converting 240v ballast to run off 120v

SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
hi all, i recently found a damn good deal on a used hydrofarm lumatek 600w hps/mh digital ballast (25$). Unfortunately the seller says it has a 240v input, and since i live in the US i believe this creates a compatibility issue.

my question is, What are my options for converting a 240v ballast, to run off 120v power? I looked at a couple pictures of 240v power cords and it looked like the female end of the cord is the same as the female end of a computer power supply cord. Using a computer power supply cord seems like it could be a solution to my problem, but im clueless when it comes to electricity.

Please help guys, im lost.
 
N

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
Your Oven runs on 240, so do alot of electric dryers. you can get a sparky (Electrician) to come over and hook you up.
 
bonz

bonz

Well-Known Member
you should be able to run i think usa has 220 volt. if not you need to open it up and look to see if the wires are labeled. they should say on them 110 or 240. just change to the 110 volt. running on 240 is more efficient also
 
SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
NoDrama - i have heard that dryers and ovens run on 240v, however i will be growing in a closet connected only to my bedroom which is not near either the dryer or the oven. Also both the dryer and oven are gas powered so i'm not sure if there are any 240v circuits in the house (i know for a fact that the oven runs off of 120, i just checked).

Bonz - it sounds like changing the wiring is an electrical fire waiting to happen, is it a process that somebody with nearly no electrical experience could safely perform?
 
bonz

bonz

Well-Known Member
well thaats your call. i dont want to push you into something you dont feel safe doing. saftey first bud. heres a link to look over this is for the old magnetic ones but if you google your model you should be able to come up with something. check thier web site
 
SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
i just emailed lumatek so hopefully i will have an answer within a couple days, if anyone can enlighten me before than i would be stoked because i only have a 3 day window of opportunity to buy this ballast.
 
SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
I believe lumatek is located in the UK, at least their website is a ".co.uk" address. However I think they are owned by hydrofarm and I am not sure where hydrofarm is located. I do know that lumatek makes both 120 and 240 volt ballasts.
 
bonz

bonz

Well-Known Member
well that why i ask. some electronics that are sold in the uk have different plugs than us in north america, not sure but i do think so. so even if it is american he may have ordered it with just 240 ?
 
SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
yes i believe that thats what happened it was used for a commercial setup along with many other lights and ballasts, and it was probably a big enough operation that it was cost effective to rewire the grow area with 240v electricity unfortunately im growing for personal use and can't justify any unneeded expenditures as i will not be making my money back.
 
bonz

bonz

Well-Known Member
well if yiu had it you could just open it and the wires are usualy marked 110 and 240 and then swtch them. i had to on my old magnetic after i ouldn`t figure why it wouldn`t work. to stoned to see the obvious.
 
MisterMicro

MisterMicro

Well-Known Member
Dont know if it was mentioned but get a 120v converter off ebay, i had the same problem, got it for like 25 bucks
 
thelastpirate

thelastpirate

Well-Known Member
Take apart the ballast box. Where the electrical plug goes into the box, there should be a neutral (green), a white, and a white labeled wire. There should also be a few other wires in there. The unit should be using the wire labeled 240. you are going to want to switch this with the one labeled 120. You are gonna go from about a 2.5 amp draw to a bit over a 4 amp draw. Use heavy gauge wire like about a minimum of 14 gauge.

Or, as suggested by someone, take it to a pro and let them do it. All of mine have 4 different voltages. I just hope that your lights from a grow web site doesn't have all their marketing logos on it like "Hydro-Grow" or some such shit as that. The electrician can surmise all he wants.
 
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SnoCap

SnoCap

Well-Known Member
does anyone know if the lumatek ballast has these other wires or just most ballasts in general?
 
bonz

bonz

Well-Known Member
every ballast i have dealt with all have the same wiring. give me the model number and shit and i`ll find out for ya
 
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