I need to do an emergency teardown...share your stories with me..

[mtbazz]

I've had some weird electrical issues the past week. Lights that are at half power for a couple of minutes, than go to full power, than the past two days lights that are delayed when they are turned on. Instead of coming on instantaneously there was about a half second delay.

Than this morning i had a vacuum plugged into the circuit those lights are on and everything went out that was on that circuit.

Called an electrician but he won't come out till this coming friday.

After all of that I went to plug something in that was in that affected part of the house and noticed arcing from behind the outlet cover. Pulled that off and one of the neutrals was burnt. Insulation was burned clean off. Im not even sure that outlet was part of the overall circuit that lost power, as even after the power went out this particular outlet still had power.

Now I need to do an extensive teardown. over a dozen clones are now at a friends house, the moms are going over there tomorrow.

I have four plants under 12:12 in my tent, three are at two weeks flowering, one is at 30 days. No fucking idea what I'll do with them but given my electrical situation I can't keep them here, so outside they go for now.

FML...growing the best phenos i've ever had access to and this shit occurs.

Make me feel better with your emergency teardown stories.

ok//some photos...first...diagram of the issues, followed by photos of the outlet that was arcing....key thing here to remember that this still had power after power went out elsewhere, and I think (but am not positive) that it's part of the overall circuit that is affected.

 

[_tessarecting]

Growing in apts, 24 hour notices, parking box trucks up the road that day with everything in it.

Sucks but could be worse. Imagine if you never put 2 and 2 together.

����

 

[ThePizzaMan]

Depending on how cool your landlord is...I would talk with your landlord to flesh out the situation. If the problem is in or around your grow room...you will most likely have to tear down.

BUT...what if the problem isnt in the area where you are growing....you may not have to tear down.

Ive done it several times...its always as bad as you think it is going to be. I will not tear down unless I am like 95% they need entry to my bedroom...WHICH IS FUCKING RARE!

But yeah..big cardboard boxes..load them plants in there. They will suffer..and your yield will suffer a bit. But they do bounce back...and it will be alright. Just make sure you will be able to put everything back the way it was.

I mean...ultimately you have to do what you have to do.

Im sorry brutha

TpM

 

[mtbazz]

Depending on how cool your landlord is...I would talk with your landlord to flesh out the situation. If the problem is in or around your grow room...you will most likely have to tear down.

BUT...what if the problem isnt in the area where you are growing....you may not have to tear down.

Ive done it several times...its always as bad as you think it is going to be. I will not tear down unless I am like 95% they need entry to my bedroom...WHICH IS FUCKING RARE!

But yeah..big cardboard boxes..load them plants in there. They will suffer..and your yield will suffer a bit. But they do bounce back...and it will be alright. Just make sure you will be able to put everything back the way it was.

I mean...ultimately you have to do what you have to do.

Im sorry brutha

TpM

I'm the landlord....

The flowering room is in a tent in a spare bedroom. I recently had a dedicated 20 amp breaker wired in specifically for that, however the electrician will more than likely need access to other wiring that is in that room, so the tent will definitely have to come down.

Right now I am trying not to panic prematurely and tear it all down now instead of waiting to do so thursday night or friday morning when he gets here, but my main concern is the risk of fire.

The affected circuits are shut off at the panel, but still...Im thinking of just shoving those bitches outside and cleaning house this weekend. I suspect that he will end up re-wiring a decent portion of this place.

 

[FireIn.TheSky]

Relax.

Tear down might not be necessary.

Are you using a digital ballast? if so it might be the ballast that is getting ready to shit the bed.

Recently I had an issue where my lights would go ut after 6 hours and trip the gfci. I had 2 on the same circuit, 1 brand new 1 3 years old. It turned out my 3 year old digital ballast was the problem. It would get hot after a while and something would malfuction. I bought a new ballast now everything works right.

Its unlikely the circuit is the problem.

 

[mtbazz]

Relax.

Tear down might not be necessary.

Are you using a digital ballast? if so it might be the ballast that is getting ready to shit the bed.

Recently I had an issue where my lights would go ut after 6 hours and trip the gfci. I had 2 on the same circuit, 1 brand new 1 3 years old. It turned out my 3 year old digital ballast was the problem. It would get hot after a while and something would malfuction. I bought a new ballast now everything works right.

Its unlikely the circuit is the problem.

Its a digital ballast, but to be clear, is on an entirely separate circuit from anything else that has an issue. It is a circuit I had a guy come in and wire up about a year and half ago. The circuits that are in question are using the original wiring in this house (circa 1972). I can post pics, but I am using FB as a host site and am not sure if that will be a security issue for me or not.

 

[FireIn.TheSky]

Its a digital ballast, but to be clear, is on an entirely separate circuit from anything else that has an issue. It is a circuit I had a guy come in and wire up about a year and half ago. The circuits that are in question are using the original wiring in this house (circa 1972). I can post pics, but I am using FB as a host site and am not sure if that will be a security issue for me or not.

Why not host the pictures here, I wouldn't post anything from FB here.

If it's not a dedicated circuit there is a possibility it's something more. I take it for granted when I need power I run my own, always dedicated circuits for the lighting.

You have an old house, with old wiring and your sharing it with other stuff, I would do the same as you in that case.

I would tell the electrician you'd like to run a dedicated 20amp circuit to that room for a window AC for next year. Be like oh my A/C kept tripping the breaker, I want to run a dedicated circuit up here to avoid issues next year.

It still could be the ballast, I have gone thru quite a few digital ballasts, they always seem to shit the bed right about the time the warranty expires.

