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Advice - What to Tell The Electrican

kittysecrets4u

New member
I have my grow up just about set up and came across a few electrical problems. The electrician is coming out tomorrow to give me an estimate. The job will be expected by the city...

I need a panel upgrade and new wiring - I plan to run 3-600 watt hps bulbs and 3-1000 watt hps bulbs, My grow room is 15x15x15.

I don't want him or anyone from the city of see what I have set up - I have cleared everything out but the mylar and the fans are still left in the room.

What do I tell the electrician how much power I need and keep everything on stealth.

Help - Thanks.
 

Dr Dog

Sharks have a week dedicated to me
Veteran
So lets see if I have this straight

you are going to be running 4800 w in lights alone in the one room? Plus AC/ Dehumd/Fans? So realistically, there are only a few things that average joe blow would being using that much power for, Hot tub Sauna things

You could also just say you grow tropical plants inside as well, to get them ready for the spring.

I would not be that worried about the electrician or the city, running that kind of horsepower to grow your lights, smacks of a commercial op, so I suspect the LEO would be your biggest threat
 

NorthernKronic

Grower of fine herbs...
Veteran
Take down the Mylar... that is a bad idea to have that up if you ask me... but thats just IMO...

I would say that you either want to install a welding studio, or a kiln for firing pottery.. those are both illegitimate things that would take up a ton of energy.. Yea LEO is definitely going to be a concern..but the LEO doesn't just magically find out.. someone has to tell them...

Make sure that your home is clean of any items that would lead a person to believe that marijuana is part of your lifestyle. i.e.- Pipes ashtrays, and if your growing you gotta get any plants out of there for when they come by, unless you have a very large home and then you can just stash em somewhere special. But hey im just trying to come up with ideas. Good luck buddy, just be a regular Joe... dont be a stoner.. not one bit.. cut the hair if you have to.. shave and put on the act of either being really into pottery or really into welding.. thats my take..
 
It is not at all uncommon to upgrade an older houses service panel to a more modern 200amp...tell them that you plan on adding on or remodeling in the future and wanted to take care of the panel first. As for running fuses and wire from the panel to your room...get a book, electricity is scary but it really is not that complicated. Oh, and of course you know you canrun those lights 220 to save on amerage at the panel
 
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15X15X15 Im assuming is a barn or something of that sort, then those excuses above would work fantastic, however if it is a room in your house or something your going to need to do better than those excuses. Just double up on excuses....
I have a lot of high end computers and servers running in this room, so that needs one 30 amp circuit, i also need another one for a huge wall a/c im going to install.... and oh yeah make those double the amperage because its better to be safe than sorry....
no electrician is going to argue that point
 

senseless

Active member
an electric dryer uses about 4500 watts, crazy i know.....
welding supplies draw alot of power too, so do woodshops, (saws, blowers ect..), and kilns for glass blowing or pottery use alot too. a big AC lets say 20,000 btu uses 3000 watts minimum.....

just have the electrician wire the main pannel for you, say you plan on upgrading curcuts in the future.

go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a book on how to do electric work, i highly reccomend the STANLEY guide to electrical wiring, mine is a black and yellow book.... it will tell you how to wire a single socket to switches to dryer outlets to even running your own sub pannel. it has simple easy to read drawings and easy to understand information. i diddnt even know how to wire a outlet before i read this and now i could wire your whole house! other books i found hard to understand like black and decker, thats why i reccomend the STANLEY guide.

good luck
 
tell the electrician to run you a subpanel into that room at 100amps so that can later upgrade that part of whatever to a workshop. Then get a book and run everything from that sub panel yourself to suit your needs. GL!
 

facelift

This is the money you could be saving if you grow
Veteran
I'm sorry. Sex toys. Tell him you have a lot of high end sex toys!

You can easily get a few computers in the room with printer monitors, maybe a few electric guitars, amps, etc....
 

Hazelnuts

Member
Warm water aquariums are always a nice excuse too, tell them you ordered it a few days ago and it uses electricity like crazy
 
G

Guest

facelift said:
I'm sorry. Sex toys. Tell him you have a lot of high end sex toys!

You can easily get a few computers in the room with printer monitors, maybe a few electric guitars, amps, etc....

