Any help installing a 30 amp Cap lighting controller?

[Snype]

I've used this Cap 30 Amp Lighting Controller many times before. I usually wire it up through a dryer outlet but the new dryer outlet has 4 wires instead of 3. The outlets that I've used before has a red, black and ground but this outlet has an additional wire that is white which may be called a neutral wire. I was planning on taking out the dryer outlet and wiring it into a new metal box connected to the Cap 30 Amp Controller. The Controller has no place for the White wire to go. It's not even in the instructions. Can I just wire in the Black, Red and Ground Wire and then just put a cap on the white wire and not use it? If that doesn't work, the only other thing that I can think of is wiring the white wire to the ground in the Cap Lighting Controller but I really have no idea if I can use it that way. Anyone know anything?

 

[Pro Headies]

At your breaker box what color wires from your 10/3 wire are in the double pole 30 amp breaker for the dryer plug? Im assuming there going to be the red and black while the white wire will be on a neutral bus. 2 wires you hook up in your controller are the 2 wires in the 30 amp breaker and you can cap the 3rd wire. You can also remove the 3rd(white) wire from the bus if you like at breaker box but not needed. I run 10/2 wire to my CAP controller, my wire colors are white and black but that doesnt matter you just want to use whatever color wires in dryer 30 amp breaker. You want to make your 10/3 wire perform like a 10/2 wire by eliminating the 3rd wires connections, act like its not even there then.

 

[Snype]

At your breaker box what color wires from your 10/3 wire are in the double pole 30 amp breaker for the dryer plug? Im assuming there going to be the red and black while the white wire will be on a neutral bus. 2 wires you hook up in your controller are the 2 wires in the 30 amp breaker and you can cap the 3rd wire. You can also remove the 3rd(white) wire from the bus if you like at breaker box but not needed. I run 10/2 wire to my CAP controller, my wire colors are white and black but that doesnt matter you just want to use whatever color wires in dryer 30 amp breaker. You want to make your 10/3 wire perform like a 10/2 wire by eliminating the 3rd wires connections, act like its not even there then.

I'm going to look at the breaker box now and report back to you.

 

[Snype]

I took the cover off one of the main panels. There was a black and red wire that went into the 30 amp double pole breaker. There is so much going on in this panel that I couldn't find the white wire. There are many white wires in the panel.

I didn't want to wire the Controller into the panel. I'd rather wire the Controller right into the dryer outlet.

Question? Can I go right into the dryer outlet and take all the wires out and then wire them into a new metal box while capping the white wire?

That means that the white wire will still be in the box but I will put a cap on it and it won't really go to anything. The white wire will still be connected into the main panel but on the other end it will be capped. What do you think?

 

[Snype]

I read your post better and I think I'm all set to go. I'm just going to cap the white wire. I appreciate your fast help! Gotta love this place!

 

[Pro Headies]

Yeah you will be good just capping white wire inside dryer outlet. I use your ez cloner guide with success so just paying you back!

 

[Snype]

Yeah you will be good just capping white wire inside dryer outlet. I use your ez cloner guide with success so just paying you back!

Nice PH! Thanks again for the help! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Snype]

Just wanted to let you know that the light controller is hooked up and working! Snypette and I both thank you very much!

 

[rives]

Snype, it may work fine for you, but you should be aware that the CAP controllers are junk. They don't meet code, aren't UL approved, etc, etc, etc.

Good luck.

 

[jd4083]

Snype, it may work fine for you, but you should be aware that the CAP controllers are junk. They don't meet code, aren't UL approved, etc, etc, etc.

Good luck.

that's scary -- any more info?

 

[Snype]

Snype, it may work fine for you, but you should be aware that the CAP controllers are junk. They don't meet code, aren't UL approved, etc, etc, etc.

Good luck.

Thanks for the information. I've heard people here say that but I have no other options at the moment.

 

[rives]

that's scary -- any more info?

Virtually all of the commercially-available controllers, and many of the semi-custom ones (DXHydro, etc) do not have the proper overcurrent protection built in. They are designed to run on a 30-50 amp circuit but don't have any further fusing/breakers to protect the smaller wiring, receptacles, cordsets, ballasts, etc that are downstream, all of which are sized for 20 amps at the most.

In the case of CAP, they further compound that with a junk Chinese "universal" receptacle that negates the exclusive plug configuration arrangement that keeps people from mistakenly plugging in the wrong voltage device.

If you have any degree of mechanical aptitude and a few tools, it is far safer and cheaper to build your own controller with either an Intermatic water-heater timer or a heavy-duty power relay feeding a small subpanel.

 

[Snype]

Virtually all of the commercially-available controllers, and many of the semi-custom ones (DXHydro, etc) do not have the proper overcurrent protection built in. They are designed to run on a 30-50 amp circuit but don't have any further fusing/breakers to protect the smaller wiring, receptacles, cordsets, ballasts, etc that are downstream, all of which are sized for 20 amps at the most.

