A Bored Electrician to Answer Your Questions

jjp53 said:

I was wondering what you think about 240V surge protectors. I need an extra 240 plug in my garage to run my 1000W light but I also need the dryer plugged in just in case I need it.

I was wondering if some bologne cord with a plug on one end connected to a disconnect box that has 2 240V plugs connected to it would work?

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absolutely not.... major fire hazard

KolorBlind said:

Hey

First off, thanks for starting another electrician thread. Just like with doctors its always helpful to have a 2nd or 3rd opinion.

My main question is:

Will a 250w HPS, 3 42w CFLs, a 135CFM S&P Inline Fan and an oscillating fan run without issue on one receptacle?

I will have 2 strips plugged into the receptacle. One will power the 3 42w CFLs for my moms & clones and possible a small 6" fan. The other will power my 250w HPS and a larger 12" oscillating fan.

Any and all input is very appreciated! I just dont wanna burn my 1st house down

Peace
KB

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well, by the book it will run just fine, but the book assumes that that plug would be a dedicated circuit. as long as thats all your running on the circuit it SHOULD run ok, however adding all that equipment on receptacle then using power strips to distribute the plugs is adding what we refer to as 'points of failure' to your system. each device you have running off of a plug adds to the risk of a component failing, so it might be a good idea to consolidate as many of those cords as possible, like run all the cfl's on one cord, and that way you can eliminate an entire power strip.
but thats just me being me, like i said, the book says its fine... your pulling at the most 600w and a 15 amp receptacle (95% chance your outlet is a 15amp receptacle) is good for 1440 watts, and a 20 amp is good for 1920 watts....

IAm5toned said:

well, by the book it will run just fine, but the book assumes that that plug would be a dedicated circuit. as long as thats all your running on the circuit it SHOULD run ok, however adding all that equipment on receptacle then using power strips to distribute the plugs is adding what we refer to as 'points of failure' to your system. each device you have running off of a plug adds to the risk of a component failing, so it might be a good idea to consolidate as many of those cords as possible, like run all the cfl's on one cord, and that way you can eliminate an entire power strip.
but thats just me being me, like i said, the book says its fine... your pulling at the most 600w and a 15 amp receptacle (95% chance your outlet is a 15amp receptacle) is good for 1440 watts, and a 20 amp is good for 1920 watts....

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Thanks a ton for the reply! It was very helpful. i dont know why I didnt think to wire all the CFLs to one cord. What would be the best way to do that? Just buy a low gauge extension cord and wire all 3 CFLs to it? I assume wire nuts or electrical tape are probably worse hazards than a power strip, so how would you recommend connecting all 3 to that one cord?

On a side note, I found a grower who was an electrician for 10 years yesterday so he is going to help me wire things up, which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I have never told anyone about my grow, but he said as soon as were done that I can come check his out and grab a clone or two if I want. I shared some bud from a previous grow with him but up until yesterday he had no idea I grew it. Once I spilled the beans on that he was very excited to help me, especially since I offered him some beans from my Diesel Ryder grow

Thanks again for your help, if you know of the safest way to wire those 3 CFLs together please let me know, I want to be as safety conscious as possible.

Peace
KB

my friend is tapping and is told by the electric co. that they will be installing a smart meter soon..will this affect anything?? what is this smart meter?

First off I would like to say that your dedication is greatly appreciated Thank you, second - I'm a complete noob to growing my own, but that will come in due time.
My first hobby is reefkeeping (growing corals), I am building my dream tank and need some help with wiring the ballasts. I can't seem to get a straight answer in the reefkeeping community so I am seeking your help.

What I have...

- (1) Intermatic 240 timer

- (3) 400 watt M59 multi tap ballasts 120,208,240,277

-(3) capacitors

- I have already ran a 100 amp satellite box to the equipment room.

The instructions I received along with the ballasts only detail how to wire the ballast for 120v, I want to wire them for 240 and run all three through that 240 timer.
There is just one wire tap for each voltage so where do I hook the second (240 line) wire up? the 120V tap?

The ballasts and caps are in a box that will be vented.


