Adding electricity into my attic

[INFI Addict]

Hey peeps,

I've made space in my attic to get a few plants up there, have pretty much all I need, expect I have no electrical outlets up there!!! I have a light already up there, so there is electricity in my attic, but I haven't got a clue how to search on google for this... I've tried shit like 'extending electricity into attic', 'splicing new cable into electric cable'... all sortsa weird stuff... it's been a long day, and just can't get the info I need.

I'm capable if I know how, I know it can be done, but need some pointers. If anyone knows of a link I can check out, that'd be top draw stuff.


Cheers people... I know it's a n00b question buy hey, when you gotta ask, you gotta ask... I did search on ICMAG as well, but failed there as well... thats generally how my day has been, but I wanna get my Honey B up there and growing

 

[headiez247]

how do you access the attic? thought a closet or are there stairs or what? And what rooms are directly under the attic?

 

[yamaha_1fan]

How much electricity do you need

or better yet


What is going up there that needs electric? How big of a light? pump, fans. A/C? That will decide what happens next. Its possible you can use the power from the light or you may need more power

 

[INFI Addict]

Cheers for your replies guys!

headiez - the attic is accessed from the hallway on the first floor... there are steps up to it, thanks

yamaha - I will be putting a couple of standard desk fans, maybe a couple of 12cm PC fans and a 150HPS

Hopefully that will run off of the lights power?? Its not a lot I don't think


Cheers again

 

[PharmaCan]

Cheers for your replies guys!

headiez - the attic is accessed from the hallway on the first floor... there are steps up to it, thanks

yamaha - I will be putting a couple of standard desk fans, maybe a couple of 12cm PC fans and a 150HPS

Hopefully that will run off of the lights power?? Its not a lot I don't think


Cheers again

Next steps:

Find the breaker that controls the attic light - turn it off. See what else in the house is on that same circuit.

Where is the switch for the attic light?

Look at the breaker, it has a number (prob'ly 15 or 20) written on the switch knob. What is that number?

Look at the wire running to the light. It has some writing on it. Some of that writing should say 12-2 or 14-2. What is that number?

Put a thermometer in the area where you want to grow. During the hottest part of the day, check the attic temperature.

Once you have all that information, report back.

Good luck!

PC

 

[cesartime]

Co-sign PharmaCan on the attic temperature. That is going to be your crux. Short of that, youd need to bring a 220v line up to the attic depending on how much equipment youre gonna want to run. Heat is going to be your largest issue in an attic so keep that in mind. Youre probably gonna deffinitely need an AC to keep things in order during these summer months so plan accordingly. I dunno how electricty works where you are, but here one can run a 220v line to a room and get a plug and play sub panel that plugs into the 220v dryer outlet.

Best of luck.

 

[ChaosCatalunya]

A mate did this for me, he put in a new ring of thick "twin and earth" wire up from the fusebox and a 30A breaker to suit. Over engineer and sleep tight.


At the same time he messed around with £20 worth of copper pipe and £5 worth of PVC drain fittings, I had water supply and drain up there, priceless when you start using it.

Chop a few bricks out of your chimney for a subtle exhaust route.

Wickes sell nice 2" THICK 4' X 2' Tongue and groove polystyrene sheets that fit together perfectly, my house was always the last to melt the snow.

Have fun !

 

[starrider]

Yes heat is one major problem moving hot air around is not going to help you need to cool it down I have worked in attics in the summer and your talking 130+ deg and you need to keep your box ideally under 90 deg.What about watering draging water upstairs and if you accidently drop a bucket in the attiic you are going to have some major damages to contend to.Peace

 

[bakerman]

You can get plugins that screw into the light socket!

 

[headiez247]

You can get plugins that screw into the light socket!

IF temps aren't a problem and your only running one light, this may be a very quick and easy solution. It sounds like it isn't gonna be a huge operation so if you only have one light and a few fans, you could pull it off this way

 

[bakerman]

Also It use a power bar/breaker first then lights/fan pluged into that!If there is a surge it trips first!

 

[CDM]

If you dont know what you are doing, get someone who does.
You can burn your house down "splicing" into your power