Expanding 15A circuit...

[Tyga]

Okay so heres the deal... In my grow room I have 15A circuit that I use to run all my equipment off and a 50A 240V circuit for my lights. Its overkill because I only run 2K at the moment but am upgrading to 4K within the next few weeks.
I need another 15A circuit in my room to be able to handle to Dehumidifier/Ac Etc. I have a 15A receptacle in the garage about 20ft away from the grow room and would like to take that circuit and bring it to my grow room.
In the picture it shows the receptacle that sticks out into the garage... it is the last receptacle on the circuit. Can I kill the power on the circuit and test of course to double check and make sure its off. Cut the line and splice my new run with this wire as long as the work is done inside some sort of work box? I would assume just connect Black/black white/white ground/ground using wire nuts?
Feel this would be a lot safer than running a long extension cord threw the wall and whatnot.... Let me know what you guys think.

 

[Tyga]

Bump...

 

[soursmoker]

Im no electrician but I'd say if you wire it up right and everything you would be much better off than running an extension cord. Lol although im guilty of it. Sorry can't help much more then that. You know any electricians?

 

[Tyga]

Yes but this is a pretty simple task... Im 99% sure its what needs to be done just wanted to double check with the pro's.

 

[OldSSSCGuy]

You have it right. Use a conduit box to hold the splice, use wire nuts to connect matching color wires, and run the new connection to another new conduit box in the grow which has an outlet in it. Its not hard, just take your time and try not to crimp or bend the new wire too much when you feed it into the grow.

 

[TribalSeeds]

Or you could run your 50A to a sub panel and install enough outlets for your AC and dehuey. Im not sure how you are going to add both to one 15A circuit.
Are you sure that circuit isnt already being shared with the house?

 

[SHWAK23]

Re: Expanding 15A circuit...

Or you could run your 50A to a sub panel and install enough outlets for your AC and dehuey. Im not sure how you are going to add both to one 15A circuit.
Are you sure that circuit isnt already being shared with the house?

I would do something like this. Sounds way better.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[oldergrower]

What tribal said. OG

 

[Tyga]

It is being shared, but nothing of high power running if anything at all actually. Im not running a sub panel because I will have 30A 120V available in the room between the 2 circuits. Lights are going off the 50A 240V and The AC is a 24K split and runs off 240V and I only have 2 slots left in the panel that will have to be saved for the AC.
Only things 120V is the dehue and a few oscillating fans/pumps... Should have plenty of room. I do agree if I had more equipment I needed on 120V I would run a sub panel...

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

If you tie into that 15 amp circuit, if there's room inside you can probably use the the box which holds the last receptacle in the line. You'll need to feed the new wiring into the box through a second hole/knockout. Put a clamp on this one (unlike the one in your photo) to secure the romex so insulation can't be cut on sharp edges on the box. On the other side of the wall you'd remove the cover plate and unscrew the receptacle. Remove the receptacle from the wiring. Cut a set of your three wires about five inches long to make pigtails. Now using wire nuts attach the appropriate pigtail and the new line wire to the same wire from your old line (black to black, white to white, bare ground to bare ground). So now your new line is tied into the old, and all you have to do is attach the exposed pigtail ends to the receptacle and put it all back together. Don't nick those wires while removing insulation from them.

You could cut the original line as you mentioned and splice inside a new box, but it can't get covered up with drywall. A box must always be readily accessible.

Hopefully a real electrician will chime in here soon.

 

[Tyga]

Thanks man! I actually already did it this morning. Ill throw some shots up later

 

[rives]

I think that your question has been answered pretty thoroughly, particularly by Crusader Rabbit. My concern is what you are feeding your lighting with - you keep mentioning a 50a, 240v circuit feeding your lighting. You need to be protecting the lightest-rated component in the circuit with the breaker, not the the heaviest. If you are feeding a 15a rated receptacle, cordset, or whatever, then you need to have a 15a breaker protecting it.

 

[Tyga]

Hey rives, was hoping you would chime in on the matter. My lighting is off a 10-50R 50A circuit. It is of course connected to a 50A breaker also which I think was your question?
Currently have a 2K flip box made my DX controlling the lights...

 

[rives]

Nope, that was what concerned me. DX, and most of the other controller builders, use a pretty obscure portion in the code for oversizing the shit out of the breakers. This exception allows for a 50a feed to HID lighting, but only if the there are several conditions met - none of which will ever occur anywhere outside of commercial/industrial lighting. For instance, it requires that the ballast hang immediately below the receptacle, is hooked up with a factory-made cordset specifically listed for that application, limits the cordset length to 18" or less, is protected from mechanical damage, etc.

If you don't meet every one of those stipulations, then you need to be protecting the receptacle, cordset, and ballast at whatever they are rated for - probably 15 amps.

 

[Tyga]

So this looks correct? Ignore the foil tape.... didn't have a hammer to nail the box in the first day... it has since been hammered into the stud correctly!
Old line Connecting to new line

Wiring in new receptacle...

I know I stripped the wire a tad to much where I hooked the wires to the receptacle but there will be electrical tape covering. Flipped the breaker on in and it has power. Just double checkin'... always get paranoid with this electrical stuff.

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

I only see one romex coming out of the new box which tells me that the original last receptacle (down below) on the line is now dead?

I can't tell if the polarity on your new receptacle is correct. Looking at the last photo I see that the rotation of tightening the screw would tend to undo the hook you bent into the end of the black wire. No big deal, if it's tight it's OK. Compare the orientation of the wires in your last two photos to see what I'm talking about.

Using foil tape around electrical connections makes me think you might have a death wish.

 

[Tyga]

Deathwish!! Haha.. Dumb I know but The breaker was shut off the whole time the tape was in place and removed prior to being powered up.
Connections are tight.. Black to the brass screw/ white to the silver and then ground to the green screw.
And the screw turns towards the hook end of the wire to tighten it down and not screwing backwards... You know what I mean! Cant seem to word it right haha..