I like the way you think, facelift. But at the same time, you kind of scare me. Just what sort of sex toys, or how many, require a 30 amp or more service? If it's how many- can I come and partying with you and your gang of 600? lol
Let's see if we can trip the breaker! hahahahaha
Kitty, get rid of anything that from your grow. Anything. Tell the electrican you are going to be buying new computers and flat screen tv and don't want to have a problem. But don't volunteer anything. Relax. The electrican wants your money and the inspector could care less..he just wants to make sure the work is done right. Just have a cover story and stick to it. And I wouldn't mention a kiln or anything like that. Some locals frown on kilns in basements. Fire risk.
 
G

Guest

a game room sometimes has a pinball machine
hell maybe 2
that and the TV the massive wall stereo your gonna put in
yep sounds like you need more power my friend

good luck and keep it green

jack :pimp3:
 

Maj.PotHead

End Cannibis Prohibition Now Realize Legalize !!
Mentor
Veteran
kittysecrets4u said:
I have my grow up just about set up and came across a few electrical problems. The electrician is coming out tomorrow to give me an estimate. The job will be expected by the city...

I need a panel upgrade and new wiring - I plan to run 3-600 watt hps bulbs and 3-1000 watt hps bulbs, My grow room is 15x15x15.

I don't want him or anyone from the city of see what I have set up - I have cleared everything out but the mylar and the fans are still left in the room.

What do I tell the electrician how much power I need and keep everything on stealth.

Help - Thanks.
remove mylar remove fans and any other hint of grow clean the erea like the millatry is going to inspect. now if your a girl and your handel suggests tell them your brother or dad is going to set up wood shop and teach ya the family trade. hope your not renting and ya own the place your upgrading :rasta:
 
G

Guest

Dr Dog said:
You could also just say you grow tropical plants inside as well, to get them ready for the spring.


i have to disagree here
sorry DD
but i would never make any mention of plants at all
real fake tropical floral :rasta:
or however they come

no sense even putting the word "plant" into his or her mind

jack :pimp3:
 
G

Guest

I am an electrician.If someone told me they wanted a 60 amp subpanel in a 15 by 15 room my question would be where do you want it mounted..You tell him what you want in terms he understands and thats the end of it.He won't be interested in your branch circuit loads if you say what you want and end it.
 
G

Guest

People will respond by the feelings they get,I bet you're a talkative friendly guy.I am too normally.In a situation like this I would be about business and too busy to chat.I want a service upgrade to 150-200A whatever and a 60 amp subpanel right here on this wall about yay high.If someone told me exactly what they wanted and ended it I wouldnt inquire about branch circuitry.
 

Sleepy

Active member
Veteran
"The electrician is coming out tomorrow to give me an estimate... "

tell him what you want. nothing else.

remove mylar, tape, fans...vacuum up real nice...

tell him you are getting several estimates and you will call back after all estimates are in.

good luck.
 

Murphy

Member
blockheader said:
People will respond by the feelings they get,I bet you're a talkative friendly guy.I am too normally.In a situation like this I would be about business and too busy to chat.I want a service upgrade to 150-200A whatever and a 60 amp subpanel right here on this wall about yay high.If someone told me exactly what they wanted and ended it I wouldnt inquire about branch circuitry.

He doesn't care what you do with it as long as he gets paid. No need to over think it, just conduct the business at hand.
 
I would go with nothing less than a 100 amp sub panel given 4000+ watts.

You will probably add more electrical things to tax the sub panels rating and 60 amps is just too wimpy.

Each 1,000 watt light draws around 10 amps per light (actually around 9.5 but I like a margin of safety) @ 120 volts.

Three 1k lights puts you at 30 amps of draw.

Now add the other lights at around 6 amps per light (18 amps total for the 600 watt lights) and you are at 48 amps of draw.

Remember, you want to keep a safety margin of 80% of any breaker or panels rating. A 60 amp panel @ 80% is 48 amps. You are maxed out for safety with lights alone.

Add a window A/C unit which will draw 15 amps on full load and you have exceeded the sub panels rating of 60 amps.

Also, in case a breaker trips, put your lights on their own dedicated breakers so if one light goes out, they all do not go out.

If your lights are 210/220 volt, the amperage draws are reduced by 50% because you have two independent runs of romex sharing the load.
 

pothead6

Member
if u need an excuse for to why u need that much power say u are planing on making a recording studio. thus mixers lots of amps and everything that i would think would be the most reasonable excuse
 
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