Growroom Electricity and Wiring

[burnedout]

No 240, just want to split it into 2 120 circuits.

I've read through the entire thread, and found it extremely helpful. I have concerns though about my "main" panel, as it does not have a main disconnect, as well as the issue with the 10-30 not having a separate ground and neutral. Obviously, the 12/2 will need to be replaced (thanks for that info), so I guess I might as well just re-run a 10/3 from the 30amp breaker (I will need a separate ground and neutral, right?) to my mini-sub-panel (spa breaker- can it even be used in this application?). This would eliminate the 10-30R, and could just be run through the wall.

Anyway, don't want anyone to think I haven't read (and absorbed at least some) as much as I can, I just have a few specific questions, and don't want to risk burning down a rental that I share with other folks.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Just to be clear, I didn't intend to imply in any way that you hadn't read the thread. I'm just trying to lighten MP's workload a tiny bit by answering any questions that I'm 100% sure I know the answer to.

How far is it from your main panel to your grow room where you'll be installing the outlets? You might consider forgetting the sub panel idea altogether. You are going to need to run a new 10/2 anyway to feed the panel, so you could just run another 12/2 (or 14/2 if you only need 15 amps) and install two 20 amp breakers into your main panel slots instead of one DP 30 amp.

 

[strydr]

Just to be clear, I didn't intend to imply in any way that you hadn't read the thread. I'm just trying to lighten MP's workload a tiny bit by answering any questions that I'm 100% sure I know the answer to.

How far is it from your main panel to your grow room where you'll be installing the outlets? You might consider forgetting the sub panel idea altogether. You are going to need to run a new 10/2 anyway to feed the panel, so you could just run another 12/2 (or 14/2 if you only need 15 amps) and install two 20 amp breakers into your main panel slots instead of one DP 30 amp.

No worries, TY for the assistance. I'm sure MP is happy to have assistance with this thread. lots of folks need help, and it's a great way to be safe, and sane.

Grow spot is literally feet from the panel, but it's a rental, and I'm trying to modify the least I can. Using a tent to avoid construction, and need to be able to return it to normal quickly. I'll need to dig a bit deeper into the panel and the surrounding wall to see if I can snake some romex through there. I think it's a great idea, and hope it will work. I'll check it out, and be back

 

[madpenguin]

Burnedout is doing a remarkable job at answering questions so I'm not going to interject too much. He's right. You already have one 12/2. If all you want is 2 - 20A circuits, then why not just run one more 12/2 and put 2 - 20A single pole breakers in the main panel. Might save you a tad bit of money.

Then again, you could replace that 12/2 with 10/3 and feed a new 30A receptacle. It would be a NEMA 14-30R as found on page 5 of this sticky. Then you could buy a matching dryer cord that has a 14-30P plug on one end. Plug the male plug into the receptacle and hard wire the other loose end into that little panel. That's obviously the more expensive route. Then you could put 2 15A breakers in that sub and have 2 - 14/2 Metal Clad (MC) cables coming out of the sub to feed some loose metal gang boxes.

If you ever move, just unplug the dryer cord and take the whole setup with you, but leave the 14-30R on the wall. Just depends on what you want to do and how much money you want to spend. If getting things back to original is a key factor for you, then you might want to consider the plug-n-play subpanel route.... Just be careful if you have loose MC cable laying on the floor. That stuff is still susceptible to damage.

As for a main disconnect, look outside by the meters. Chances are, you'll have one out there. Then again, it's possible you don't. I live in an old duplex and I don't have a main disconnect and my feeder cable travels for 60 feet inside the basement before it terminates into a Main Lug Only panel!!!!! I pulled L1 and L2 off the lugs while they were live (had no choice) and backfed a 60A double pole breaker. I still have unfused feeder cable running through my basement which is bad news but atleast I can kill all power to my unit with one throw of the hand now..... That and my main feeder cable is actually protected from an overcurrent situation now!!! ;-)

 

[madpenguin]

I have a cap 220 4 light with the timer and the 120 trigger I plugged my ballast into it and it started to smoke like the 120 isnt catching why is it doing this?

Are you talking about this?

http://www.plantlighting.com/CAP-MLC-4-240V-4-Light-Controller-D_1393.html

And what is smoking? A ballast, the controller, the 120v timer?

 

[barnyard08]

Yes but mine has the timer on it.The ballast started to smoke when I plugged it into the controller.

 

[madpenguin]

I hate to state the obvious, but is your ballast 240v? If not, it will most certainly start to smoke.... That controller should have 6-15 receptacles only to prevent such an occurrence...

