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

diablo69

Member
I've used less without any problems in a closet operation like that. Make sure you have fresh air in and stale air out and you should be good to go. Remember that I'm not a licenced electrician so you might want to wait for someone else to respond but for flourescents and two fans on a power bar...
 

travish413

Well-Known Member
Is going to be hard because of a height issue. You could probably try a lst method to keep the plant short a bushy. Good luck!
 

IgrowBIGG

Active Member
Hi. I will be setting up a grow room in a guest house/garage that is quite large. I will be running 12-16 1000 watt lights. They will be hooked up to MLC-4 Master Lighting Controllers in groups of four. Each Controller has 4 standard 240 volt (NEMA 6-15) outlets which the HID ballasts will be plugged into. The Controller will then be plugged into the wall outlet through a 120 volt cable. There is also a built in timer. The controller is rated for 30 amps at 240 volts. There are four outlets in the room one on each wall and 2 light sockets on each. I know this could possibly require an extensive answer so I greatly thank you ahead of time.^^GET^HIGH^^
 

riproor

Active Member
then you need to run some 10/2 romex from your main panel use a double pole 30 amp breaker then run it to your grow room with the appropriate outlet for your controler to plug into.
 

IgrowBIGG

Active Member
OK. Is this something that is very difficult to do? I really have no knowlege of or experience with any type of electrical work. Would an electrician do this for me or would that just be a waste of money/how expensive would tht possibly cost?
 

emptypockets7

Active Member
Found a 400Watt Mercury Vapor Light Bulb and Electronic Ballast with about a 35,000 lumen output for $40 o.b.o. I'm new to growing and was wondering if this is something I should look into for growing now or in the future. It retails for ~$150 so this would be a steal.

Thanks

 

travish413

Well-Known Member
OK. Is this something that is very difficult to do? I really have no knowlege of or experience with any type of electrical work. Would an electrician do this for me or would that just be a waste of money/how expensive would tht possibly cost?
its not hard but if you have no knowlege than you might should have somebody else do it. Youll have to run 4 seperate breakers.... one for each outlet that the controller will be plugged. then you ll need regular 110 receptacle for other things like pumps and what not.
 

400Whps

Active Member
should i get a seperate timer for my400w hps and my flourecents or is an extension cord into my timer and to both ok?
also i am currently running my florecents without a ground, is there a way i can ground the extension cord?(total of 4 t5 bulbs and a small fan on that cord)
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
The instructions should state. If no instructions. only rely on what a ohm meter tells ya.

His guys, got another question that I am hoping you can help with.
I want to wire Two combination switches for water pumps. One switch for each pump. The switches that I have I got from Home depot. They have a switch on the top and an outlet on the bottom.
Looking at the switch/outlet on the top left there is a brass colored screw. On the bottom left is a silver screw. On the right side top and bottom screws are both black.
How can I wire this so that the bottom outlet is controlled by the switch above it.
The screws are labeled as follows.
Top left brass screw says A1. The bottom left says N. The top right says common and the bottom right is not marked. Also on the right side of the switch there is a tab that connects both the top and bottom black screws. This is made to be broken off if needed.
Thanks
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
I'm buying a HPS light (high pressure sodium) and im kinda weary/curious of the difference between a say 1000w HPS Grow light sun system 3 and a 1000W sun system budget gro remote ballast 120/240v... there is a great price difference and im curious about the difference, hookup and anything else?

hers the site with the lights described...
http://www.expresslightbulbs.com/grow-light-hps-grow-lights-c-132_192.html

Looking art them. The cheap one has no hood, the expensive one is a single unit (hood+ballast, LOTS of heat in a single spot)