The light rack for the three 400 watt 20k MH lamps above the tank



One lamp fired on 120v



-What size breaker at the box
-What gauge wire from source to timer, timer to ballast box.
- Best way to tie them all together inside the box

If I could just get this figured out, I could get on with puttin' the tank back in the wall!! any help would simply make my day! Thanks

KolorBlind said:

Thanks a ton for the reply! It was very helpful. i dont know why I didnt think to wire all the CFLs to one cord. What would be the best way to do that? Just buy a low gauge extension cord and wire all 3 CFLs to it? I assume wire nuts or electrical tape are probably worse hazards than a power strip, so how would you recommend connecting all 3 to that one cord?

On a side note, I found a grower who was an electrician for 10 years yesterday so he is going to help me wire things up, which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I have never told anyone about my grow, but he said as soon as were done that I can come check his out and grab a clone or two if I want. I shared some bud from a previous grow with him but up until yesterday he had no idea I grew it. Once I spilled the beans on that he was very excited to help me, especially since I offered him some beans from my Diesel Ryder grow

Thanks again for your help, if you know of the safest way to wire those 3 CFLs together please let me know, I want to be as safety conscious as possible.

Peace
KB

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tho wirenuts are ugly as hell, properly used, they will last (centuries??) a long, long time. i have personally removed wirenuts that were 40+ years old (when they were first used, originally splices were done with solder and cloth back rubberized tape) and the joints (where the wires actually touch) were as sound as the day the wirenuts were put on. the safest way, would be to run the 3 outlet cords for the cfl's into a junction box, and use either an old extension cord if your broke, or if you've got some extra bling to burn, you can buy a peice of SO or SJ cord (SO cord is a heavy duty black vulcanized rubber cord that will outlast just about any other type of cable) and a male cord end. you should be using either red or tan (wirenuts are color coded) wirenuts to tie the for wires together. all the hots )black or other color besides white, grey, or green), all the neutrals (the white wires) and all the grounds (the green ones) should each be twisted together under there own wirenuts... it sounds more complicated than it actually is!



ps- do not, ever, and i mean ever, use electrical tape to make a splice on a wire, even if it is something as simple as the speakers in your house or car. electrical tape is an INSULATOR, and thats it... you use it to shield exposed conductors (like covering up any extra copper sticking out of a wirenut, or repairing a nick in the inulation on an extension cord, and literally, thats it. anything else you use the tape for should be considered a bonus... the reason being that electrical splices require MECHANICAL PRESSURE to maintain there intregity, and electrical tape(or any tape) simply does not provide the adequte pressure to maintain the splice. oxidation, and loosening of the conductors are the 2 biggest dangers, there is alot of truth to the statement 'loose wires cause fires' so keep that in mind when working on your wiring... all connections should be as tight as you think you can get it, then tighten it some more, just take care not to snap the wires themselves, as copper is a soft metal and will get brittle if you tighten it down with too much force.

yes take care tightening up the wire nuts. I like to keep wires clean and dont leave much excess. Then I snap off the damn copper flush with the insulation only to be to short to re strip and use another connector so I end up having to replace the entire run. You only do this one or two times before you learn lol.

gege said:

my friend is tapping and is told by the electric co. that they will be installing a smart meter soon..will this affect anything?? what is this smart meter?

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yes, it will affect everything....

a smart meter works on the 'power in shall equal power out' law (think it was one of kirchov's voltage laws? or maybe it was one of ohm's laws... my mind gets fuzzy sometimes about the details, lol)
but anyways, here's how it works:

contrary to popular belief, over 95% of all power companies purchase there power from someone else, they just pay far less for it than you do, and in most cases the profits generated are used to maintain the power grid locally, and of course to purchase more power. in the US, usually from a government agency like the DOE, TVA and a few other agencies that are simply a pain in the ass to list here.

