Rewiring house's electrical system: Pointers?

[krustytheclown]

Does anyone have some basic electrical information one needs to know when preparing for a 2000-3000W room grow in a house?

I am concerned about knowing what to ask for when upgrading the wiring/fuse box, and having plausible explanations to give a contractor why I am needing to increase the number of electrical lines/ electrical capacity of the fuse box.

 

[Rubberband Man]

So assuming the room is already wired with a 15 amp circuit, what else is sharing that 15 amp circuit. Need to turn off the circuit breaker switches and make sure you know there's nothing else on that 15 amp circuit breaker.

Assuming there was nothing else on there, that would give you a lil over 1400 watts for that room. I dont know if u even get quite that much actually because you have to account for the fact that the lights use more energy than their given wattage when they first turn on.

So you'll want to tell your electrician some b.s. story about how you're putting in gaming servers. I guess kilns take up a lot of electricity too... But I was told one time that gaming servers can take up a lot of electricity. I really dont think your electrician is going to know any better anyways as long as u look like the gaming nerd type and can talk to him about video games if need be. Obviously dont look at all like a weed smoker. Use caution because if the electricity man catches a whiff of your plans (figuratively or literally) you could very well be going to jail.

Having computer boxes lying around will help your cause. Just small details like that. Say you're getting your server racks put in later that week. Or the computers are arriving later that week.

The classic excuse is a kiln, but I wouldn't try it unless you look like the type of person that would be into pottery. Maybe if you're big into artwork and have examples lying around go for it.

If you're not too familiar with pottery or computers, just act like you have a know it all friend who told you to put all this shit in. You don't know anything, u have trust in your friend. If he wants to talk to your friend, make a fake attempt to get him on the phone.

If he tries to convince you that you need less amps or some crap like that, tell him that this is what your friend told u to get and you're not even trying to mess around with what he told you.

 

[Guest]

Make sure you know what you want before you hire a contractor. DONt ASK HIS OPINION ON ANYTHING. Give him the plans, Ask how long it will take and how much it will cost, Thats it. . He is working for you and you need to make sure he knows that. He is there to answer your question not the the way around. I would tell him I know what I want and thats it. I would be an ASS if he started asking questions, call his boss etc.

 

[krustytheclown]

Great ideas! How about saying something like I'm going to host/run some...ahem...entertainment websites out of my house and need the extra juice to run the servers. I can act really sleazy and sketchy. Often, I do it and don't even realize it. Sigh...

Yeah, I don't want to use the pottery/kiln story. I do NOT look like the type who would screw with pottery. That, and I know nothing about pottery. Heh.

So, should I ask for 20- or 30-amp circuits all throughout the house, or just the room(s) where my grow will be?

Should I have multiple circuits leading to the grow room to power multiple lights and minimize the use of power strips?

Any special consideration for preventing fires? Certain ratings on a fusebox, or wiring, or something else?

 

[krustytheclown]

Thanks, mods, for moving this thread to a more appropriate forum.

 

[Berry_Coughin']

Ok I have since set this bowl down... sorry... here are some useful links

first I'd go here... http://howtowireahouse.com/electrical-safety.html

this is fairly informative.... http://www.howtowireahouse.com/Electrical-Projects.html

that's better

 

[MTF-Sandman]

For the lights, a 30a/240v feed will be plenty for 4k. If you're planning on running 120v devices off the new feed, make sure that you have a subpanel installed...but you should be able to run the 120v devices off the existing wall outlets with no problems since only the high draw devices will be 240v.

Porn servers are a plausible excuse...anything that uses alot of computer power (graphics workstations, web servers, etc.) shouldn't raise any eyebrows. You could also go with the workshop excuse if the area is well suited to it.

You do NOT need to rewire the entire house for this...just add a circuit - which is pretty common for electricians. Should be able to get a straight 240v circuit for under $250. If you need a subpanel, tack on another bill.

 

[krustytheclown]

I'd go with a 120V circuit.

That being said, I would need at least 3 plugs per light: one for the ballast, one for the airstone in the DWC pot, and one for the air pump which runs the dripper (I'd be using Waterfarms, maybe a larger, homemade version and grow one plant under one 60W lamp).

That makes me think I'd need to add at least one more circuit to the room.

 

[Guest]

am running about 1500 watts on a 15 amp breaker,using 30 amp wire.

if you study the panal you have now you SHOULD be able to wire up 3 new brakers and wires yourself,or a 30 amp breaker and 30 amp wire, inless you have alot of walls to go through,that can drive some folks crazy :smile:

but do some reading first, the only true SAFE way to wire a panal is to pull out or shut off the top main, but your incoming wires will still be HOT,and can kill you.

check and see if your panal is 100 amp or 200 amp...

 

[Frogger]

good info guy's

 

[Guest]

Sandman is right,all you need is a 30A 240V circuit for 4K,running them at 120V is an option,though not the best by far.Take a 10 wire 30A circuit from the panel(two hots and a ground to a intermatic WH40 timer,from there to your receptacle box.Thats all there is too it.If you wanted to run a 30A subpanel simply add a neuatral,come to your subpanel,then from the subpanel to your 120 and 240V loads.I would just use availabe 120V circuits in the room and add 1 30A 240V circuit for the lights.

 

[NorCal]

i wouldnt act like an ass as most of the time if theyre asking questions it could be to try to help you out better or save you some money and acting like thats going to make him want to snitch even more if he suspects what your doing. I went to homedepot last week and asked a guy what glue to use on pvc and I didnt realize there was one for wet applications, well the guy asked me what it was going to be used for and I told him im making a fitting for my backyard fountain/w a pump, he got me the sealant i needed as the one i chose would have fallen apart. if I would have got all bitter @ him telling him to stay outta my business he would have been like fuck you, take whicheve sealant, I dont care. Realistically I dont think most care much, my room was already wired to carry extra loads because when it was remodeled I had track lights put in (that generate heat) and I was going to be putting in a projector/game/ theater room. I told them I was running a projector and a huge reciever w/ (4000/5000w)surroud sound and an xbox360,ps3 and my 2 big computers off it.
I remember calling hvac people askin them what i should do as the track lights I knew would generate heat, and my room is always the hottest in the house so i didnt want it to get stuffy,especially w/ all the smoking going on in there. you konw what each one told me? get an exhaust fan LOL
so i almost had one put in at the same time and now i regret i didnt, but the point is most dont give a shit what your doing, like i said i called atleast ten people telling them this story and none asked anything really, just told me what was best for my scenario and the only reason I even spoke on my plans is becuase it was true, I was going to use my room for those exact purposes, I wouldnt exactly call around and ask the same q's anymore as I basically described grow room conditions to them (lights generating/heat,stuffiness how to fix it) but in reality a clear conscience goes a long way,btw I never really used my room for that setup but it sure helped now that im running almost 2kw, if i was you id just call em over take all your grow shit and put i t away, all your weed paraphernelia also, have him come into a clean smelling house and tell him your going to be running the same setup as i am. most of em will be like "oh thats cool etc, I diddnt know you could run your comp on the tv"and just ask you how much power your gonna need or think youll need or maybe theyll try to ask you to try and help you figure it out, its always good to have a backup story,instead of acting an ass, but it isnt illegal to have extra electricity drawn so just get it done and blow that room up!!!!

 

[Guest]

some times if I have a tough project, I say am doing work for another person, and if they hit me with a sticky question... I just say I dont know what the person is really wanting, OR say ,I dont even think the other guy knows what he wants