Get a Harvest Every 2 Weeks

[Maccabee]

I'm missing some of my favorite links, can't find em at the moment, but here are some good basic introductions and references for home wiring.

Good tutorial on basic concepts:
Electricity Tutorial

Basic DIY'ers websites with basic coverage of most areas and applications:
Do it yourself home wiring information.
Do-it-Yourself Repairs & Basic Home Wiring Projects Articles


A university site with good general coverage, including good diagrams of standard home wiring schemes.

Household Circuit Concepts
one the site's diagrams:

A collection of home wiring How-To guides [the guides are in PDF format]
Recipes for Home Repair - Accurate Building Inspectors ® | 1-800-640-8285 |


A Q&A site:
http://www.ezdiyelectricity.com/?p=351

The wiring/electrical subforum on a DIY forum site:
Electrical

 

[Al B. Fuct]

Great stuff Mac, thanks for that.

 

[insanestang4life]

I did all the wiring for my room and I had never even been in a breaker box other than too switch breakers on or off. It is really not hard for americans not saying other countrys cant just that everything is usually labeled pretty clear if you can read "USUALLY". Look in your box there should be stickers in there that tell you what kind of breakers to use in your box. Go to lowes and ask the guy in that section or home depot for that breaker. I was going to hook up 2 15's but decided it is way cheaper to just put one 30 in because you only have buy one breaker and run one wire versus 2. Anyways on the side of the new breakers it will tell you what wire size you need for that breaker. Buy enough wire to reach from your box to wherever you are going to need it leave a foot or two extra just in case. Strip the end of your wire there should be 3 wires one copper with no cover, one white, and one black. The copper is your ground on your plug in there will be a green screw make a hook with the end of the copper wire and screw the green screw down on it. On one side at the top it will say hot side hook black one on that side there will be 2 screws on each side. Then on the other side hook the white one too the top screw. This receptacle is now wired. If you want to go on to another plug in like in my case since I am running a 30 instead of two 15's take another piece of wire and strip it put the copper with the other copper wire with the green screw. Put the black wire on the same side of the first plug in as you did earlier just on the screw below it. Then hook up the white wire to the screw below the other white wire you hooked up earlier. Then run that wire to the next plug in and wire it the same as you did the first just the bottom of each plug in the 2 screws will be left empty unless you wanna go to another plug in. Then go to your breaker box there will be a screw on the side of your new breaker you bought strip the wire and again you will have a copper, black and white. Take the black wire and put it into the screw on the new breaker then you simply lay the new breaker just like all the other ones in the box and push it in. All it does is snaps into place. The other two wire will go to the top of your breaker box there will be a metal rack with a bunch of screws in it and a lot of white and copper wires running into it from all the other wires in the box. Just find two spots that are empty and put the copper in one and the white in another one. Plug something in like a fan or something you dont really care about just in case something happens you dont screw up something expensive. Then turn the main breaker back on, then turn the new breaker you just wired up on. Presto you should have power! Im not saying every system is like this but I know any boxes that have been updated in the last i dunno 20 years should be. If you still have fuses in your box I dunno what to tell you actually yes I do GET A NEW BOX. Anyways just trying to help out might be useless information. But, I did it and it works great.

 

[We TaRdED]

i have a feeling ppl are going to get hurt....

maybe the best idea would be to go to home depot, lowes, or any other hardware store and talk to a person that worked in the trade. ask them how to wire a new circuit to an addition you are building. if you dont fully understand any part of what is being said, you are better off using less lights that wont overload your ckt. also if you want to go bigger, you could always (if you have the room) go to another room in the house.


if you know nothing about electricity it will take you a long time until you are competent setting up new circuits from your main service panel. when inside the main service panel there is 240v present which can throw you across the room if your not careful/ignorant(or you will latch on possibly to your death).

anyways, just keep the old saying "better safe than sorry" in mind when working with high voltage.

JMHO

 

[n3wgr0w3r]

hey, obviously by my name im a new grower im planning on doing the sog but i have "inseficiant" funds is there any way i can do this with a tight budget? 200 dollars

 

[cmak40]

i did and suggest anyone who doesnt know to do the same and that is go get that home depot electrical book for $25 and read it. it is so helpful and basic for the simplist minded to read and understand it. it walks thru putting a new circuit in from beginning to end and yes if you still have ?s then like wetarded said go talk to a professionnal. you are spending the money on the op!!! spend the money on a book for some lifetime knowledge and safety

 

[We TaRdED]

i did and suggest anyone who doesnt know to do the same and that is go get that home depot electrical book for $25 and read it. it is so helpful and basic for the simplist minded to read and understand it. it walks thru putting a new circuit in from beginning to end and yes if you still have ?s then like wetarded said go talk to a professionnal. you are spending the money on the op!!! spend the money on a book for some lifetime knowledge and safety

good advice... i would rep you but im spent out for another 24 hours or so

ps, i second his last post^^^^^^^^

 

[Al B. Fuct]

yep, I spoze it all boils down to 'know WTF you're doing or find someone who does.'

