how big does my circuit need to be???

[Guest]

i have 1 circuit to use, can be upgraded to the size i need

will have...

2 x 600 watt lights = 1200 watts total

300 watts for exhaust fans

100 watts for other fans

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1600 total watts on 1 circuit for the grow

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then i will also have...

450 watt computer

Television, old 36 inch, unknown wattage

Regular Refrigerator/Freezer

HEPA Air Cleaner

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these are all on the same circuit as the 1600 watt grow, what should my circuit size be? I don't want to trip the circuit or cause fire or anything like that

 

[badmf]

Add up your amps not watts and go over by 20% if you plan no additions. remember each circuit has its own limitation so that is what you need to stay 20% under. iow if you have a 30 amp breaker use 24amps. This gives you some wiggle room for spike surges and start-ups. Total each circuits prposed amp use before and you'll be ok.

 

[Guest]

Start ups? Do the hps ballasts use more watts at start up???

I had these all running without any problem...

Computer 400 Watt
Window AC 740 Watt/6.6 Amp
Electric Grill 1500 Watt
Television 141 Watt/2.2 Amp
HEPA Air Cleaner 3 Amp
Another HEPA Air Cleaner 3 Amp
And about 7 regular house lights are on

All these are running without a problem...

I live in USA, to find the Amp what do I do? Isn't it Watts divided by Volts equals Amps?

Or the opposite, Amps multiplied by Volts equals Watts?

 

[Guest]

I also have a Refrigerator/Freezer, and a Dishwasher

I dont know the watts on the refrigerator but the dishwasher is 1000 watts

So if I am doing my math right... I have anywhere from 2500-4000 watts running on a single circuit right now and nothing is shutting off/tripping...

 

[Guest]

that's 4+ amps - on a 15 or 20 amp circut, so nuting should be blowing.


only 1000W for a dishwasher? - - I gotta get me one of those.

I've got older wiring with 15 amp fuses, and I can run 2 1000W HPS with mover and fans - I stager my turn-on (For the lights) times by a few minutes

 

[Guest]

It's a mini dishwasher, about 1/3 the size of a normal one

I figured out the kitchen is on a seperate circuit then the rest of the place, so I've got 2 circuits actually

 

[Guest]

I hope you're running those two 1K fixtures at 240V if you're on a 14 wire 15A circuit.

 

[Guest]

heh i dont have the lights yet, planning a grow

it's 2 600 watt lights, not 1k lights

i just took my circuit to 15-25 amps and it didnt trip, i think i have 20-30 amp circuits... can you run 240 volt with these?

 

[EZB581]

I was running one 1k light at 110 volts on what I considered a heavy duty extension chord. The chord wasn't hot but still noticeably warm.

 

[Guest]

"Most ballast assemblies feature multi-tap transformers, which means that you can switch them from 110/120V to 208V, 220/240V or 277V in just minutes by changing one wire, at no additional charge!"

From the website im buying from maybe

Wouldn't it be safer to run at 110/120V?

 

[bartender187]

^^^
The voltage your ballast is set to has to match the voltage of the circuit in your house. You cant just remove a 20amp circuit breaker and pop a 30 amp breaker in there. The wiring gauge has to be of sufficient size to be able to safely carry the additional amperage without overheating/causing a fire. Also... rule of thumb is, if you have a 20amp breaker... you roll want a 20% safety margin... so 15 amps continuous load for a 20amp breaker. The circuit breakers should be marked as to weather they are 20 or 30 amp breakers. Be careful... electricity is nothing to play around with.

 

[Guest]

Yeah i talked with a hydro shop guy he just explained somewhat for me...

he said to run the 240v i gotta have a 240v circuit, most are 120v circuits.

i checked my appliances they all 110-120 so im going with 120 obviously

he also told me i could get a thing called Kill-A-Watt to plug my light into and it monitors the usage of the appliance, so it'll tell me my light's watts and amps. so i will know exactly what my grows using, and I can also plug it into other random things in my house to test.

and this way i'll know if my circuit is close to trip cuz it'll dim my lights, aka the watts will lower on the kill-a-watt meter

 

[EZB581]

Yeah i talked with a hydro shop guy he just explained somewhat for me...

he said to run the 240v i gotta have a 240v circuit, most are 120v circuits.

i checked my appliances they all 110-120 so im going with 120 obviously

he also told me i could get a thing called Kill-A-Watt to plug my light into and it monitors the usage of the appliance, so it'll tell me my light's watts and amps. so i will know exactly what my grows using, and I can also plug it into other random things in my house to test.

and this way i'll know if my circuit is close to trip cuz it'll dim my lights, aka the watts will lower on the kill-a-watt meter

Consider waiting for feedback from electrical pros around here before taking your Hydro shop guy's advice. You have lots of options.

 

[Guest]

meh... i dont see a problem with my setup... i went around my house and found all my circuits, then found what they're connected to and what i can use.

i have 2 circuits i can use, so i can split the load between the two, and they'll both still be under their limit.

i tested both circuits with space heaters too, found out what they can handle

 

[EZB581]

Sounds like You have it covered!