Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

I got a question about computer fan splicing
Can i have 2 12v computers fans running off the same 12v adapter or will this lower their CFM output?

thisismynewxbox said:

I recently got access to a 35 watt HPS. My question is, its a sealed box with the light on the bottom of it. There are 3 raw wires coming out, one labeled 120 volt.

Can i just cut a computer monitor power cable to hook this up to my standard house outlet.
There is no on/off switch on this box. What do you think of that?
Any help /expertise is appreciated!!

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Yes. Connect black to black, white to white, and green to green (or the ground may also be bare). I'd go on and add a switch to it while you've got the cord spliced.

so my rooms in a shed in the backyard and there is an outlet by the pool for stuff and when i plug my 600w mh/hps light w/ a surge protector into it, it pops the surg off, but doesn trip the main breaker inside. If i run the light directly into the socket it doesnt trip however. Do you think the socket outside is bad or just a shitty surge/too much for a surge? I just dont want it popping the socket bad one day and starting a fire or something, always safety first. + theres a 220 outlet (ithink for the pool pump but we dont set the pool up anymore) can this be of any use to me?

Sounds like your surge protector is being overloaded might want to check the amperage rating on that. If your ballast can run off 220 you should probably be using it. You'll get slightly better efficiency and you'll free up load on your 110 circuit for fans and other devices. A 30A 220 circuit can run about 6000watts so you'll be well within limits.

great man thanks so much

bigbudballs
my ballast is an industrial type
like the ones u see in basketball gyms n shit...there are no switches..just a bunch of wires so i can run it at a 120 200 260 n 400 some shit like that....where would this switch be?? would u like a picture of my ballast??

hi i have a thread in my sig about industrial lighting. your light is probly designed to run 1 or the other either MH or HPS type bulbs but not both. post a pic of the nameplate data of your light.

there is no switch inside the cage..just wires to be ran at different voltage... and on the sticker it says hps,mh,hg 450w max..mh runs but when i stick the hps it wont light up..i hear the magnet kick on but no light

Two questions

Question 1
I want to get an electricity usage monitor, like this one

http://www.p3international.com/products/p4460.html

I plan to run it like this:

Wall outlet -> electricity usage monitor -> surge protector -> timer -> Ballast and Fans

Is this safe and OK to do?

Question 2
Will this even work? The specs on the unit are as follows.

Operating Voltage: 115 VAC
Max Voltage: 125 VAC
Max Current: 15A
Max Power: 1875 VA

My ballast is a Lumatek 600W 120V HPS/MH E-Ballast

And I will have a 4inch Hydrofarm Fan
120v
60Hz
0.95A
113W
2910 RPM

Will this all work together?

Thanks

indofasho said:

bigbudballs
my ballast is an industrial type
like the ones u see in basketball gyms n shit...there are no switches..just a bunch of wires so i can run it at a 120 200 260 n 400 some shit like that....where would this switch be?? would u like a picture of my ballast??

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then its not a MH/HPS. If a MH works and a HPS doesn't, its a MH ballast. HPS have the extra igniter.

is 2500 watts to much to run in a standard outlets in one room?

Hi all. Can anyone tell me if its safe to use a standard 4-way plug adaptor with my kit.
Im running an rvk 100 extraction fan/ an oscillating fan/ my ballast with contactor & timer etc {250w hps}.
Ive been using a standard one for a while now with no probs, but im just wondering if i should invest in a surge protector 4 way adaptor for safety ?
Im not even sure what surge protection is etc. Would it be safer to use one in any way ?

Thanks.

buckd316 said:

is 2500 watts to much to run in a standard outlets in one room?

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Do the math. The math has been posted, probably, once on each page of this thread.

Don't know the specs of the fans, but you shouldn't have a prob

Surge suppressors help protect the items plugged into it from surges from the incoming power lines. they are based on MOVs (metal Oxide Varistors) These fail with *zero* warning and typically last 6 months to a year. So buy cheap ones.

The only safety built into these surge suppressors is the little circuit breaker, but they are set to 15amps, so the house breaker may trip first. (and most likely will since there probably is other things running on the same breaker circuit.)

Now on the other hand there are line conditioners, that do a LOT more. Remove transients, keep voltages in check, etc But no reason to toss on a $400 unit to protect a $100 item. They are meant more for sensitive equipment like AV where you want nice sound quality.

monty Python said:

Hi all. Can anyone tell me if its safe to use a standard 4-way plug adaptor with my kit.
Im running an rvk 100 extraction fan/ an oscillating fan/ my ballast with contactor & timer etc {250w hps}.
Ive been using a standard one for a while now with no probs, but im just wondering if i should invest in a surge protector 4 way adaptor for safety ?
Im not even sure what surge protection is etc. Would it be safer to use one in any way ?

