You are right, ballastman. He can buy his ballasts already wired for 240v or have the hydro shop do it for him. My shop doesn't even charge for that. If he goes 240v, then he can use 3 20a 240v lines. Two lights on a 240v line only draw 9.2a, which is very safe. That will limit using fans or pumps ,since they usually run on 120v.
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Installing a subpanel - need advice
- Thread starter simpleword
- Start date
G
Guest
240 really is the way to go if you can get away with it,then you can use the timer I mentioned with no relay or anything its durable as hell.Six years now with 3K on that timer and the contacts arent even burred.I think its the major reason to go 240 really to use a hot water heater timer.Of course at 120 V you can use the T-101 water haeter styled timer which is just as durable so I guess what I just said about reasons to go 240 made little sense.More blockhead please!
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simpleword
Active member
Thanks guys for the replies. If you think that the 18000 BTU A/C will use less than 20 amps then I will go with a 240 volt 20 amp breaker and four 120 volt 15 amp breakers. Would 2 30 amp 120 volt breakers work as well? I doubt that I can have a shop convert my ballasts to 240 volt, as the closest hydro shop is over 100 miles away. I've also ordered hortilux bulbs. Thanks again.
G
Guest
You can convert your ballast by switching one wire,with your AC at 240V you be doing the right thing
simpleword
Active member
Well I may do that if you have a tutorial on how to do it. Thanks again.
G
Guest
MH and HPS..........
MH and HPS..........
It really is a matter of opinion. People go one way or the other but IMHO I think a mixture of the two would be optimal. Arguments could be made both ways on spectres, PARs and such but I have wanted to mix the two for a long time. Maybe a little dominant in the HPS end due to red Kelvins and the higher PAR value of the HPS but in my experience the extra Blue Kelvins definitely increase growth although not quite as thick buds and the penetration is less. But I think it would definitely add a little punch to the package as long as the spectres overlap as far as garden coverage. Having 1/4th covered mainly with MH and the other 3/4ths HPS wouldn't be good the lights would have to overlap fields to mix the spectres. I hope I am saying this clearly.
Hortilux bulbs are worth every extra penny or dollars as in this case.
What do the rest of you think? There is lots of experience on this particular thread.
Peace
MH and HPS..........
It really is a matter of opinion. People go one way or the other but IMHO I think a mixture of the two would be optimal. Arguments could be made both ways on spectres, PARs and such but I have wanted to mix the two for a long time. Maybe a little dominant in the HPS end due to red Kelvins and the higher PAR value of the HPS but in my experience the extra Blue Kelvins definitely increase growth although not quite as thick buds and the penetration is less. But I think it would definitely add a little punch to the package as long as the spectres overlap as far as garden coverage. Having 1/4th covered mainly with MH and the other 3/4ths HPS wouldn't be good the lights would have to overlap fields to mix the spectres. I hope I am saying this clearly.
Hortilux bulbs are worth every extra penny or dollars as in this case.
What do the rest of you think? There is lots of experience on this particular thread.
Peace
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G
Guest
Bree I use a 400/400 sunsystem in veg,its my favorite fixture.Its quite a bit larger than my hydrofarm 1000W MH I have them side by side in a closet.The 1K needs to be aircooled,the sunsystem runs cool as hell.They make a 600HPS 400MH now too,the ultimate.I've flowered with it at first,then I got my vertizontals which cant be beat for flowering and moved it to veg.I do recommend these for either stage they're great.
simpleword said:
Yeah, the AC should pull around 9-10a @ 240v, so a 20a/240v will be fine for it.
It's actually really easy to change your ballast over to 240v...open the case and you'll see the wire marked 240v - undo the wirenut that has the 120v wire connected to it and just insert the 240v wire and slap a new wire nut on it.
You could do 2 30a/120v circuits for the 4k of light, but IMO it's easier to keep em all 240v if possible since a single timer (like the WH40 from Intermatic) can handle all 4 of them...which eliminates the problems of timers becoming out of sync with each other.
simpleword
Active member
Ok! And I can use the same plug and everything? Just wire the regular outlets to the 240volt breakers?