 

[stork]

the little gray box

the little gray box

wow, great info on this thread, thanks to all those experienced sparkys out there! i have read this entire thread and either i have missed one little detail that is bugging me, or maybe it wasn't totally covered.

this is what i am doing: i have a 30 amp dryer plug and i removed the plug and hooked up another run of wire to the existing. the existing is 10/3 wire (it has a red, black, white and ground wire). so i bought some 10/3 wire and wire nutted it to the existing, covered the box with a blank plate and then hooked the gray box up to the new wire. i wired the black to one side of the timer, the red to the other side and hooked the white to the neutral part of the timer and the ground to the ground screw. i then split the 240 to two 120 duplex receptacles (using the neutral wire)....

so i have been using two 1k HPS lights (on 120 volts) on this for nearly 3 years and it works fine.

now! i want to add another 1k HPS, but want to go up to 240 because it is only a 30 amp breaker.... so i was going to get some 30A receptacles and hopefully hook up 2 duplexes to the timer, if i can find them... if not, i will hook up three single 30A receptacles.

so, my question is this... do i still need to keep the white (neutral) wire hooked up from the dryer plug box to the timer? won't i just run a 10 gauge wire from the two hot legs (red and black) and the ground and pigtail that to the receptacles?

i'm not an electrician and the whole neutral wire thing confuses me!

thanks in advance!
stork

 

[barnyard08]

I hate to state the obvious, but is your ballast 240v? If not, it will most certainly start to smoke.... That controller should have 6-15 receptacles only to prevent such an occurrence...

120/240 and from my understanding I was told that I could plug it in the 120 thats the only plugs that are on the controller 120. I'm I going to have to switch the receptical to 220 on the controller? And thank madp for your help.

 

[milehighmedical]

.

 

[clstclandestine]

Damn I had this book just I'm about to right done and my screen went back and I lost it.
Want to start off by saying great info guys. I've been lurking for a bit while prepping for a decent sized closet grow after a 7 year hiatus with 2yrs indoor closet experience previously. The knowledge in this thread prompted me to become a member!

Obviously I want to do this thing right and it all starts with the juice so here goes; This looked very pretty the first time around but I can only type so much so bear with me >

Thank you in advance to all replies given from those more knowledgeable on the subject than I!

Location is the Kitchen Pantry.

Current electical input is a light socket I plan on converting to recepticles which ison a 15A circuit shared by two hallway lights and the bathroom which has a two bulb vanity...no hair dryer or high amp draws. Change all four bulbs to 36w flourescents and that would cut the amperage draw there to 1.3A. That leaves me with approcimately 10.7A of load I can still pull from the current circuit.

Lighting=1-600watt Lumatek "flower" dimmable ballast purchased
1-400watt Lumatek "veg" Horitlux blue purchased??? Is it possible to run the 400watt bulb with the 600W lumatek ballast dimmed to 400W?
2 supersun 2 air-cooled hoods purchased

Ventilation=fan for air-cooled hoods, 1 intake, 1 scrubber/exhaust fan, 2 circulation
136cfm fantech cectrifugal

 

[Trichmate]

Is it posibble to run a(us)750v bulb in europe electricity, does it suits or do i need to transform somehow?How about the plug also?Thanks

 

[clstclandestine]

Atleast that one posted instead of vanishing! Sorry I did'nt get to proof the first bit.

Pumps 396 ecoplus times 3 1 cloner/veg,2 areo-nft
eco air8 for the resevoirs and mother DWC buckets

Fantech is purchased. Purchased equipment to date and one more 600watt lumatek provided I am able to run one of them at 400W pulling 3.36A. I guess I could run them both at 400watts and that would free up some amperage but I was hoping to flower under 600w. I purchased a 600w ballast to have the added lumen capabilty when an upgrade is possible....Depending on the bulb and the dimming question the next ballast purchased might be a 400w??

Running 400w veg and 600w flower I will pull 10.36 and I would still need to run intake, scrubber and circulation fans which puts me over an 80% draw on a 15A circuit.

Go to 400w veg and flower and that would cut me to 9.56A before adding supplementry fan equipment. Thats cutting it pretty tight! Am I missing anything??

Is it safe to pull all 12A from the same recepticle using surge protectors and a fuse protected contoller such as a Green air ct dh 3p?

I live in 2bedroom upper duplex I rent and plan on moving on within the next year or so I can't hack the place up too bad but I am more than comfortable fixing any cut outs and such in order to restore the apartment to previous condition when I pack up. I've been here for 3 yrs and no I won't get any visits from the landlord unless I ask for one so I am good there.

