A
ak-51
Thanks! And you know what I was wrong about the kind of outlet that I have installed. It's one that actually fits with the plug I posted (2 horizontal slots).
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Growroom Electricity and Wiring
- Thread starter Phillthy
- Start date
spunion
Member
Got an uber noob question here...
I got a T5 ballast and I'm trying to wire it to a tool replacement cord, but not sure what to do with the green cord. Could I just wrap the wire around the screw that is holding the wire in place?
Trying not to electrocute myself or start a fire.
I got a T5 ballast and I'm trying to wire it to a tool replacement cord, but not sure what to do with the green cord. Could I just wrap the wire around the screw that is holding the wire in place?
Trying not to electrocute myself or start a fire.
It would be best if you crimped a Sta-Kon ring terminal on the wire, and then connect it to the metal housing of the ballast with a screw and a star washer.
cracka magik
Member
I just had an interesting experience I was hoping that someone could explain for me. I just ran 12/2 wire from a panel in a condo to a 220v outlet for a 1k light at a friends house. I used a 20A two pole breaker straight to a hot water heater timer then to the outlet but the breaker kept tripping when the hot water heater timer would get to the on position. To make a long story short, we spoke with the company whom put the panel in to obtain a replacement breaker and he advised us to remove the ground in the box and it worked.
Why wouldn't a 220v outlet get grounded?
Why wouldn't a 220v outlet get grounded?
It should be grounded. Something is dangerously amiss here. If you check from each leg of the 220 to the box with your voltage tester, you will probably find that the box is hot. Without seeing the installation, I would guess that the insulation on one leg was nicked and the conductor is in contact with the box. You need to get that ground hooked back up - it was doing it's job.
cracka magik
Member
There was some info on the first couple of pages from madpenguin about main panels actually being setup as sub panels and them having separate requirements than a normal panel and I was wondering if this condo could have been wired weird like that.
The panel itself is ITE which is why we had to go straight to the company that installed it since no one carries their equipment. I've never even heard of this brand of breaker but I'm no electrician, and a quick google search now shows that they are interchangeable with some Siemens.
The insulation was definitely not nicked, everything was gone over and over a million times, we used the original 220 line that was already running up into the room first and then replaced it with a new line which we still had issues with until we removed the ground as informed.
The panel itself is ITE which is why we had to go straight to the company that installed it since no one carries their equipment. I've never even heard of this brand of breaker but I'm no electrician, and a quick google search now shows that they are interchangeable with some Siemens.
The insulation was definitely not nicked, everything was gone over and over a million times, we used the original 220 line that was already running up into the room first and then replaced it with a new line which we still had issues with until we removed the ground as informed.
forsure215
Member
i will be running 8-10 1000 watt flowering lights and 2 1000 watt veg lights my question is i want to run the flowering lights on a flip flop they will flip between my 2 flowering rooms. i have a mlc 16 but not sure where the flip flop would come into play?? also how much amps would 10000 watts worth of lights pull there not digitals...
If isolating the ground in the box cured the short between one of the two hot legs and ground, then there is an inadvertent connection somewhere between a hot leg and the box. With the power on, if you read from each leg of the receptacle to the box, one leg should show no voltage and the other will show 220 volts. The leg that shows zero volts is the one in contact. If you have an ohm meter, turn the breaker off that feeds the circuit and read from each leg to the box - the one that shows a reading this way is the culprit. Do these checks with the receptacle in place. It is possible that somehow the receptacle is compromised so that one of the hot legs is making contact with the ground strap or ground lug on the receptacle, and in turn it is making contact with the box.
The primary difference between a main and a sub-panel is that the ground bus and the neutral bus are connected on a main and isolated from one another on a sub. The neutral and the ground should only be tied together at the main.
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beanja
Member
The primary difference between a main and a sub-panel is that the ground bus and the neutral bus are connected on a main and isolated from one another on a sub. The neutral and the ground should only be tied together at the main.[/quote]
Correct , the neutral bar has the actual grounding conducter, the conducter gets terminated under a screw on the neutral bar only at main service entrance. Every other panel in house would only have to be bonded to each other from the ground bar in first panel . There also is a bonding screw that has to be removed from sub panels, if you go down your neutral bars there is usually a different color screw or little bar that makes contact with the casing that is the screw that gets removed on sub panels, if not you wil have problems with varying voltages coming from sub panel..hopefully some of this makes sense.
