Am I going to burn the house down?

[quicksilver91]

Hello all, this question is purely electrical. I'll be as detailed as I can cause I'm having technical difficulties uploading pics. I have a single 20 ft extension cord going from a regular wall socket to supply my closet with energy. Plugged into the extension cord is a splitter that turns the end into 3 sockets. Into one is plugged a 4 inch desk fan. The two other plug ins have 6 outlet surge protectors plugged in. One of those 6 outlet surge protectors provides light to my two mothers by having 2 polarized socket adapters each with a 23 w daylight fluorescent bulb plugged in for 46 watts total that hangs over my two small mothers. In the other 6 outlet is another low power fan, as well as a surge printed double socket light timer. In those sockets are 2 6 outlet surge protectors. In those surge protectors are 3 polarized socket adapters each, each with 2 23 w warm white fluorescent bulbs and 1 23w daylight bulb to provide light to my flower box. I still need ventilation for the flower box, two more weeks to sort that out but it will surely add another 100 w at least to this single extension cord. What can a single extension cord take?

 

[_tessarecting]

Depends on how thick it is (guage) this will give you max amps (always run at 80% of that)

Then find the breaker the outlet is on. This will tell you how many amps you can use. (20 amps at 80% is 16 amps for example)

Until you figure this out, feel your chord, if its warm you are drawing too much power.

 

[quicksilver91]

That's 2 6 outlet surge protectors plugged into the timer with 3 23 w bulbs each totally 69 watts each for 138 watts of lighting in my flower box. Not sorted ventilation. 46 watts of lighting in mother box and probably another 60 in ventilation. The ventilation for my flower box is going to be nut one basic 50cfm. Unable to find the wattage on it but its probably 100+
Thanks for any help and advice.

 

[_tessarecting]

I run two T5's out of a single outlet all day...thats 900 watts

 

[whadeezlrg]

just roughly adding it all up your at somewhere in the 300-400w range, up to maybe 500w (4.1amps) total after adding in another 100w. I'd say that unless your using one of the lighter duty cords(unlikely at 20ft length) you're fine. 15amp breakers are the lowest rated amperage used in homes...fwiw 15amps = 1800w @ 120v....80%(recommended max load) puts you right around 1440w safely available current on the circuit.

tess made the best point though, feel the cord and surge protectors for warmth, if it's warm it's got too much current going through it, and the heat will lead to fatigue in the wires which could eventually cause a problem.

 

[Al Botross]

I run two T5's out of a single outlet all day...thats 900 watts

8 or 12 bulbs?

 

[_tessarecting]

8

 

[Eletrile DeMaid]

The gauge of the extension cord. What is it? How many amps for the electical circuit with the wall socket? Any other loads on that circuit?

 

[quicksilver91]

Thank you all for the quick response. If I am reading correctly, the breaker my room is connected to is 100 amps. Is it typical in houses to have a range of amps in one breaker box? Its confusing how the amps are listed but I think it is saying that the breakers in the box range from 125 amp to 60 amp in order from top breaker 125 to bottom at 60. Yes 8 bulbs for 182 bulb-only wattage

 

[quicksilver91]

It's an old orange job sit extension cord no tears or anything but I have been keeping an eye on temps and I have had it supplying 3 bulbs and 2 fans toother box for 1 month 24 hours no heat. I'm am now cloning and will be flowering similar to the world famous drbud but the flower box is being set up over the next two weeks.. how do I know the gauge? Only my ceiling fan/light fixture, bathroom light/ sisters blow dryer etc occasionally, and a phone charger occasionally its just my room and the bathroom on the breaker

 

[quicksilver91]

Even if I added everything I want to add (I feel much better about doing so now, was going pretty minimalist on this out of fear) I would probably be right around 7-800 total wattage.

 

[MileHighGlass]

I've got 600 watts of t5's on a an extension cord. Never had a problem. I've also run multiple 600 watt hid on extension cords. Always go for the thicker cord.

You should be good. It doesn't seem like you are running much at all. If you are worried spend the extra for a thicker extension cord. I typically do.

 

[gorilla ganja]

it might say the gauge on the extension cord. The 125 amp is probably the master breaker for your whole house, 60 amp probably supply's a sub- panel for a garage maybe or hot tub.
15 or 20 amp breaker's should supply the rest of the house, at least in north america.
I would just make my own extension cord using at least 14/2 gauge wire and like others have said try not to use more than 80% of total amps available.
Peace GG

 

[quicksilver91]

Thanks everyone again you have all been greatly helpful. One more question. http://m.homedepot.com/p/NuTone-50-...rv_mobileweb_rr-1-_-100645396-_-100081599-_-N the fan I am think in of getting for my flower box and attaching a carbon filter directly to it. Ive gone to hope depot its light i could hand on the ceiling which would take 5 in or so off the top of my box, which is 20 in wide, 32 &1/2 in tall and 18 &1/2 in deep. Is there a way I can wire this to plug into a regular outlet?

 

[quicksilver91]

http://www.rollitup.org/t/the-best-diy-ez-walmart-carbon-filter-for-micro-grows-zen-style.101u248/ and the filter I'd like to make and attach to the fan

 

[whadeezlrg]

I would just make my own extension cord using at least 14/2 gauge wire and like others have said try not to use more than 80% of total amps available.
Peace GG

14g extension cord wouldn't be a terrible idea. although it is unsafe to use a solid wire in an application where it can be moved around(extension cord etc.) extension cords use fine stranded wire to allow movement without making the wire weak.


I'm still going to say you're good to go with an orange utility cord, although I wouldn't personally load it up too much more. if you do have plans for expansion, I'd recommend paying someone to do it right or learning to do it correctly yourself. many community colleges have vocational electrical classes, utilize them if security is of any concern(as it was in my case)

 

[quicksilver91]

Thanks whadeezlrg. Is there a ballpark number you can give me as a pretty safe recommendation of what is a safe total wattage to run on the cord?

 

[quicksilver91]

Got the picture problem fixed. 1st green crack bag seed that had a rough start so I trimmed it pretty harshly to (what I think is) bonsai it. Have 4 clones and one more down there towards the bottom of it that needs to mature a little more and I'll have one more, then I'll let it grow for awhile. I've taken 3 cuttings from the bottom of the bushier plant which is bag seed from a dank bag of master kush. Done nothing but pinch that one. Hope they are females! Just waiting for clones to root to start sexing. Then my lighting set ups and a picture of my actual extension cord (the end anyways) that's powering everything

 

[whadeezlrg]

Thanks whadeezlrg. Is there a ballpark number you can give me as a pretty safe recommendation of what is a safe total wattage to run on the cord?

here is home depot's extension cord buyers guide. http://www.homedepot.com/c/factors_to_consider_when_choosing_extension_cords_HT_BG_EL

assuming that your cord is 16g/16awg you're good for spikes up to 13amps...80% of that is 10.4 amps(*120v=roughly 1200w), so I wouldn't push it beyond that. and once the option to use a 14g cord presents itself I personally would drop the $30 or so just because peace of mind is priceless.

fwiw, my shipping container is powered through a 100ft 6AWG twistlock extension cord

I'd also personally advise against mechanical timers; this was my experience with them in combination with a surge protector...

 

[quicksilver91]

Yikes..that's exactly what I'm afraid of. So get a digital timer? and i can get a 14g cord before the weekend. Still don't have a timer plugged in at all and am just running one surge protector with 3 daylight bulbs in the mother box that stay on 24/7. No clones have rooted to put into the flower box... Thank you again for your help