I'd buy the cheap one with a cooltube or sealed air cooled hood. (fans and ducting needed. Pricey, but if you are going 1000W, the cost shouldn't be a consideration; you joined the big boys) 1000W is a lot of heat. Open hoods aren't going to be good unless in a large room with great ventilation.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
Hi. I will be setting up a grow room in a guest house/garage that is quite large. I will be running 12-16 1000 watt lights. They will be hooked up to MLC-4 Master Lighting Controllers in groups of four. Each Controller has 4 standard 240 volt (NEMA 6-15) outlets which the HID ballasts will be plugged into. The Controller will then be plugged into the wall outlet through a 120 volt cable. There is also a built in timer. The controller is rated for 30 amps at 240 volts. There are four outlets in the room one on each wall and 2 light sockets on each. I know this could possibly require an extensive answer so I greatly thank you ahead of time.^^GET^HIGH^^
Whats your question? At 12000W you should have had all your ducks in a row long before starting.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
should i get a seperate timer for my400w hps and my flourecents or is an extension cord into my timer and to both ok?
also i am currently running my florecents without a ground, is there a way i can ground the extension cord?(total of 4 t5 bulbs and a small fan on that cord)
Make *SURE* the timer for the HPS is rated for at least 600W *inductive* load, not resistive. Inductive is the key word you want (also pertains to the T5's)
 

chiefbootknocker

Well-Known Member
mi, why did it spark when you were working on it? Missed rule #1: turn off the power and *verify* that its off.

I have wired up wall switches live. But I'll use the rubber gloves (the ones for elec work)

You should have just tripped a breaker in the normal panel, not inside the utilities company. If thats not it, its possible yo *might* have blown off a loose connection _somewhere_ along the run. (if you are just tapping off to add this outlet)

I don't mean to sound like a prick, but I think you are in over your head. Just looking out for ya. Got a buddy that knows this stuff? (but then that kinda breaks rule 1 of growing, don't tell anyone)

haikubutthead
Maybe you can. Recharging lead acid batteries is typically at 10% of the rated output current and a few volts over the batteries output voltage.
What I would do for a el Cheapo, is get new batteries, a extra one or two. Charge them up normally, swap out for the extra. Once they are all charged up, the charging circuit won't be overly taxed maintaining all them, so you can tie them together for a longer run time. But the prob is if the power comes back up when you aren't there. A little relay logic can put a safeguard for that.

pussy...............
 

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
lol agreed.
ever have to drill out holes for a cable tap off of a live 480v busbar? (not 277/460, im talking 480/600)

that'll make the ole leather donut tighten up a few inches :lol:
 

MikeyPeenz

Well-Known Member
Hello! i have a quick question to ask if you dont mind!

I am running 6 cfls, 5 pc fans and one small osclating fan into a grow box, all connected to a power bar then into a timer and into the wall

am i drawing too much power, and if so, will i start a fire from using too much??
 

IgrowBIGG

Active Member
Whats your question? At 12000W you should have had all your ducks in a row long before starting.
If i understand what youre saying then yes i do have all my ducks lined up, or whatever you said... i think... lol. But this op is months away from the start date maybe even almost a yr and we are still working out where exactly it will even be done at. I was just curious about the work that will have to be done to set all of this up properly and i have decided that i will just higher the cheapest electrician that i can find to do pretty much all of the wiring and instalation. My experties start from then on :bigjoint:. I know that this is not the thread to ask this 2nd question in (so feel free to delete this if it poses as too much of a distraction from the main point) but i dont really wanna start a whole new one for one question like this so if ne1s intersested plez respond or comment. How do you feel about this setup as follows which is a small basic part of what i will be doing: 3x1000 watt lights over a 4x8' grow trey. Hydroponic Sea of green style. Approx 200 plants per trey in 4x4" rockwool cubes (9 plants per sq./ft.) and connoissuer nutes. Gana b some bomb smoke.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
Doubt you are running too much power. just watch the extension cord gauge.

How big CFLs? NOT the equivalent light but real watts.

Add up all the real watts of everything divide by 120 and thats your amp draw.

Hello! i have a quick question to ask if you dont mind!

I am running 6 cfls, 5 pc fans and one small osclating fan into a grow box, all connected to a power bar then into a timer and into the wall

am i drawing too much power, and if so, will i start a fire from using too much??
 
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