Correct , the neutral bar has the actual grounding conducter, the conducter gets terminated under a screw on the neutral bar only at main service entrance. Every other panel in house would only have to be bonded to each other from the ground bar in first panel . There also is a bonding screw that has to be removed from sub panels, if you go down your neutral bars there is usually a different color screw or little bar that makes contact with the casing that is the screw that gets removed on sub panels, if not you wil have problems with varying voltages coming from sub panel..hopefully some of this makes sense.
beanja
Member
Did u try a new 2 pole 20 amp breaker? They are pretty cheap at home depot. Is it bolt on or push on? Siemens breakers will work in that panel, just goto an electrical outlet and ask for a siemens breaker for an ITE panel and also check in your panel where your ground from your 12/2 wire is going something is definately grounded that shouldnt be and like rives said hook that ground back up it was doing its job , thats why breaker kept tripping.
Where did you remove the ground ? In timer box or in outlet box?
Where did you remove the ground ? In timer box or in outlet box?
cracka magik
Member
Thank you Rives I'll try that out.
Beanja, thank you as well and that does make sense to me and I did all of that when I installed my own subpanel at my house I just thought that I was missing something since this made no sense to me.
To be honest I had already left when they got a hold of the electrician he told them to remove the ground, my understanding of it was that the ground was removed from the box. The timer box is plastic and has to ground so I wire nutted one in there and grounded the metal handy box and outlet. I'll check with him though and bring over my ohms meter, at the time I really was so frustrated attempting to figure this one out that I was just happy to hear that it was working but I've been thinking about it a lot since it does not make any sense to me.
Beanja, thank you as well and that does make sense to me and I did all of that when I installed my own subpanel at my house I just thought that I was missing something since this made no sense to me.
To be honest I had already left when they got a hold of the electrician he told them to remove the ground, my understanding of it was that the ground was removed from the box. The timer box is plastic and has to ground so I wire nutted one in there and grounded the metal handy box and outlet. I'll check with him though and bring over my ohms meter, at the time I really was so frustrated attempting to figure this one out that I was just happy to hear that it was working but I've been thinking about it a lot since it does not make any sense to me.
beanja
Member
Do the rest of the circuits work alright coming from the same panel, or does just that one breaker trip when energized? I just cannot figure out why disconnecting the ground in box fixes problem unless the ground becomes energized. With a volt meter did u check between ground and both hots for voltage ? I would check that first , there should be no voltage between your ground and hot conductors.
cracka magik
Member
It was just the one breaker, sorry I didn't bring any equipment because I thought it was going to take 15 mins. I have to check up on all that.
noWon
Member
I need more power
I need more power
Quick question before I dive in not sure if this is the right spot for thses question.
I want to add a 100amp subpanel but I cant for the life of me figure out for myself if it is possible without calling an electrician.
I have the power meter feeding a main disconnect which feeds 2 sub-panels and the home a/c. The main disconnect has two 100amp breakers feeding each sub-panel and a 50amp feeding the a/c. My mind was blown when I noticed each sub-panel contains a total amperage way more than a total of 100amps. Now this is not my doing this is how the home was purchased, anyone know if that is right? IMO I dont think the sub should total more than the main? I dunno
Then what I would really like to know is how do you actually determine if you can install another 100amp circuit? The only thing I can find on it just says it is determined by the gauge of wires feeding your home? Huh? How do you find that out?
Oh just one more question? How do you get into behind the main disconnect to add the wires and stuff. All the diy stuff I see everything is already exposed. I guess you just rip out the sheet-rock and replace it?
Hope this is the right spot for these questions, I'm tired of researching this without getting anywhere. Your input is much appreciated.
noWon
I need more power
Quick question before I dive in not sure if this is the right spot for thses question.
I want to add a 100amp subpanel but I cant for the life of me figure out for myself if it is possible without calling an electrician.
