circuit overload possible with micro grow?

[Woall]

It will be very obvious that I don't know much about wiring and for this reason I will not consider anything greater than a micro grow until I learn more.
I live in a very old house, but I'm sure the wiring has been redone at least a few times over since it was built in the Victorian era. Anyways, simple question.. I got a 100 watt enclosed HPS lighting unit... built in ballast so there is just one cord to this thing that looks like a basic PC power cable. I also have a fairly low wattage fan. If I plug a power strip into the wall and plug in to that my window unit air conditioner, this light, and this fan would that be too much for a basic wall outlet? I know that extension cords are a bad idea.. are power strips safer than extension cords? From what I understand, they are designed to allow you to plug in multiple things. I just don't want to take any chances since I don't know how modern the circuitry behind this wall outlet is in this old house. One more very simple question... If the bottom prong of my 3 prong plug at the end of the cord from my light is a little bent, is that a problem? I accidently stepped on it the other night and bent it a little. It easily straightened back out and the light plugs in fine and works fine... again I just don't want there to be even a .00001% chance I'm doing anything not perfectly safe.

 

[Woall]

Madpenguin,

I appreciate your info in the other thread. Let me ask you a few things..

you say, "The only way to really test to see if the prong is still attached inside the cord would be to get a multimeter and measure a known live 120v hot conductor against your reflector. Seeing as how the ballast is built into the reflector, the relector should be grounded as well."

do I really need to do this? I have very little understanding of how to do that.


If I pay an electrician to come out will he be able to easily tell me whether I have new romex? My landlord would likely tell me that the entire electrical system throughout the multi apartment home is very modern and safe (It is a renovated historic home). But I do not want to ask him such a question. Nor do I want to have to talk to an electrician about it, but I will do the latter if it is the right move. I can move my cab across the room and plug my light and fan into one outlet and not use a power strip at all. the light and my fan wouldn't be too much for one socket right would they?
I don't mean to be skeptical.. but I thought it was common practice to set up home offices with all sorts of computers an air conditioner and other devices, using surge protector strips.. But it makes perfect sense that the wiring should be checked out beforehand.. do you really think I should do it in this case? I guess I can forget about getting a TV...

 

[PharmaCan]

Woall - You seem to be obsessing on the age of your wiring - you shouldn't be. Under normal circumstances, wires don't wear out. The insulation on the wire gets brittle over time but, if the wires isn't moved, like the wires inside a wall, that's not a problem. A good knob and tube installation is every bit as good as a Romex installation. One of the main reasons for replacing that old wiring is because the wire insulation in the boxes is brittle and it breaks off leaving exposed wires and you have nothing left to work with - it has nothing to do with the conductors.

Using power strips is not a good idea. Plug your a/c directly to the socket, even if you have to use a good quality extension cord, then get a good quality, heavy duty power strip for you light and fan and you should be ok.

I'd imagine you can probably even get a TV.

PC

 

[madpenguin]

Since you deleted your post in the other thread, my reply makes no sense there... I'll put it here.

hey I got a question about electrical safety for a very small grow. It isn't worth starting a new thread about so I thought I would just ask it here.

Not so. It's always best to start your own thread especially if this thread is unresolved.

I live in a very old house, but I'm sure the wiring has been redone at least a few times over since it was built in the Victorian era.

Never assume anything. Rule #1. :wink:

Anyways, simple question.. I got a 100 watt enclosed HPS lighting unit... built in ballast so there is just one cord to this thing that looks like a basic PC power cable. I also have a fairly low wattage fan. If I plug a power strip into the wall and plug in to that my window unit air conditioner, this light, and this fan would that be too much for a basic wall outlet?

Yes. Unless you feel like dealing with this:

I know that extension cords are a bad idea.. are power strips safer than extension cords? The obvious answer would be no it's not too much since power strips are designed to allow you to plug in multiple things.

When ever you use extension cords or powerstrips, you are rolling the dice. The higher wattage draw the worse your odds get.

I just don't want to take any chances since I don't know how modern the circuitry behind this wall outlet is in this old house.

Yes. Don't take any chances. Kill the breaker to that receptacle and look at the wiring attached to it. Even if you see new romex, it's no guarantee that it's new romex all the way back to the panel. It could be spliced into some old knob & Tube wiring somewhere before it gets back to the panel.

One more very simple question... If the bottom prong of my 3 prong plug at the end of the cord from my light is a little bent, is that a problem? I accidently stepped on it the other night and bent it a little. It easily straightened back out and the light plugs in fine and works fine... again I just don't want there to be even a .00001% chance I'm doing anything not perfectly safe. Sorry to interrupt you all from important conversation about bigger grows where electrical safety is a real issue, but if anybody could take a second to put my mind at ease I would really appreciate. Thanks.

Shouldn't be an issue with a bent ground prong. The only way to really test to see if the prong is still attached inside the cord would be to get a multimeter and measure a known live 120v hot conductor against your reflector. Seeing as how the ballast is built into the reflector, the relector should be grounded as well.

Off hand, I'd say the ground prong is probably still good.

 

[madpenguin]

PC is right. Generally speaking, Knob & Tube wiring is a pretty good wiring method. It relies on keeping the neutral and hot separated so any inductive heating that may occur is free air dispersed.

The whole problem with that is that people come in and blow insulation into the walls and attics covering all that stuff when it is most certainly not meant to be covered.

This reduces the ampacity that it can withstand. It's also coated with Tin and not pure copper throughout. That will also slightly reduce the ampacity.

Then you have the fact that people over the decades got tired of blowing 15A fuses (and having to buy new ones) so they just screw in a 30A fuse to be done with it. That's when the insulation starts to heat up and become brittle from allowing more amps to run down the wire than it was designed to carry.

Then you have people that would just stick a penny in the fuse socket and screw the blown fuse back in. Now there is no limit as to what you can draw down those wires.

That's why I say "Never assume anything". IMO, ALL knob & Tube wiring should be treated as suspect unless you can thoroughly inspect every inch of the branch circuit. You can't do that without tearing out plaster.

When doing a rehab project a couple years ago, I've found a couple feet worth of Knob & Tube in a wall that had no insulation at all. Just bare tin. I had ripped this particular wall out my self and know that I didn't cause the damage during demo. Just the heating/cooling/heating/cooling of over-fused K&T for years and years will make that insulation first turn brittle and then eventually fall off due to repeated heating and cooling of the wire.

As my own personal rule, I never use K&T wiring for anything but lights and extremely lite draw appliances. Couple amps max.

I certainly wouldn't dream of running a space heater or A/C unit on K&T. Hair dryers, Fridges...

 

[D.I.trY]

When ever you use extension cords or powerstrips, you are rolling the dice. The higher wattage draw the worse your odds get.

Jesus fucking christ, that's a scary pic. So what can one do when u got lights, fans, aquarium heaters, pumps, real pc's, tvs, etc. etc.

Is there no safe way to use a powerstrip? My room would need a rediculous number of sockets to plug all my shit in. What about putting an RCD plug on the powerstrip and reducing the fuse rating. what number of watts wouldnt you go over for a powerstrip. Also prices of powerstrips vary considerably so probably quality does too - although part of the price is surely depending on whether you are in a rip off shop like b&q.

anyway, thanks