what this means for you-
are you familiar with corporate accounting techniques? corporate accountants are notorious for finding lost amounts of cash as minute as .001 of a single penny.
so your local utility shells out a few million bux for a few million KVA'a of power for a billing cycle... then those pesky little corporate accountants (or more realistically, and even worse, a computer) notices that hey, were paying to buy watts, but somehow, some of the watts were paying for are not being accounted for? where did they go? someone must be stealing power! so they call out whats known as a sweep and balance team. a sweep and balance team is like a mobile electrical meter, they go around to various locations on the grid, take readings, and compare them against what the power company's own internal accounting tells them. these people are very very good at what they do and once a tap is suspected, its simply a matter of the power company reviewing its records to determine if the thief has stolen enough power to warrant a sweep and balance search, and if it does think that your friend is stealing, they will come after him with a vengence. tampering with infrastructure (like stealing from a power company) is a federal offense, that carries federal time, so think twice about tapping... its not the 70's anymore......

so what does a smart meter do, and wtf should me and my friend be panicked about it? (and yes, you might want to rethink your operation)

here's why- a smart meter stores each and every single watt of power you use, and depending on the type of smart meter, can transmit this information wirelessly to a meter reader.

but wait, i still dont understand...
ok ill put it in simple terms.. remember the sweep and balance team i was talking bout a few paragraphs ago? the smart meter will take the place of a sweep and balance team. your meter reader presses a button and presto, your usage information is now theres to use in a court of law. and instead of paying linemen a shitload of overtime to sweep and balance, they now do it electronically with a push of a button so to speak.
very bad news for anyone running illegal taps.

i know everyone on this site is more than likely engaging in illegal acts in one form or another, i do it myself, but i can say this with truth and conviction because i know from my own experiences-

ripping off the power company is probably the fastest way to get caught besides opening your mouth and telling the whole town your growing. seriously, its not a laughing matter, and im not joking. i get questions related to taps all the time, and my advice never falters or changes, because i know what the end result will be- you will get caught, you will go to jail, and it will not be the slap on the wrist you expect.

hate to be such a downer but it is the sad truth... i mean if your going to rip someone off, would you pick the strongest guy in town to rob? because thats what you do when you take on a utility, its a losing battle from the getgo, as the utility will be backed by the fed in each and every single case. lotsa bad vibes, you know what i mean? its simply a matter of time. some utilities will knowingly let you steal from them for years, so that the dollar amount in the end run can run into the 100k's, so that they can seize everything you have, sell it by auction and make it viable for them to even go thru the trouble of busting your ass!

Poof said:

First off I would like to say that your dedication is greatly appreciated Thank you, second - I'm a complete noob to growing my own, but that will come in due time.
My first hobby is reefkeeping (growing corals), I am building my dream tank and need some help with wiring the ballasts. I can't seem to get a straight answer in the reefkeeping community so I am seeking your help.

What I have...

- (1) Intermatic 240 timer

- (3) 400 watt M59 multi tap ballasts 120,208,240,277

-(3) capacitors

- I have already ran a 100 amp satellite box to the equipment room.

The instructions I received along with the ballasts only detail how to wire the ballast for 120v, I want to wire them for 240 and run all three through that 240 timer.
There is just one wire tap for each voltage so where do I hook the second (240 line) wire up? the 120V tap?

The ballasts and caps are in a box that will be vented.

The light rack for the three 400 watt 20k MH lamps above the tank

One lamp fired on 120v

-What size breaker at the box
-What gauge wire from source to timer, timer to ballast box.
- Best way to tie them all together inside the box

If I could just get this figured out, I could get on with puttin' the tank back in the wall!! any help would simply make my day! Thanks

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dude, i love your soon to be setup... thats fancy! and coral is awesome, tho a real pain in the ass to keep the marine snow just right

give me model numbers of the ballasts, and ill give you a point to point description of all the connections you need, tho it will take me a day or so to have the time to draw it up, i just moved and my life is still a little hectic, lol!

