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Questions about live/work loft with 3-Phase power

G

Guest

I recently looked at a loft that said it was sat up with 3-phase electrical power that would allow woodworking, metalworking, robot builders ???, etc. to operate in the unit.

The tenant who currently lives there showed me the unit and I looked at the breaker box and there were probably 20 unused slots,

I noticed a 40 amp breaker that was used to run the electric stove, but I didnt want to stand there forever and try and decipher what every thing was used for.All others were rated at 20amps(I think)

My question is I want to run lumatek 240v digital ballasts, but after all initial move in costs I wont have money for a few months to call an electrician and was wondering if most of the other outlets are set up for 120.(dont want to buy 240V ballasts I cant uses !)

I know of a cannabis friendly electrician who sorts these sort of thing out, but I dont want to contact him until I have the cash to have him come out and properly sort me out.

Hope this makes sense as I know shit about these sorta things

Any help would be greatly appreciated

:joint: :joint:

I'll try my best to answer any question you might have

Peace
 
G

Guest

I noticed a 40 amp breaker that was used to run the electric stove
That one breaker will support like 10 600 watt Lumateks on 240v...is that enough lighting for ya? I'm pretty sure a 240v 600 Lumi pulls like 2.75 amps?
 
G

Guest

Thanks for the replies fellas!!!

LOL,Yeah,10 600's will do the trick.

Gonna probabaly leave that 40 amp breaker to run the stove though.

There were so many breakers it looked as if every damn outlet could have possibly been on its own circuit!!!!

I was thinking of purchasing one of these:http://capcontrollers.com/Images/MLC-8T-Face-500.jpg

I'm pretty sure though that all the outlets , other than the stove are 120v, so until I can afford to have the electrician come out , I may have to buy standard 120 coil ballasts and plug them into seperate outlets and wait to buy my digital 240's after the sparky sorts me out.

It looks relatively easy to wire the relay directly to the circuit breaker, but I dont want to burn down the house if I make a stupid mistake.

I definitely electricly illiterate so much thanks for the replies fellas :joint:
 

az_kush

New member
I am an electrician and am willing to take the time to teach or explain any thang for my fellow people.......
 
G

Guest

Gonna probabaly leave that 40 amp breaker to run the stove though.
What...do you need to eat? I breezed through your first post and thought it was mainly a work space with the woodworking and all.

az_kush's offer is cool. MTF-Sandman is pretty good with his electrical know how also. Electrical is really not that hard.
 
G

Guest

What is the advantage of running the ballast at 240 instead of 120? You can run more lights on the same circuit?
You can run more lights on the same amperage circuit but not the same circuit as the two, 240 and 120, would be different circuits. Not trying to be nit picky but the same equipment set to run on 240 will draw half the amps the stuff would on 120 but 240 circuits are more difficult to access in the house and as such are not as user friendly. 240 rocks though :wink:. It does not take much 120 equipment, like fans and such, to support a very nice sized 240 grow.
 
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az_kush

New member
we all buy power by kilio watts per hour. heres the math. P=IxV so example 240v at 2 amps equals 480 watts or .48 kilio watts. 120v at 2 amps equals 240 watts or .24 kilio watts. The idea is to use 240v with less amps. The amount of amps is determined by your equipment. Look at your electric bill and see what you pay per kilio watt hour and you can figure how much it cost you to run your set up...... another example... I=P/V 400watts devided by 120v equals 3.3 amps. 400 watts devided by 240v equals 1.6amps.... You see how 240v can be cheaper to run. uh any questions.........
 

az_kush

New member
Hum some more usefully information. A electrical circuit should be ran in a 80% range to account for variation. 15 amp circuit 80% would be 12 amps or at 120v that would be 1440 watts.... At 240v 2880 watts. 20amp circuit 16 amps at 120v would equal 1920 watts. At 240v would be 3840 watts.
15 amp circuit would be 14 guage copper wire
20 amp circuit would be 12 guage copper wire
If you exceed the wires ampacity it will be only time before the wire heats up to the point that it will melt the insolation away and a fire starts. Remeber that especially with extension cords.. I see that burn down houses all the time..

Ok off the soap box and no more preaching to the choir....
 
G

Guest

I have a question az,actually a correction."You can see how 240V can be cheaper to run."This really isn't the case.Power equals amperage times voltage.To make it simple we will say a 1K HID draws 10A at 120V and 5A at 240V.10 times 120 equal 1200 watts.5 times 240 equals 1200 watts.The song remains the same.Where the small savings may lie would be operational effeciency and savings in copper wire.I was exactly where you were bro on this subject some years back and was appreciative not offended when it was explained to me,I hope it has had the same effect on you.
 
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G

Guest

My understanding, and experience, seems to be running 240 saves only a very small amount on the bill. The big advantage is the ability to run more equipment. Not only can you run more equipment on the same amperage circuit but using the 240 as main power frees up the 120 circuits and like I said before you can run a lot of auxiliary equipment on a regular 120 circuit.
 

cocktail frank

Ubiquitous
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
wattage is wattage, regardless of voltage.
240v is more efficient in install, mostly.
only place it saves you big bucks is 3 phase services.
it will raise your power factor, being it will even loads throughout the phases, which saves you money.
as far as your calculations azkush, they are correct. only problem i have is....
if you get 2a off 240v, the same pice of equipment would draw 4a @120v.
then the wattage would be the same.
a 1000 w light would be just about 1000w at 120v or 240v, no diff there.
like i said, it's only cost effective in the install, saving money on wire.
 

cocktail frank

Ubiquitous
Mentor
ICMag Donor
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p.s. azkush, i have all this info already posted in the link in my sig.
feel free to check it out and add anything you feel i missed.
that's why its there.
 
G

Guest

Thanks you for the replies gentlemen.!!!

Haven't got the place yet.

If and when I do I will definitely hit you guys up with more questions.

Thanks

Peace :joint:
 

az_kush

New member
The Americian, your the man. Wattage is wattage and thats what you pay for.. I stand corrected, I wasnt all there when I posted.. huuuu.. I do want people to know the danger of electricity. I see the destruction of improper installs every day and just want my fellow hobbiests to stay safe... much support from Arizona
 

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