Thanks.

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i have a question, and I currently have my own theory, which I use for safety, but I think i am wrong.

for dc fans and dc adapters. lets say the fans states that it requires 12 volt at .90 amp, which means 10.8~watts, im pretty sure. well lets say i have a 9 volt dc adapter at 1.2 amps, which equals 10.8~watts, again, im pretty sure. will this still run the fan at the same performance for the same duration as it would have receiving the 12 volt/.90 amp required by manufacturer? or 6 volt X 1.8 = 10.8?

now i know the higher amperage, the more dangerous, so there is one negative, i think
now what about power consumption? a watt is a watt in this case, right? the lower volts are equalizing the higher amperages right?
is there anything y'all experienced fellows see newbs do with these things that are no-no's?

i was just curious about this, and i see people touch on it here and there but really not a lot.

i try to match the amps and volts, seems safest and for best performance. dont want these things failing. but if I can safely lower the amps and/or volts without damaging the unit, i know performance will degrade with cfm and pressures, i may be able to safe a few watts.

i aint worried bout about flagging the light company i use under 200 watts. but i try to safe a penny when i can, ya know.

edit: thats a long ^$$ post!! thanks folks, this thread is pretty good

indofasho said:

there is no switch inside the cage..just wires to be ran at different voltage... and on the sticker it says hps,mh,hg 450w max..mh runs but when i stick the hps it wont light up..i hear the magnet kick on but no light
View attachment 942745View attachment 942744

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hi that nameplate data you posted is for the optics and not the ballast. somewhere on the light should be the model# of the light and it will tell you what lamp type to use. that light is not for both MH and HPS lamps.

thanks guys

gumball said:

i have a question, and I currently have my own theory, which I use for safety, but I think i am wrong.

for dc fans and dc adapters. lets say the fans states that it requires 12 volt at .90 amp, which means 10.8~watts, im pretty sure. well lets say i have a 9 volt dc adapter at 1.2 amps, which equals 10.8~watts, again, im pretty sure. will this still run the fan at the same performance for the same duration as it would have receiving the 12 volt/.90 amp required by manufacturer? or 6 volt X 1.8 = 10.8?

Click to expand...

now what about power consumption? a watt is a watt in this case, right? the lower volts are equalizing the higher amperages right?
is there anything y'all experienced fellows see newbs do with these things that are no-no's?

Click to expand...

Yes power consumption will be the same (well there probably be a bit more used in this sample since the motor won't be spinning at peak efficiency, but nothing to worry about)

Dropping the voltage isn't a great thing to do, but is OK. From 12 to 9 is nearly a 25% drop. I wouldn't go lower then that.

i try to match the amps and volts, seems safest and for best performance. dont want these things failing. but if I can safely lower the amps and/or volts without damaging the unit, i know performance will degrade with cfm and pressures, i may be able to safe a few watts.

i aint worried bout about flagging the light company i use under 200 watts. but i try to safe a penny when i can, ya know.

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You will not see even a penny saved.

What are you using the fan for? And the typical PC fans?

i live in uk and i have a 240v 32 amp supply for my electric cooker that i dont use as i use a gas one, an electric cooker is 11,000 watts when four hobs a grill and oven is switched on, can i run 10 X 400w metal halide from this connection using a 10mm cable to a junction splitter and run 5 x 20 amp switches with 2.5 cable each switching on two lights at a time with one switch at 2 minute intervals due to draw and surge, and if and when they are running 18 hours a day will i get any problems with my electrics overheating. someone told me you devide the voltage with the total wattage which is roughly 16 which he says accounts to 16 amps so i am ok. is he correct.

BigBudBalls said:

Yes power consumption will be the same (well there probably be a bit more used in this sample since the motor won't be spinning at peak efficiency, but nothing to worry about)

Dropping the voltage isn't a great thing to do, but is OK. From 12 to 9 is nearly a 25% drop. I wouldn't go lower then that.

You will not see even a penny saved.

What are you using the fan for? And the typical PC fans?

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im using the fans for circulation and exhaust of my cabinet.

so i should basically keep doing what I am doing, matching the voltage and amperage as closely as what the fan/manufacturer recommends? this sounds like the safest and most optimum way to maximize on power used and max output and life achieved, right?

thanks bigbudballs!!