 

[GuerrillaRed]

Renting this gorgeous beach house that was on a property worth about three million dollars. It was the most beautiful place I ever lived. I had been really sick in and out of the hospital when the landlord said he was coming back about a month early. I was so sick I couldn't move with about two days to get rid of a 15 plant DWC grow in the garage. I had permission to grow but wasn't exactly clear on how big the grow was going to be haha. Wound up needing my parents help and about 12 hours work to get everything out.

That experience convinced me to buy instead of rent there after.

That's why you have to keep your grow space spotless and keep bug out times and plans in mind. Even now in quasi-legalization.

 

[mtbazz]

Why not host the pictures here, I wouldn't post anything from FB here.

If it's not a dedicated circuit there is a possibility it's something more. I take it for granted when I need power I run my own, always dedicated circuits for the lighting.

You have an old house, with old wiring and your sharing it with other stuff, I would do the same as you in that case.

I would tell the electrician you'd like to run a dedicated 20amp circuit to that room for a window AC for next year. Be like oh my A/C kept tripping the breaker, I want to run a dedicated circuit up here to avoid issues next year.

It still could be the ballast, I have gone thru quite a few digital ballasts, they always seem to shit the bed right about the time the warranty expires.

Ill post them here tomorrow...i need to go take a xanax/benadryl/melatonin cocktail and sleep this off...im so stressed by this situation.

You are also not understanding me with regards to the ballast. To be perfectly clear...The ballast is on it's own dedicated 20amp circuit that i had someone install within the past two years. There is nothing else on that circuit, and it is in no way connected to the circuit(s) i am having issues with.

 

[wildgrow]

You could pick up a few tomato and/or pepper plants. Leave them outside the tent. If the electrician is nosy enough to ask about the tent - youre growing veggies.

"I shut the tent down until the issue is figured out. Better safe than sorry."

Give him a couple of those plants as an extra thank you.

 

[FireIn.TheSky]

Ill post them here tomorrow...i need to go take a xanax/benadryl/melatonin cocktail and sleep this off...im so stressed by this situation.

You are also not understanding me with regards to the ballast. To be perfectly clear...The ballast is on it's own dedicated 20amp circuit that i had someone install within the past two years. There is nothing else on that circuit, and it is in no way connected to the circuit(s) i am having issues with.

Yeah I got that after the fact but I was too lazy to go back and edit.

 

[corky1968]

If you own the place and can hide the plants in the backyard for a day or two. Do it.

I had to move 60 plants in 8" pots outside from the basement and over the fence about 15 years ago
due to the landlord coming over for an inspection. We were only given a 48 hours notice so we had to
move ASAP. Me and my roommate back then waited until midnight and hide them on the vacant forested
lot over the fence in the backyard for a couple of days.

There were some crazy days in that house.

 

[Gry]

May wish to check in with Reeves, the man can be a real blessing with things of this nature.

 

[mtbazz]

Pics added in OP.

 

[McKush]

Cant help you M but you are doing right to get your wiring inspected and addressed. Your circuit and possibly others is bad. Dont risk a F* hazard. Plants are not worth it.

I do all my own electric but i also know ive fukd up once or twice. Be safe

 

[hayday]

Those stab in recepticles are bad for a high load circut.For your grow,get good 15 amp or better plugs and use the screw function on the sides.
Make sure the electrician does this for you if you aren't cool with doing it.
Put your plants in boxes.U haul makes a wardrobe box that pretty big. Stack stuff all around the boxs somewhere he wont have to be.
Get some bacon and cook it up as dude is arriving to cover the smell.Might need a bacon sammich mid afternoon too.
Look around a few times and make sure you get all the gear put away. I had to have an air cond guy in my place twice this year and left a bubble bag hanging by the attic access.
The old elephant in the room. Look two or three times.

Good luck mtbazz,you got this...

 

[MJPassion]

Just looking at what your house looks like I've got a question...
Are the lights & outlets that aren't working on the same circuit?

If they're not, you may be good but if they are, an electrician will probably want yo remedy that. Most homes are built with lights & outlets on separate curcuits.

Also, is there a GFI in your bathroom?
If it's faulty, replacement could remedy your issue.

 

[Gry]

Life , and the stuff we have to deal with. This too shall pass . Best wishes.

 

[H.T.ClassAction]

The worst case scenario we've ever experienced happened several years ago.

We got a call that we'd dreaded: an old friend had died in his sleep.

Two folks had visited, but after there was no answer at the door, and with his vehicle still parked out in back, they broke a back window and climbed in.

There was our friend, who had previous heart issues, dead in his bed.

He'd had two rooms full of living reefer, a mother & clone room, and a grow room.

His buddies made frantic calls, and in an hour or so had managed to scoot all the plants, lights, ballasts, ferts, mothers, and clones, out and away.

Then they called 911 ... who told them to start CPR & mouth to mouth... which they didn't do since they knew full well that he was long gone.

The cops came with the ambulance, and by the time we arrived, the black body-bag was being rolled out.

All of us began frantically smoking cigarettes, hoping to cover the odor, which was quite evident throughout the first floor apartment.

One of the cops took note of the aroma, but couldn't figure out what it was.

Thanks heaven they didn't notice the one item that had been left by mistake: hidden behind the now open back door stood a long, thin, cardboard box that was clearly marked as a light mover.

 

[Ph-patrol]

Fix it yourself

Replace the breaker for that circulate and check all the plugs on that same circuit.
.Unscrew each plug and plate pull out plugs and inspect. This in not hard to do.
There is a culprit and most likely you will find the problem.
If you are inexperienced shut main breaker off when changing out you 15 amp breaker.
take a pic of panel and bring to home store.Bye a pack of plugs too.
If you bring ma electrician in say that he cant go in this area or room and if he bitches say too bad figure it out with out access.Its your house you set the rules.