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Electric bill
- Thread starter stemarmel
- Start date
GreenGreenie
Member
Remember to wire your lamps to 240 volts.
It will take 1/2 the amount of power than if they were wired to 110.
E = I x R
which is also I = E / R, and E x I = P, and P / E = I
So, a 600 W light is P = 600, just use 110 or 240 for E.
Then 600/110= 5.45 Amps (I)
And 600/240= 2.4 Amps
You don't pay for voltage, only for the power you use. Either watts or amps, they are the same, just different units of measurement.
You can run 2 1/2 lights on 240 for what it will cost you to run one on 110.
thats not right at all. the lights will still draw the same amount of power its just the amperage that's lower because the voltage is higher.
GreenGreenie
Member
Yes, we used 600 for P every time.
But we pay for the amperage used, and at 240volts the lights will in fact use half the amount of current to deliver the same wattage.
RockinRobot
Active member
No you pay for the Watts used and watts is always = to amps * voltage. Electricity is billed in Kilowatts/hour.
A 1000W lamp burning for 1 hour burns 1 Kilowatt. Regardless of wether it is running at 120 or 240.
GG, I agree with others.....you will pay the same. My bill is based on KW used.
WifiSeedsPlz
Member
With a 600 watter I would be more worried about the heat sig than the electric bill spiking. If you are in a house you probably pay $200-$500 a month in electric anyway so a $20 addition shouldn't matter. I am sure if it got brought to anyone's attention they'd first and foremost just assume you have been running the AC lower/higher.
GreenGreenie
Member
lol.
With the higher voltage you have doubled the efficiency.
I own and operate an electrical construction firm. I design and install electrical systems for a living.
Did a large commercial grower in Seattle, and built a 3 phase system.
With the increased voltage, along with the 3 phase power factor( π), the monthly bill was less than the owners home monthly cost.
Please do look up efficiency, you will be amazed how much money you have been pissing away.
I'm not going to get into a squabble about this.
Believe what you want, and keep on paying the higher bills.
Peace
With the higher voltage you have doubled the efficiency.
I own and operate an electrical construction firm. I design and install electrical systems for a living.
Did a large commercial grower in Seattle, and built a 3 phase system.
With the increased voltage, along with the 3 phase power factor( π), the monthly bill was less than the owners home monthly cost.
Please do look up efficiency, you will be amazed how much money you have been pissing away.
I'm not going to get into a squabble about this.
Believe what you want, and keep on paying the higher bills.
Peace
Because what he said ain't true. You pay for the power you use. 240 may save you a little but to say it only costs half as much as 110 is a myth. Easy enough to confirm with a quick internet search.
1 x 600w mh @ 18/6
3 x 600 hps @ 12/12
1x 14k byu a/c @ 12 amps @ 12/12
3x 8" 720 cfm fans @ 12/12
4x 6" 440 cfm fans 18/6
4x 4' 4 bulb t8 (1.5amps per light) @ 18/6
1x 8" 440 cfm fan @ 18/6
1 x 8" 440 cfm fan @ 12/12
3x 18" oscillating fans @ 24/hrs
3x 6" personal fans @ 24/hrs
2 x personal fans @ 24/hrs
all my ballasts and 14k portable a/c are on 110, not 220
55" plasma tv on 16hrs a day
2 laptops on 16 hrs a day
commercial/chef fridge 24/7
various other power draws
my monthly electric bill is 450 a month, damn near every month
I have a separate power meter for my house A/C
3 x 600 hps @ 12/12
1x 14k byu a/c @ 12 amps @ 12/12
3x 8" 720 cfm fans @ 12/12
4x 6" 440 cfm fans 18/6
4x 4' 4 bulb t8 (1.5amps per light) @ 18/6
1x 8" 440 cfm fan @ 18/6
1 x 8" 440 cfm fan @ 12/12
3x 18" oscillating fans @ 24/hrs
3x 6" personal fans @ 24/hrs
2 x personal fans @ 24/hrs
all my ballasts and 14k portable a/c are on 110, not 220
55" plasma tv on 16hrs a day
2 laptops on 16 hrs a day
commercial/chef fridge 24/7
various other power draws
my monthly electric bill is 450 a month, damn near every month
I have a separate power meter for my house A/C
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Ballasts run cooler to the touch, never popped a breaker. Enough reason for 220 service regardless of negligible consumption differences. Not a contractor tho, jus a drug lord/felon.
Peace y'all
Peace y'all
Fan man, excellent ratios on the ventilation to lighting side. Overkill underrated as they say round here Breathe easy, nothin better than a stellar environment to flourish in !!
I run 2 rooms. 5x10x7 and a 8x12x7 flower room
my flower room is 64* a/c incoming room air temp, 70* floor temp, 79/81/81 under hood temps, 73* scrubber exhaust air temp.
veg room is 79-81* canopy temp. 74* floor temp.
You're already neck deep, wee bit late to throw your hands up.
Mind sharing the name of your electrical firm? Would certainly cut down on more than a few dodgy insurance claims.
GreenGreenie
Member
Yes the math says it's the same, and I was trying to not techno babble to keep it simple.
And got called out, rightly so.
Try this yourself if possible.
Light up 3 1000W fixtures on a 20A 110V circuit.
Put an amp probe on it, you will read at 16.2 - 17.4 A minimum.
Then put 6 fixtures on a 240 V circuit.
You will read 7.0 to 7.2
Yes that is per leg.
While the actual load is only slightly less, the monthly savings is significant.
Mine went from $225 to $150 a month.
While heaters and motors operate about 4 times more efficient at higher voltage, and you should see about the same load for lighting, there will be a noticeable drop in your bill.
I haven't read the start up load for a ballast, but at 240 they strike almost instantly, while it takes a few minutes to get the full arc at 110.
For me, I already had a bunch of equipment sitting around when I built the greenhouse.
The first crop I ran on 110.
After harvest I rewired to 240 and was amazed.
Really didn't intend to start a conflict here.
Just tried to help a person save some money.
And got called out, rightly so.
Try this yourself if possible.
Light up 3 1000W fixtures on a 20A 110V circuit.
Put an amp probe on it, you will read at 16.2 - 17.4 A minimum.
Then put 6 fixtures on a 240 V circuit.
You will read 7.0 to 7.2
Yes that is per leg.
While the actual load is only slightly less, the monthly savings is significant.
Mine went from $225 to $150 a month.
While heaters and motors operate about 4 times more efficient at higher voltage, and you should see about the same load for lighting, there will be a noticeable drop in your bill.
I haven't read the start up load for a ballast, but at 240 they strike almost instantly, while it takes a few minutes to get the full arc at 110.
For me, I already had a bunch of equipment sitting around when I built the greenhouse.
The first crop I ran on 110.
After harvest I rewired to 240 and was amazed.
Really didn't intend to start a conflict here.
Just tried to help a person save some money.