G
Guest
Thats a tutorial if I've ever seen one,only thing to add is slip a little orange or blue wire nut on the 120V lead you just unspliced,its always good practice never to leave a lead uncovered even though the chance of current actually ever flowing in it is pretty minimal to nonexistent.
simpleword
Active member
Okay, so I opened up a ballast and there was the 120v line twisted together with another line. All I have to do is untwist the 120v wire and put the 240 volt wire in it's place?
G
Guest
Yep thats it.
G
Guest
When you have your ballast wired for 240V and the 240V circuits pulled to the receptacle box you can do one of two things.What most peopl;e do is cut the plug and replace with 240V plug and use 240V receptacles in the box.Being that I live with a german shephard,I chose to keep my original 120V plug on my fixture and use commercial grade 120V receptacles.When you wire the receptacles it doesnt matter which hot goes on the silver terminal.
^^Yup, that'll work fine with 120v outlets...you might want to take a sharpie and write on the faceplate "240v" or something to that effect incase you're worried about accidently plugging in a 120v device into it. You could also just choose a different colored outlet to help remind you that it's 240v, but it's not really necessary if the outlets are only going to be used for growing.
You will probably need to get a 240v outlet for the AC though, unless you want to cut the end of the cord off and replace it with a typical 120v plug...but it's only a couple of dollars to put in the correct one, so it's no big deal either way.
Oh, not sure if this was clear on my earlier post, but make sure that you remove the 120v feed wire and use the 240v in place of it...the way I worded it in my previous post kinda sounded like use both of them to me, so thought I'd clarify that.
You will probably need to get a 240v outlet for the AC though, unless you want to cut the end of the cord off and replace it with a typical 120v plug...but it's only a couple of dollars to put in the correct one, so it's no big deal either way.
Oh, not sure if this was clear on my earlier post, but make sure that you remove the 120v feed wire and use the 240v in place of it...the way I worded it in my previous post kinda sounded like use both of them to me, so thought I'd clarify that.
simpleword
Active member
Awesome guys, just awesome. Thanks so much. One more question: Can I just use one 40 amp 240v breaker for all the lights and one 20 amp 240v breaker for the A/C? I already have a 40 amp breaker, that's why I'm asking.
G
Guest
i would also recommend you mark your 120v receptacle 240v. you don't want to plug in anything you don't want into that receptacle.
i also wouldn't recommend the 40a breaker.
go with the 20a
you will be running 12 guage wire, which is too small for that breaker.
plus if you ever do overload the 12 guage wire on the 40a breaker, the breaker won't trip, but there is a good chance of melting the wire.
nobody i know enjoys house fires (except fireman)
i also wouldn't recommend the 40a breaker.
go with the 20a
you will be running 12 guage wire, which is too small for that breaker.
plus if you ever do overload the 12 guage wire on the 40a breaker, the breaker won't trip, but there is a good chance of melting the wire.
nobody i know enjoys house fires (except fireman)
G
Guest
Yep to make it legal and safe you'd have to run #8AWG wire for all your branch circuits from that 40A breaker,thats some big expensive wire and its overkill.Use 2 pole 20A breakers and no 12 AWG wire.Be aware you dont have to run a neutral wire for the 240V lighting circuits,2 hots and a ground is all thats needed.
simpleword
Active member
Thanks Ballastman. So for the 240v receptacle, I just run the red wire to one side, the black to the other, and the ground to the green? I noticed that on the 240v receptacle, there are two brass screws as opposed to brass and silver, so does it matter what side I run it to? My electrician friend came over last night, and we got the subpanel wired up, but now I am kind of on my own wiring the outlets.
G
Guest
It totally doesnt matter which hot goes on which side,just dont get the gound mixed up with a hot lol
G
Guest
Just so everyone understands,I used the original 120V plug and 120V receptacles on my 240V circuits not so much because the devices are cheaper although they are,I wanted to avoid an unecessary splice putting on the new 240V plugs.Any splice that can be avoided is a good thing IMO.Plus I live alone
