1Ks and 15 amp circuits

[skylined]

I read on this site somewhere that a 1k takes between 5 and 5.9 amps. If this is so....Would it be possible to run 2 on a 15 amp circuit provided you staggered the time when they fire up (I know there is an amperage spike in the first 15 minutes or so). So lamp 1 fires....20 minutes later lamp 2 fires up. Is this possible / safe to do? I'm aware 2 1Ks in a one bedroom apt is rather much but I am wondering.

Peace,
~Skylined

(Edit - turns out there was a math error....apparently a 1k pulls up to 9 amps....so no way this is happening. I ran 2 600s safely with nothing else on the line and that is exactly where it will stay if i decide to even hit that. I figure though if you have an extension cord of sufficient thick guage you could run it into the room from another circuit. Could this work?)

 

[ThereIsHope]

I read on this site somewhere that a 1k takes between 5 and 5.9 amps. If this is so....Would it be possible to run 2 on a 15 amp circuit provided you staggered the time when they fire up (I know there is an amperage spike in the first 15 minutes or so). So lamp 1 fires....20 minutes later lamp 2 fires up. Is this possible / safe to do? I'm aware 2 1Ks in a one bedroom apt is rather much but I am wondering.

Peace,
~Skylined

(Edit - turns out there was a math error....apparently a 1k pulls up to 9 amps....so no way this is happening. I ran 2 600s safely with nothing else on the line and that is exactly where it will stay if i decide to even hit that. I figure though if you have an extension cord of sufficient thick guage you could run it into the room from another circuit. Could this work?)

If you have the thick extension cord, yes. I run 1k's and they pull around 9 amps each.

I use a chickenshit rule that is not accurate but close and builds in a safety margin. I basically tell myself a 1k lamp pulls 10 amps (actually ~ 9 amps but think safety). A 600k lamp pulls 6 amps (actually ~ 5 amps).....and so on. It adds one amp of safety margin when thinking out what kind of loads you are placing on a given circuit.

Then do not exceed 80% of the breakers capacity.

15 amp breaker = 12 amp max draw (80%).

 

[cocktail frank]

1k hps ballast draws 9.5a

 

[swampdank]

i ran 2 1k hps on one circuit (15A) last grow. probably shouldnt have but i did. i just let one cut on 5 minutes after the other. no problems.

one of the more irresponsible things i have done. but it worked and i got a huge yield.

 

[iLLperception]

soooo... by that math I should be fine to run 3 x 400W CMH bulbs on a 15A circuit.

I assume running 4 x 400W CMH would be cutting it too close then?

 

[ThereIsHope]

soooo... by that math I should be fine to run 3 x 400W CMH bulbs on a 15A circuit.

I assume running 4 x 400W CMH would be cutting it too close then?

Correct.

If you use the chickenshit rule (1k light = 10 amps draw etc), you are safe.

 

[ThereIsHope]

i ran 2 1k hps on one circuit (15A) last grow. probably shouldnt have but i did. i just let one cut on 5 minutes after the other. no problems.

one of the more irresponsible things i have done. but it worked and i got a huge yield.

I kept popping my 20 amp breaker with (2) 1K lights, in-line fan, 3 floor fans, CD playa', CO2 equipment .... so I put that bitch on a 30 amp circuit.

The wiring is only 12 awg and should be 10 awg.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

i ran 2 1k hps on one circuit (15A) last grow. probably shouldnt have but i did. i just let one cut on 5 minutes after the other. no problems.

one of the more irresponsible things i have done. but it worked and i got a huge yield.

what a pile of lies, or you had a 20amp.

9.5 amps x 2 is 19 amps...
so your 15 amp breaker held up 19 amps? i dont think so.

 

[wafflehouselove]

^^^ lol someone wants a fire.

 

[adc702]

amps

amps

1 1000 light = 9.5 amps. you cant run two on 15 amps. you could on 20 amp but that would be pushing it. you burn your house down. there a couple of things you could do. Run them at 220 off a 30 amp breaker using 10/3 wire. that would split your amps in half but double your volts. you could run two seperate lines each having there own 20 amp breaker using 12/2 wire.

 

[adc702]

If it was me i would run a 220 off a 30 amp breaker for lights and 1 110 off a 20 amp breaker for misc.

 

[skylined]

Well if a 600 pulls 5 (but you count as 6) that's why I didn't have any problems with a 15 amp circuit running two of those. 12 amps on a 15 gives you exactly your 80% margin of safety there. They ran @ night so not much else was pulling except a few fluoros in the bathroom. I would run 1 1k off the 15 amp bedroom circuit and use an extension cord to bring in a 20 amp circuit from the kitchen (all it has on it is the dishwasher pretty much). This then brings up the whole question of 3 600s or 2 1000s? Maybe even 2 600s and 1 1000? I don't know nearly enough about electricity to do any wiring....so I won't. I have no intention of playing with something dangerous unless I have the knowledge and experience. What gauge of extension cord is necessary for 9.5 amps to come through safely?

Peace out,
~Skylined

 

[SomeGuy]

"WATTS divided by VOLTS (120) = AMPS"

Example 400 Watt Light divided by 120 = 3.3 AMPS. Add another amp for the ballast.

Learn it, Live it !!!!

 

[adc702]

extension cord

extension cord

well you need an extension cord with at least 12 gauge. I wouldn't call it safe though. It really would depend on how far of a distance it is from your power box to your outlet then through your extenson cord to your lights. You actually start to lose amps which can cause your electrical cable to heat up.

 

[skylined]

So I'm guessing something like 25 feet on a 12 gauge or maybe 50 feet for an even wider one. Damn. Have decided max config is gonna be 3 600s...no 1ks on these apartment circuits. Can plug 2 of em into the bedroom circuit and bring in the juice for the other on an extension cord....5-6 amps on a wide gauge cord shouldn't pose a problem at all I wouldn't think. I don't plug into a power box I just use an outlet on a different circuit to bring the power in.

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[cocktail frank]

nothing safe about extension cords, regardless of wire guage.

there is a thread way back in the growers forum called "thoro's electrical safety thread"
do a search, great info there about the dangers of ext. cords.