I have the power meter feeding a main disconnect which feeds 2 sub-panels and the home a/c. The main disconnect has two 100amp breakers feeding each sub-panel and a 50amp feeding the a/c. My mind was blown when I noticed each sub-panel contains a total amperage way more than a total of 100amps. Now this is not my doing this is how the home was purchased, anyone know if that is right? IMO I dont think the sub should total more than the main? I dunno
Then what I would really like to know is how do you actually determine if you can install another 100amp circuit? The only thing I can find on it just says it is determined by the gauge of wires feeding your home? Huh? How do you find that out?
Oh just one more question? How do you get into behind the main disconnect to add the wires and stuff. All the diy stuff I see everything is already exposed. I guess you just rip out the sheet-rock and replace it?
Hope this is the right spot for these questions, I'm tired of researching this without getting anywhere. Your input is much appreciated.
noWon
The panels are 100 amp each @ 240v = 200 amps 110
have to determine what power in each panel powers what ...
Two 50 amp breakers and a 240v line run from a panel to a ml-8 lighting controller and your set.
Use the 110 currently in the room for fans etc ...
I would say looks like you have a 200+ amp main ran to your house that's all that matters
have to determine what power in each panel powers what ...
Two 50 amp breakers and a 240v line run from a panel to a ml-8 lighting controller and your set.
Use the 110 currently in the room for fans etc ...
I would say looks like you have a 200+ amp main ran to your house that's all that matters
Attachments
noWon
Member
Hey slips, but is it cool to add another dedicated 100amp line on the house?
The main panel has plenty of open spaces but from what I understand what matters is the max load type of thing. You can only draw so much power before you start a fire.
I am gonna get some pics and maybe you or someone can enlighten me. I really want to get this other room going.
The main panel has plenty of open spaces but from what I understand what matters is the max load type of thing. You can only draw so much power before you start a fire.
I am gonna get some pics and maybe you or someone can enlighten me. I really want to get this other room going.
You could; But It would not be to code or 100% safe ...
You have 250 amp's coming in
Your using
100 amps for a main panel
100 amps for second main panel
50 amps for the ac
If you added another panel and then was using your ac and all the other power on the other panels in the house you could melt the wire from the meter to the pole.
Would be better off to run a 50 amp off one the panels; leaving 100 amps left @ 110v on that panel for house/fans / what ever else is on that one ...
aka 8 kw room
100 amps 240 (50 amps used for lights( with 20% leaway))(100 amps 110v for house etc)
100 amps 240 (40 amps 110v for fans etc)(mini split 30 amps)
50 amps house ac
aka 16kw room
100 amps 240 (100 amps 240v used for lights(Half on at a time)( with 20% leaway))(100 amps 110v for house etc)
100 amps 240 (40 amps 110v for fans etc)(mini split 30 amps 240v)
50 amps ) house ac dropped (30 amp mini split added)
Mini split ac uses or 20-30 amps 240v
always better to have a breaker blow ...
I just need to see what panel is powering what; should be labeled
I can come by with shmoe and get it done in day no need to add another panel and rip out dry wall ... if it's not going to help you be safe ...
You have 250 amp's coming in
Your using
100 amps for a main panel
100 amps for second main panel
50 amps for the ac
If you added another panel and then was using your ac and all the other power on the other panels in the house you could melt the wire from the meter to the pole.
Would be better off to run a 50 amp off one the panels; leaving 100 amps left @ 110v on that panel for house/fans / what ever else is on that one ...
aka 8 kw room
100 amps 240 (50 amps used for lights( with 20% leaway))(100 amps 110v for house etc)
100 amps 240 (40 amps 110v for fans etc)(mini split 30 amps)
50 amps house ac
aka 16kw room
100 amps 240 (100 amps 240v used for lights(Half on at a time)( with 20% leaway))(100 amps 110v for house etc)
100 amps 240 (40 amps 110v for fans etc)(mini split 30 amps 240v)
50 amps ) house ac dropped (30 amp mini split added)
Mini split ac uses or 20-30 amps 240v
always better to have a breaker blow ...
I just need to see what panel is powering what; should be labeled
I can come by with shmoe and get it done in day no need to add another panel and rip out dry wall ... if it's not going to help you be safe ...