In the case of CAP, they further compound that with a junk Chinese "universal" receptacle that negates the exclusive plug configuration arrangement that keeps people from mistakenly plugging in the wrong voltage device.

If you have any degree of mechanical aptitude and a few tools, it is far safer and cheaper to build your own controller with either an Intermatic water-heater timer or a heavy-duty power relay feeding a small subpanel.

Are there any threads that have a step by step tutorial to build these? I'd love to build one but I have no idea how to. That's why I just buy these CAPs for now. I know they are junk but I have no other options.

 

[rives]

There are a bunch of threads where I have talked people through building them, but I don't know of one that is a step by step tutorial. I've been toying with the idea of doing one because it's come up several times recently, but I don't need a controller! If you want to do something like that, I'd be happy to help you with it.

You may not know it, but CAP is out of business now - anything that is still being sold under that name has even less recourse than before, which was damn minimal. From what I saw, the instruction manual was about 90% legal boilerplate disavowing any liability and about 10% instructions on using the controller.

 

[Snype]

There are a bunch of threads where I have talked people through building them, but I don't know of one that is a step by step tutorial. I've been toying with the idea of doing one because it's come up several times recently, but I don't need a controller! If you want to do something like that, I'd be happy to help you with it.

You may not know it, but CAP is out of business now - anything that is still being sold under that name has even less recourse than before, which was damn minimal. From what I saw, the instruction manual was about 90% legal boilerplate disavowing any liability and about 10% instructions on using the controller.

I thought HydroFarm bought them. Id be interested in making my own and I could include the project in a tutorial with you. Looks are important to me so Id like to use the smallest box possible so theres not crazy space left over. If you give me a parts list I can start getting the parts together.

 

[rives]

I believe that parts of their old line are being continued under HydroFarm's name.

Before we can come up with a parts list, we need to figure out what the parameters are. Do you want to be able to plug it into a dryer/range receptacle circuit with a cordset or direct wire it, how many total amps do you want to feed it with, how many/what size lights do you want to run, etc. Are there few enough lights that they can be switched simultaneously or do they need to be switched in banks? Perhaps the easiest method is to use an Intermatic water heater timer to drive the light switching, but the time control is a bit crude (mechanical) and they lose their setting during a power outage. If you want to use a digital timer, then you can more easily incorporate things like over-temperature sensing, smoke detector, etc.

 

[Snype]

I believe that parts of their old line are being continued under HydroFarm's name.

Before we can come up with a parts list, we need to figure out what the parameters are. Do you want to be able to plug it into a dryer/range receptacle circuit with a cordset or direct wire it, how many total amps do you want to feed it with, how many/what size lights do you want to run, etc. Are there few enough lights that they can be switched simultaneously or do they need to be switched in banks? Perhaps the easiest method is to use an Intermatic water heater timer to drive the light switching, but the time control is a bit crude (mechanical) and they lose their setting during a power outage. If you want to use a digital timer, then you can more easily incorporate things like over-temperature sensing, smoke detector, etc.

Good point! Let's go the hard wire approach for 4 x 1,000 Watts. They can all be switched on at the same time. Over-Temperature sensing seems like a cool idea but I don't know how important a smoke detector would be. As far as the timer, I'd like to incorporate a digital timer. Thanks for this. This will be really cool for IC and then everyone would be able to make one themselves. Seems like lots of growers have 4 light rooms.

 

[rives]

Good point! Let's go the hard wire approach for 4 x 1,000 Watts. They can all be switched on at the same time. Over-Temperature sensing seems like a cool idea but I don't know how important a smoke detector would be. As far as the timer, I'd like to incorporate a digital timer. Thanks for this. This will be really cool for IC and then everyone would be able to make one themselves. Seems like lots of growers have 4 light rooms.

Ok, do you want to build it for the above installation? If so, it can be set up for 240v only, or 120/240 since you have a neutral available. I take it that you are running your ballasts at 240v? This brings up a concern - if we are going to do this, I want it done safely. In this instance, I mean using 240v receptacles and cordsets for ballasts if they are powered with 240 and not use 120v components fed with 240v. While that shit works, it makes my skin crawl.

 

[watts]

A controller tutorial with a built in Ranco high temp cut off would be cool. Are the built in timers good? Easy to change out if it fails? Might be best to have an option for a 120v trigger cord to use any timer you want. Also an option to cut power off easily at the controller.

 

[Snype]

Ok, do you want to build it for the above installation? If so, it can be set up for 240v only, or 120/240 since you have a neutral available. I take it that you are running your ballasts at 240v? This brings up a concern - if we are going to do this, I want it done safely. In this instance, I mean using 240v receptacles and cordsets for ballasts if they are powered with 240 and not use 120v components fed with 240v. While that shit works, it makes my skin crawl.

Of course! Let's do this the right way so everyone who uses the tutorial has a safe product! Lets go all 240v because it is only for lighting.