A Bored Electrician to Answer Your Questions

IAm5toned said:

no.
physics dictate that power in = power out
ex-
1000w @ 120v = 8.30 amps
1000w @ 240v = 4.15amps

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Thanks - - Ok, this was the math I was referring to, as I thought that using 1/2 the amps on a 220/240 would make it more efficient on energy use. Isn't this better?

How do I rewire a 220V 50A stove circuit so I can use it as a 120V service? I assume I'll need different breakers and I know I'll be running wires. And what's the name of those breakers that take up half the space? My panel is 100A and full.

sow217 i am trying to run about 3k worth of lights from my dryer outlet...have you done this in the past? I guess I need to buy a couple Y's? Is there a dryer outlet to 220v power strip? Help if you can

Wish I could help with your problem

bohicular it doesnt matter what the volts and amps are, its the watt hours that determines the 3rd angle in determining electricity consumption

Hello, I have a problem and I'm hoping that you can help with it..

Thread here: https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/355925-how-use-computer-power-supply.html

It has to do with wiring lights to a Computer PSU.

Heya I have an electrical question...

I have my 250W HID hooked up to a GFCI outlet in the bathroom. The GFCI started making a really loud ticking type noise the other day. It's tripped a few times but nothing like this. It will stop making the noise if I disable the outlet by hitting the Test button, but once I reset and wait 30 seconds or so, the loud, rapid ticking begins again.

I moved the HID to another GFCI outlet but I'm not able to use the old one anymore. Any ideas on what's going on there? Bad GFCI that needs replacement? Do I just need to replace the socket or something?

Thanks a lot

coben said:

Ive got my cirut in the room running my a/c, fans, ect... BUT I had to use an extetion cord to power my light (1000 watt hsp) I'm planning on adding another 1000 watt hps I will use the extenction metod again next round id like to break down the room and get some electrical work done. Could you tell me what Ill need to run 2 1000 watt hps(120 240 s) 3 can fans an a/c and plenty of MISC.How many circuts Should I add my a/c is 1400watts on 120

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you need a 60 amp subpanel.. that would be best. 3 circuits, one for lights, one for a/c, and one for fans/controls/pumps/etc

bohicular said:

Thanks - - Ok, this was the math I was referring to, as I thought that using 1/2 the amps on a 220/240 would make it more efficient on energy use. Isn't this better?

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no... you get billed for wattage, not amperage.
note in the example how the wattage never changes... in other words, you can fiddle with it all u want, but a watt is a watt regardless of voltage...

the real trick is using less wattage to get the power where you need it to go... but THAT, is something that takes decades of experience to understand.

Whodoo said:

How do I rewire a 220V 50A stove circuit so I can use it as a 120V service? I assume I'll need different breakers and I know I'll be running wires. And what's the name of those breakers that take up half the space? My panel is 100A and full.

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the 220 volt circuit, needs to have a total of 4 wires.. 2 hots, one neutral, and one ground, for it to be retrofitted for 120v service.
if all you have is a 3wire 220v plug, then your going to have to repull the wire from the panel to the outlet with a new 4-wire cable.

since your loosing the stove... wont you have 2 slots left? im just sayin

Ludicium said:

Hello, I have a problem and I'm hoping that you can help with it..

Thread here: https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/355925-how-use-computer-power-supply.html

It has to do with wiring lights to a Computer PSU.

Click to expand...

you have a major flaw with your design concept man....... a a CPS puts out 12vDC... a cfl requires 120vAC.
you need a relay.

mlad said:

Heya I have an electrical question...

I have my 250W HID hooked up to a GFCI outlet in the bathroom. The GFCI started making a really loud ticking type noise the other day. It's tripped a few times but nothing like this. It will stop making the noise if I disable the outlet by hitting the Test button, but once I reset and wait 30 seconds or so, the loud, rapid ticking begins again.

I moved the HID to another GFCI outlet but I'm not able to use the old one anymore. Any ideas on what's going on there? Bad GFCI that needs replacement? Do I just need to replace the socket or something?

Thanks a lot

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15amp residentail GFCI outlets are not rated for heavy inductive loads like an HID ballast.

but 20amp SPEC GRADE GFCI outlets are... just swap the bad one for a SPEC GRADE gfci and you should be fine.



typical outlets are considered general duty, that is, when the designer places the outlet on the wall, he doesnt know what the homeowner is going to plug into it after the house is built, so they use generic rated equipment...

a spec grade device, is a device that has been SPECifically selected for a SPECicific electrical load.

just ask the guy at home depot for a SPEC grade outlet, he will set you in the right direction.

they cost more though... bout 15-20$ for a spec grade gfci, vs 3-4$ for a general duty gfci.
see the difference now? its how there made.

IAm5toned said:

just ask the guy at home depot for a SPEC grade outlet, he will set you in the right direction.

