Am I gonna burn my house down?

DrOctopus

DrOctopus

Member
I have 2 600w HPS hooked up through one of those things that you screw into a socket and it turns into a plug. It goes from that to a three way surge protector its on a ceramic light fixture and its pretty hot but I can touch it. I have both of my ballasts mounted on the wooden roof supports but I covered them with nomex cloth first so I feel like they are safe but im concerened about the socket setup HELP PLEASE!
 

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Don't cover ballasts they can overheat.

Running almost 20 amps just with ballasts. You will likely trip the breaker. You need more power. I say look into running a 240v lighting feed so you will be good to go.
 
I don't suggest pulling even 600 watts through a light bulb fixture. that wire is only 16 gage ! to thin even for 600 watts. you need to shut off the power. disconnect that socket and expose wireing . and put the wireing into a new plug its very easy. can get a diagram off google. . for mounting the ballasts its fine I mount magnetic direct to the wood . and they will get hot yours are digtal no worries at all . but you need to get that socket gone asap that is not safe by any means. even if you call some body in to wire it will cost 10 bucks. still better then rolling the dice.
 
There are a few things to do.
1. Get outlets(its cheap) also upgrade the breaker/wires and maybe look into 240v wiring.
2. Get a heavy duty timer! what you're trying to pull through that timer can easily make the timer short and maybe catch fire.
3. Besides checking wiring i would recommend you put the ballasts on something other than wood(just to be safe).
 
Thank you all so much I am trying to abide by rule one and tell no one so that's why I ask on here and no one else. I tripped the breaker this morning and now there is only one working. The ballast is coming on but no light. when I went to turn the breaker on it is a double switches with the # 50 on it. What does that mean? I am gonna wire it to a socket. Today thanks a mill. When I change the socket to an outlet do I have to shut the whole power off or just that switch.
 
DrOctopus said:
Thank you all so much I am trying to abide by rule one and tell no one so that's why I ask on here and no one else. I tripped the breaker this morning and now there is only one working. The ballast is coming on but no light. when I went to turn the breaker on it is a double switches with the # 50 on it. What does that mean? I am gonna wire it to a socket. Today thanks a mill. When I change the socket to an outlet do I have to shut the whole power off or just that switch.
Click to expand...



If you are blowing a 50 AMP breaker you have something seriously wrong somewhere. I have worked with electrical wiring for a long time. Without seeing your wiring I can't give you any advice about how to fix it. What I can tell you is a breaker is just a warning that the fire is soon to follow. DO NOT USE IT THAT WAY!!!! Get a qualified electrician to look at it. A few plants are not worth it.
 


1200 watts if wired properly will not blow a 20 amp breaker...
Heat = Resistance wrong size wire, bad connection...
Ballasts run hot, and should never be mounted to wood, ever, in ten years wood will be ultra dry, and prone to fire....
You have a problem, with one leg being to high when you blow a 50 amp...
Sounds like a re-do is in order...
Suspend your ballasts in free air all around them if possible...
Start there, and make sure all equipment has a ground...
 
I wrapped nomex around the wood that the ballasts are on. Is that good enough? and I unplugged the other 600w for now and I am having a friend over today to look at it but as far as stopping all light I cant. I have one 600w on now and no fan or anything I have issues electrically all through this house its like 120yrs old with that breaker being 50 amps do you think ill have to go 240? I just wanna run 2 600w lights one oscilating fan and a timer. I hope I will be able to
 
Just keep this in mind. The most common accident in indoor growing is an electrical fire that starts in wiring that you thought would be fine. Check your chords, plugs and outlets or anywhere there is a connection for heat, They should not be hot to the touch slightly warm is as hot as it should get. You may not think you are drawing that much power and in your setup your not. 2 600 watt lights 120 volts is about 10 -12 amps. That would be fine if that's the only thing on that circuit. Turn that breaker off and go around your house and see what else is on that circuit. My guess is that half the house runs off that breaker since you said that it's an old house and you have problems throughout the house.Make it safe so I can sleep at night.
 
If the ballast are electronic they are only using 5.5 amps each. Are there any other plugs you can use ? If you work on it your self heres wire size and amps that you use them with. #14 = 15 amps smallest wire any thing smaller is low voltage wire. #12 = 20 amps. #10 = 30 amps. #8 = 40amps. #6 = 50amps. The last 2 would only be used for subpanel in a grow room or a oven/AC unit.
 
What you are doing is not safe. Virtually everything from the socket adapter to the extension cord are not rated for the load you're putting through it. The reason the ratings exist, the reason the electrical code exists, is because every single rule/guideline in there is there as a result of a fire.

Take out the socket. Wire up a proper receptacle. Get a proper gauge wire and proper fittings for either end to make your own extension cord if needed.

If you wanna run some CFL on that rigged setup you got, by all means you'll probably be okay. But not those 600w HPS. SOMETHING is going to melt at some point. I'd bet on the socket adapter being the culprit, myself.
 
DrOctopus said:
Thank you all so much I am trying to abide by rule one and tell no one so that's why I ask on here and no one else. I tripped the breaker this morning and now there is only one working. The ballast is coming on but no light. when I went to turn the breaker on it is a double switches with the # 50 on it. What does that mean? I am gonna wire it to a socket. Today thanks a mill. When I change the socket to an outlet do I have to shut the whole power off or just that switch.
Click to expand...

If you have a 50 amp double pole tripping off lighting loads then its either wired way wrong or there is a 50a sub panel somewhere.
 
I turned the 50 off and it was still on wtf? I got a pro comin tomorrow I mapped the rest of the house they were all 20s and 15s. I shut one light down and am running one there is no extention cords, its a surge protector from the socket. with 4 outlets only one has the light plugged in and it comes on at 6am when I wake up. I have no heat at all in fact its all cold as the room. I plan on changing the socket to an outlet and then if it trips im paying to get a 220 installed fuck it. 2 600w are perfect I wanted 2 1000 but its imposible to run them in a home without rewiring the whole bitch so if I have to rewire im buyin 4 1000w lights lol
 
When you said you had 50 amps for that light socket I about spit my vodka on my laptop! LOL!!

Lighting circuits are generally a lower amperage than outlets. The wiring will also be smaller. The heat you had was most likely from the terrible connection you had with that adapter in the socket. Bad Idea!!!

I hope the person you have coming over is very educated on wiring and hooks you up!!! No need to burn your place down over some smoke... Good luck man!!! :peace:

Edit: did you turn that 50 amp back on? Does that feed the heater?
 
yeah I turned the 50 back on but my heat is gas. is that still for the furnace like the pilot and circuit board on the furnace? I cant figure out what the 50 does and I also couldn't figure out which switch the grow room is on. imgonna take care of it all in the morn my godfather is an electrician of 25 yrs he'll straighten me out ill let you know, if he doesn't show im gonna try some DIY but im shutting down the main 100 right?
 
SnapsProvolone said:
Don't cover ballasts they can overheat. Running almost 20 amps just with ballasts. You will likely trip the breaker. You need more power. I say look into running a 240v lighting feed so you will be good to go.
Click to expand...
Running two 600w HIDs only pulls 12 amp at most. But if the fixture feels hot, it's overloaded.
 
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