typically on a multitap MH ballast what you have is something like this.. one one side of the ballast, there will be like 5-6 yellow wires with all kinds of voltages written on them, one wire for each voltage. there will also be a wire in thgis group labeled COM... this is important, dont lose track of it. since your running 240v, what you would do is take one of the hot wires and land it on the fixture wire labeled 240v (0r 220, or even 20
then the other hot wire of the 240v circuit lands on the COM wire. so you could say, black wire to 240v, red wire to COM. this is all the connections you need to do on the line side ( or the side that feeds the ballast power) of the ballast. so lets get to the load side (where the power goes) of the ballast:

now on the other end of the ballast you will have a group of wires labeled LAMP, CAP, and COM. the wire labeled CAP goes to one side of the capacitor, the wire labeled LAMP goes to the socket, and the wire labeled COM is shared by the remaining lead from the capacitor, and the neutral coming from the lamp socket....
likie i said, gimme model numbers and ill simplify it for you

many ballasts vary in some way or another, so it can be tricky to tell you over the net exactly how to hook it up, which is why i asked for model numbers, that way i can actually look up the connection diagram and give you accurate info

IAm5toned said:

gimme model numbers and ill simplify it for you.

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Holy sh*t I've found a straight answer! Thanks Brother! a drawing would be the cat's meow



Another question..... the two common wires came loose of due to fatigue. I had no choice but to remove the insulation to get to it.
Am I f*cked or can I solder it back and use something like epoxy? to repair what I removed..I tried to make it as clean as possible.

Poof said:

Holy sh*t I've found a straight answer! Thanks Brother! a drawing would be the cat's meow

Another question..... the two common wires came loose of due to fatigue. I had no choice but to remove the insulation to get to it.
Am I f*cked or can I solder it back and use something like epoxy? to repair what I removed..I tried to make it as clean as possible.

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solder will work great as long as you have a good contact

diagram for you 2morrow, i would do it now but am super busy this evening

oh, and ps-
20 amp breaker is more than enough

OR THIS: (depending on ballast type)

sorry about the delay, i was kidnapped by aliens the my dog ate my homework or something like that
note the lead coming off the cap goes to the center pin of the socket.. this wire should be labeled lamp, but sometimes its not.
as shown the red wire or whatever color the other leg of your 240v circuit connects to the common, as well as the common for the lamp socket (the common connects to the part of the socket that has the threads on it)
the capacitor lead that comes off the ballast should be labeled "cap" sometimes its not, and sometimes its a black and white striped wire, depending on who made the ballast.
hope it helps

hi there, i have a question about Computer Fans!!... How can i wire them to a mains wire and plug? i want to use 4 for intake and dont want a PSU taking up vital space!!

Cheers - Frost

get a plug in voltage adapter... check back on this thread ive answered this question a few times before

IAm5toned said:

get a plug in voltage adapter... check back on this thread ive answered this question a few times before

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wat type thow im in UK! and will i need to wire the fans to a english cable and plug then plug that into the voltage adaptor?

ok what voltage are the fans?

IAm5toned said:

ok what voltage are the fans?

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ill hav to get back to u on that1 as there at another location.. ill let u know soon!!

thx!!

IAm5toned said:

sounds like the ballasts may be wired for 208 or 277. what voltage are you trying to tun them off? if its 110 you will have to change the way the ballasts are connected to the power. most high bay fixtures have a connection diagram close to the access plate that tells you what wires to use for what voltage... good luck

pics would make this alot easier

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Thanks so much for trying to help all of us ...I tried to add pics but I must not have enough posts yet. it says 120 208 240 277 on volts. Yes.. trying to hook up to 110. I think the color of the wires messed him up too, as they are different. I have one green, gray and yellow. Is this something that a regular joe can do? It would be nice to be able to use these.

IAm5toned said:

sorry about the delay, i was..........

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I fixed that for ya'.

Thank you from the bottom of my tank Sir! Your drawings have made it perfectly clear.

Now, what guage of wire from the breaker ---->timer----->ballast box?

.........and lastly, what can I use to repair the insulation on the ballast that i soldered?

><))))))>....Poof !

fluffygrrrl said:

Thanks so much for trying to help all of us ...I tried to add pics but I must not have enough posts yet. it says 120 208 240 277 on volts. Yes.. trying to hook up to 110. I think the color of the wires messed him up too, as they are different. I have one green, gray and yellow. Is this something that a regular joe can do? It would be nice to be able to use these.

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hey, look at the top of this page, i have drawn a point to point diagram for MH multi-tap fixtures. there are 2 types generally, and i put up a diagram for both... see if that helps!