Just another example of how the War On Some Drugs causes unnecessary harms. Security dictates that you won't just be ringing up Jim & Joe's Electrical Services to have your op wired. You can find news items any day of the week about ops busted after the fire brigade had to extinguish an electrical fire, doubtless caused by an amateurish wiring job.

An extension lead to reach an outlet elsewhere in the house which is on another bkr is a total bodge. If you have to do this, you should only buy heavy duty (heater/aircon) rated ext leads or better yet, make your own extension out of HD plugs and sockets and Romex cable.

 

[We TaRdED]

also if your using extension cords. dont run more that 80% of the cables rating, as al has previously said.

also make the run as short as possible(dont use 100ft cable/extension cord if you only need 25 or 50ft) and make sure you dont coil any excess wire in a spool on top of its self because that could cause extra heat and potentially hasten the melting of the protective coating. hence short circuit or fire.




edit- also amps(A)= power(P)/voltage(V).... idk i guess that might help someone?????

 

[Maccabee]

More resources:

Very good encapsulation of the electrical/hydraulic analogy, with detailed subsections:
Water circuit analogy to electric circuit

Actually, the whole section of Hyperphysics on electricity and magnetism is good. The diagram linked above comes from here.
HyperPhysics Concepts


Free Education Network courses on Electrical Engineering:
Electronics Supersite

Articles collected by a U-Dub EE prof:
Articles on "Electricity"

Lessons in Electric Circuits -- A Free Textbook [covers DC to semiconducters and beyond]
Lessons In Electric Circuits

Wire Parameter Calculator:
AWG

Voltage Drop Calculator:
Voltage Drop Calculator JavaScript

AnalyzeThat: web-applications for circuit design & problem solving
Electrical Engineering - Circuits, Parallel, Series, etc.

Finally, Ye Olde VIPR chart. I spent a while staring at this way back when I learned basic electronic theory for FCC certification.

 

[Al B. Fuct]

I was going to hook up 2 15's but decided it is way cheaper to just put one 30 in because you only have buy one breaker and run one wire versus 2.

While this will work, when you run your small current draw devices on this 30A ckt, run them through a power strip that has a built-in 10A breaker. A continuous 25A through a failed low current device that does not have its own fuse (such as a fan with a locked motor bearing) equals a fire, where a 10A bkr would trip. I've seen power strips with appropriately sized ckt bkrs save ops from major fires from just such a cause.

In general, when selecting a bkr for a job, it should not be significantly larger than needed to run the device. A 30A bkr may as well not be there at all if a small device decides to go short. Of course, you need all those 30amps at the other end of your line for your lighting, but put a smaller ckt bkr in series with low current devices for safety.

 

[Maccabee]

i did and suggest anyone who doesnt know to do the same and that is go get that home depot electrical book for $25 and read it. it is so helpful and basic for the simplist minded to read and understand it. it walks thru putting a new circuit in from beginning to end and yes if you still have ?s then like wetarded said go talk to a professionnal. you are spending the money on the op!!! spend the money on a book for some lifetime knowledge and safety

cmak is right on. It's very helpful to have a good print reference on hand.

This one is VERY cheap-- $10 online, was cheaper at my hardware store -- and surprisingly comprehensive:

• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif] How the home electrical system works.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to turn off the main power supply.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The three ways to get power to your new wiring job.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How the ground wiring works in plastic boxes.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about electrical wire.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to use wire nuts and screw terminals.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to install wiring in new walls.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The most common measurements for outlets and switches.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about the ground wire.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about electrical boxes.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Information on electrical codes.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Standard electrical symbols[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Watts used by different electrical items.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to find the cause of a short circuit.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to fix fluorescent light fixtures.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to wire boxes, fixtures and switches.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Color coding of wires, screw terminals, etc.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about switches[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to add new outlets to existing ones.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to wire doorbells and buzzers.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Electrical box capacity chart.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about outlets.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about three-way switches[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about single pole switches.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]All about four-way switches.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to wire outlet and light with pull chain[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]How to wire outlet switch and light[/FONT]
• [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Electrical Terms.[/FONT]

I have it and am very pleased with it. Their room finishing guide might also be helpful for those who need to create a growing area in basements or attics and don't have much experience with carpentry or basic construction

. The online store is at Step By Step Guide Book Company (home house repair do it yourself guide book room finishing plumbing wiring outlets switches power framing drywall doors paneling ceiling time toilets bathroom kitchen sinks bathtub shower drainage)

 

[insanestang4life]

Yep sounds good on my 30 amp i am only running 2 1000 watters. I have other plug for the small stuff.