Running a dedicated circuit from the main panel is pretty much a non option

Options, There is a 20amp circuit on the other side of the kitchen that has plenty of open amperage. Then there is the 240 circuit for the stove? It would be much cheaper to run the lighting off of that and I would'nt miss the stove.

Is there a safe way to create a junction" forgive me if my terminoligy is incorrect. I am trying to be as specific as possible, I am quite anal! lol" from either of those points with the circuit terminating either in the grow room itself or in the attic above it? Keep in mind I am trying to stay fairly stealthy.

Let me know what you guys think I have as options? Braistorm for me and see what I can do to configuer this properly. Thanks again for all of the knowledge!

 

[madpenguin]

Usually the company will sell a different cable for when you want to run your switchable ballast on a different voltage. At least that's the case with my ballast.

Yea... @ barnyard08, what kind of ballast are you using? Is it digi or mag? Does the manufacturer sell a 240v cord which automatically makes it 240v capable or do you have to rewire the ballast for 240v yourself? Is it even a multitap ballast to begin with?

It sure sounds like you plugged a 120v ballast into a 240v feed. If thats the case, your ballast is toast. This is why that controller should only have NEMA 6-15R receptacles which I'm pretty sure it does. Now if you rewired a 240v cord-and-plug to your ballast but failed to properly switch the voltage over to 240, then your still running a 120v ballast only it has a 240v power cord.... In which case, your ballast is toast.

 

[madpenguin]

Is it posibble to run a(us)750v bulb in europe electricity, does it suits or do i need to transform somehow?How about the plug also?Thanks

What's the input voltage? 750? If so your going to need an xfmr.

I'm going to assume your talking about the secondary side of a ballast and the ignitor. 750v is a fuck load for the primary side.

What kind of bulb are we talking about? Have a link?

 

[madpenguin]

clstclandestine and stork... I'll get to you in a bit. Sorry.

 

[barnyard08]

Yea... @ barnyard08, what kind of ballast are you using? Is it digi or mag? Does the manufacturer sell a 240v cord which automatically makes it 240v capable or do you have to rewire the ballast for 240v yourself? Is it even a multitap ballast to begin with?

It sure sounds like you plugged a 120v ballast into a 240v feed. If thats the case, your ballast is toast. This is why that controller should only have NEMA 6-15R receptacles which I'm pretty sure it does. Now if you rewired a 240v cord-and-plug to your ballast but failed to properly switch the voltage over to 240, then your still running a 120v ballast only it has a 240v power cord.... In which case, your ballast is toast.

madp the ballast is a mag powerhouse by hydrofarm it is 120 with 240 also you don't have to rewire the ballast to go 240 you just have to buy the 240 plug the controller says that you don't have to use the 240 plug if it's a convertable ballast.It the controller comes prewired the only thing I had to do is connect 10/3 and place the neutral and ground on the bars.

I'm no sparky but it was very simple I did toast the first ballast but they have like a 10 year warranty so I took it back and got another and before it could fire I unplugged it. Could you please explain to me whats a 6-15 receptacle is that for 240 use only? and thats what I was asking do I need to change the receptacle on the controller because it's not working as stated.

 

[burnedout]

madp the ballast is a mag powerhouse by hydrofarm it is 120 with 240 also you don't have to rewire the ballast to go 240 you just have to buy the 240 plug the controller says that you don't have to use the 240 plug if it's a convertable ballast.It the controller comes prewired the only thing I had to do is connect 10/3 and place the neutral and ground on the bars.

So you are using the standard 120v plug?

 

[barnyard08]

So you are using the standard 120v plug?

yes it came with the ballast this is a complete ballast nothing I built.

 

[burnedout]

So you're running the ballast that is setup for 120v on a 240v load. You need to get the 240v power cord.

What did you tell the store when you took back the first ballast? I'm surprised they replaced it since it was your fault and not the equipments.

 

[madpenguin]

madp the ballast is a mag powerhouse by hydrofarm it is 120 with 240 also you don't have to rewire the ballast to go 240 you just have to buy the 240 plug the controller says that you don't have to use the 240 plug if it's a convertable ballast.

I wouldn't mind seeing the controller instructions. If you don't use the optional 240v cord, then the ballast won't be 'wired' for 240v. As burnedout said, I'm pretty sure you applied 240v to a 120v configured ballast and fried it.

Could you please explain to me whats a 6-15 receptacle is that for 240 use only?

Yes, look at page 5 of this sticky please. All NEMA receptacle and plug configurations are listed on that page.

do I need to change the receptacle on the controller because it's not working as stated.

Well, I'm sure it's working just as it should. You don't need to dismantle the controller and put different receptacles in it. Use the optional 240v cord for your ballast and all should be well. I think you've probably misunderstood the instructions for the controller.