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Thanks for the advise! I'm going to ask for this. Hopefully I can replace the outlet myself without dying... never replaced one before.

Check breakers off, re-check, and give a final check just in case the first 2 didn't make you sure. That's what I did at first, and I haven't shocked myself yet.
Daniels

I have a sub panel hard wired to a 30 amp 220 dryver plugin it has 4 outlets. I run 2 dual 600 watt hps lamps. My question is do I have enough juice to run two more 600 watt lights. My fans, dehum, and all that are on a totally seperate circuit. Just lights on the 30 amp 220. Would it be safe to run 2 more 6's

Hi guys, may I ask a question regarding a variac to be used as a fan controller?

The fan is a Ruck RK200L. This is a link to the specifications page: http://en.ruck.eu/Default.aspx?tabid=145&language=en-US&Nodes=1,2,81,10,104515

The variac i have seen is on this page: http://www.wattbits.com/wbv2e-1.html

My main questions are, are the two items compatible? safe to use wired up together?

Later on, i may wish to also add a thermostat controller. Would this be possible?

Thanks in advance to anyone wiling to help me.

Hey spliffendz -The fan is variable speed/voltage control so, yes the 2A variac will work & the wiring should be pretty straight forward. The spec sheet includes some accessories: ETY15 electronic controller for 67EUR; & TES0145 - 7-step transformer for 47EUR. The electronic controller would probably be your best bet for manual control & easy to hook up (probably a better choice than the variac since it is recomended by the manufacturer) -but, for more automation, using a few taps off the TES0145 transformer you could control three fan speeds using a two stage thermostat with dual SPDT switches (such as Dayton 4LZ95A weather-proof agricultural thermostat www.dxsoundco.com/4LZ95A )
Could be easily setup to run three speeds depending on the tempurature -Or set up for two-speed operation with a CO2 kill feature, etc. Wiring diagram or schematic upon request. I use them for CO2 kill & HVAC frequently -can also be set up to kill your lights if the tempurature somehow gets way out of hand.
Unless you want to do some semi-serious wiring, I would recommend the ETY15 electronic controller direct from the fan manufacturer -you know it is 100% compatible & won't void your warranty (not that the variac would hurt anything).
Good Luck!
[email protected]

spliffendz said:

Hi guys, may I ask a question regarding a variac to be used as a fan controller?

The fan is a Ruck RK200L. This is a link to the specifications page: http://en.ruck.eu/Default.aspx?tabid=145&language=en-US&Nodes=1,2,81,10,104515

The variac i have seen is on this page: http://www.wattbits.com/wbv2e-1.html

My main questions are, are the two items compatible? safe to use wired up together?

Later on, i may wish to also add a thermostat controller. Would this be possible?

Thanks in advance to anyone wiling to help me.

Click to expand...

norcalhumboldt22 said:

I have a sub panel hard wired to a 30 amp 220 dryver plugin it has 4 outlets. I run 2 dual 600 watt hps lamps. My question is do I have enough juice to run two more 600 watt lights. My fans, dehum, and all that are on a totally seperate circuit. Just lights on the 30 amp 220. Would it be safe to run 2 more 6's

Click to expand...

yep, only if its 220 tho

spliffendz said:

Hi guys, may I ask a question regarding a variac to be used as a fan controller?

The fan is a Ruck RK200L. This is a link to the specifications page: http://en.ruck.eu/Default.aspx?tabid=145&language=en-US&Nodes=1,2,81,10,104515

The variac i have seen is on this page: http://www.wattbits.com/wbv2e-1.html

My main questions are, are the two items compatible? safe to use wired up together?

Later on, i may wish to also add a thermostat controller. Would this be possible?

Thanks in advance to anyone wiling to help me.

Click to expand...

compatible, but not reccommended.
there is two ways to control an AC motor without damaging it. either it is a split phase motor with leads for different speeds, or you use a variable frequency drive.
a variac is a fancy resistor, it doesnt allow for inductance at the proper rate.... creates undervoltage which in turns damages the windings of the motor.

hey whats upp? so i got a question for you:
i have a room with a lamp and a switch but no other outlets in the room. So my question is- is it possible to hook up a hps to that after i change the socket? wait im a bit confused. its kind of a combined question- can i actually use the cable from the socket as a outlet (how?) or the electricity that runs through it isnt high enough? lol im sorry if its not clear enough but im not sure how to ask this.

pull down the socket and replace it with a receptacle. then plug the hps into it. make sure you use a good solid mounting system for the hps you will have plugged into the outlet that used to be a socket on your ceiling

I wanted to check on something. I wired my 70W Pulse Start M.H. for a PC. I don't have the socket and bulb in yet. To test it first and not risk the CMH Bulb I tested it with the voltage indicator and it showed all 3 bulbs lit up. 120v 240v and 277v. Is that normal? I think I wired it right, but I wasn't positive and wanted to check.
Thanks
Daniels