my flower room....i just moved to another home and i moved my wiring to the new home....i ran the wire from my breaker box in the grow room to a pool sub panel on a double 20 breaker....my grow room sub panel has 2 single 30 amp breakers....plugged in 2 of the lights and everything worked fine....when i turned on the 3rd light (a few days later), the light came on and ran for a little while, then shut down....and a little while later, the other two lights shut down....when i plug one in now, the bulb blinks and the ballast makes a ticking noise in time with the blinking....after it blinks a little while, it shuts down completely.....i have replaced all the breakers to no avail...all connections are tight....i cannot get even one light to come on through my grow room panel now....i can plug any of them in elsewhere and they work fine....what happened? and how can i fix it?.....i ran the wire to another sub panel, a 60 amp a/c disconnect (just to see if it would work coming out of there) but it does the same thing....any ideas?.....any advice is appreciated

well 2 30's defiantly wont work off a double 20 , but should have worked on the 60, so im not sure.

you would have to explain how you got the 3 ballasts hooked up and how you got the two 30's hooked up , and how you got it run to the panel and i can help you out.

I am sorry , i just dont fully understand your post on how you got things. real easy fix , i just need more info....






soil

 

[chopchop83]

This is one big thread and Im sorry if it seems if Im lazy for not reading it all. Ive scanned some of it and read a few posts - Im in the right place I know.

I am going run a cable from my main fuse box to a new subpanel/breaker board in my room. Ive got the help/advice of an electricain but only over email, and exchanging photos/videos. So I'll be doing the actual work myself. It will be powering one room which is spilt into 2 rooms, each with 6 x 600w in each room. So 7200watts of lights plus all the other stuff that goes along with it. I am not stealing the electric, I will be paying for it.
Im not the handymen of handymen but I don't mind tackling a task, especially with the help of professional advice.

The part that scares the shit out of me is killing myself while working with electics. Specifically removing the main fuse, so that I can work on the fusebox.

My question is about pulling the main fuse - is it a big deal for an non electrician to remove the fuse? Should I be as scared as I am? (yes I know Im not supposed to, and its illegal to do so, and its power companies property etc etc but its illegal to produce weed and no one is going to be coming in my apartment to view my fusebox unless the police break in)

 

[StonedYa?]

While my plant was sleeping during flowering week 6 my lights flashed on and off a few times what is going to be the consequences of this?​