 

[We TaRdED]

More resources:

i bet you lost them on the most of that especially the chart.... lol

 

[Maccabee]

In general, when selecting a bkr for a job, it should not be significantly larger than needed to run the device. A 30A bkr may as well not be there at all if a small device decides to go short. Of course, you need all those 30amps at the other end of your line for your lighting, but put a smaller ckt bkr in series with low current devices for safety.

Those who have a ton of plug management to do and are concerned about power draw (as well as equipment protection) might do well to pick up a few of these (one per circuit and/or plug point, depending upon your layout.) Power conditioners/distribution centers like this typically have built in fuses or breakers. The breaker in this one is 15A. You could plug a power strip with a smaller breaker into one of its outlets if desired, although you don't want to daisy chain like that if you can avoid it.

ART PS 4X4 Power distribution center:

If you're in it for the long haul, this kind of stuff makes sense (to me, at least.) If all you're interested in is power conditioning and a circuit breaker there are cheaper options (like the basic Furman models) but this one is metered--line voltage and the amp load of the equipment connected! I like meters.

For instance I could see mounting this in a home made rack frame, above an outlet & switch panel made from Al's plans. (The ART4x4 has light pipes that pull out of the front to illuminate equipment faces below.)You could even mount the display boxes for remote sensors, if you're fancy like that.

Here's the manufacturer's hype:

The PS 4x4 features a backlit linear meter to monitor input voltage, which gives the user a familiar analog-style readout when monitoring voltage from a power source. The PS 4x4 has a backlit linear ammeter showing load current in amperes. This additional meter gives an analog "real-world" look at how much power you are using; hence the term "power station".
...
The PS 4x4 also features ART's "4x4" distribution on the back of the unit -- four of the eight rear outputs are 1.25 inches apart. This allows the user to plug in wide power cables and multiple wall wart devices, and still have eight total power outlets to choose from.

Built into the PS 4x4 is a surge and spike protection system, designed to protect powered equipment from harmful electric surges and spikes. The unit also has RFI and EMI filtering, a 15 amp breaker, and a total power capacity of 1800 watts. The PS 4x4 also features a front-located on/off power switch (which lights up when turned on), and a front-mounted circuit breaker reset switch. The rugged, all-steel chassis occupies 1U rack spaces and is intended for installation into standard 19 in. equipment racks.

$85 - $100, depending on where you order it. 1800 watt capacity. Available from various studio equipment suppliers.



I like Zzounds: ART PS4X4 Dual Metered Power Distribution Unit from zZounds.com!

 

[Al B. Fuct]

If you're in it for the long haul, this kind of stuff makes sense (to me, at least.)

Might be good for computers, recording studios, etc but waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy over the top for a grow op.

Thanks for thinking about it, anyway.

 

[Maccabee]

Yeah, maybe. It can't hurt, though. I have a cheaper Furman model on my HPS, as my building power is fairly dirty and tends to have a lot of voltage fluctutation and line noise. Plus, I don't want EMI from ballasts to be wreaking havoc on my computers, hifi & studio equipment, radios, etc in the next room over.

 

[panhead]

Yeah, maybe. It can't hurt, though. I have a cheaper Furman model on my HPS, as my building power is fairly dirty and tends to have a lot of voltage fluctutation and line noise. Plus, I don't want EMI from ballasts to be wreaking havoc on my computers, hifi & studio equipment, radios, etc in the next room over.

Cary Audio used to make an excellent device called the CAD5500 "Black Box" for such things as EMI & RFI,they made 2 different models & were pretty cheap,i have one in my main system & another in the home theater.

 

[BEEFCAK3]

lol yea i got lost in reading that stuff. before i do anything i will have a family member that knows how it works cause they used to work with this stuff as a job. thank you for all your help. you guys over did yourself on trying to make a "smoked out retard" understanding household wiring lol.

 

[1freezy]

I have been working slowly on a project like this for a couple months and I just found this post. I have 2 cabinets with 4 sections (2 a piece) for the flowering. All the plants will have suficiant light but 1 of the 4 flowering chambers will have a lot of added/extra light from all around. At what 2 week interval should the plants get the extra light. I know the whole time would be good but thats not an option.