Using 120v cords while running 240v?

[Treetroit City]

So I was cruising DX Hydro's website and it states:

All controllers with 240v outlets come equipped with NEMA 6-15R receptacles.
If you want to use your standard 120v power cords we can substitute NEMA 5-15R receptacles so you can use your original 120v power cords for 240 volt operation.

Anything wrong with this idea? Seemed kinda strange.

 

[Holdin']

Re: Using 120v cords while running 240v?

If you wereto cut off the plug and hardwire the ballast, then yeah. But a 120v plug doesn't fit into a 240v outlet of course...

If you want to go that route you can just buy a 240v male plug and swap it out. Or just buy a 240v cord.... many shops with include it. These guys probably don't have any....

Edit: DUR it's early and I completely misread that. Haha. Yes, that will work...

 

[ydijadoit]

I am wiring up an Intermatic T-104 this way. 3 wire welder plug in my garage (240v) to the timer, pigtail with a female plug on the load side, to accept 120v male plug from 1000w ballast (running on 240v). No one but me, my wife, and (God forbid) the cops, will ever see or touch the timer.
As long as you are the ONLY person to ever touch your stuff, it's "OK", but you have to be 100% certain nobody else will plug something in. It could be a disaster!
Always best to match electrical components. I'm not saying we should all become journeyman electricians, but just be careful.
Nothing wrong with bright red duct tape marked in sharpie "240v only!", wrapped around the cord. That's the way I am doing it for my application.
Best of luck, be safe.

 

[Fly by Night]

Smoke report?

 

[growshopfrank]

its not only bad practice but dangerous as hell
all it takes is one absentminded second and bang
been told that a 120v shop vac sounds like a F1 car at red line when supplied 240v for a couple of seconds before it catches fire

 

[yerboyblue]

Like the other people are saying, if you plug a 120v into a 240v outlet it will suck. There wasn't a lot of detail of how you were applying it, but it seemed like using a 240v controller or timer of some sort, but just using 120v plugs. It will work, just make sure you know that both lines going in are hot. I use the original 120v cords that come with the ballast, but plug them into the 240v slot on the ballast, then into a 240v timer with 120v plugs. Only difference is instead of horizontal prongs, they are vertical.

If you were trying to convert an existing 120v line into a 240v though, that would be a different story, most likely other outlets are tied in and would create a problem.

 

[deacon1503]

Difference between 120v power cords vs 240v power cords is solely the orientation of the plug. 120v up and down, 240v side to side. The internal conductors of the wires are identical. CAP's x-plug receptacle can accept both.

 

[irobot sd]

They are just stating that they could switch the outlets out for you if you are running 120v power cords. Saves you the hassle of getting all new cords since the prongs are different. A cord will have the voltage rating on the exterior insulation. Usually 300v.
Keep in mind the light controller still runs 240v so both legs are hot. Be sure to only use 240v ballast and marking a cord permanately would be smart.

 

[Hammerhead]

what he is doing is changing the outlets to except a 120v plug. The problem with this is if you plug a 120v device into a 240v power you will fry what ever you plugged in. Its not a safe way of doing things. Make sure everything is properly wired ..

 

[dansbuds]

Yeah 3rd ... keep everything coming from DX 240 volts ... including the outlets & change your ballast plugs to 240 volt cords or you can just cut the male 120 volt cord end off & replace it with a male 240 cord end .
you will have to have another circuit or 2 of 120 volt outlets in your room for fans & stuff ... but you have a subpanel & thats easy enough to do .

all you'd need in the new room would be the 240V 30 amp plug for the DX unit (lights only ) (good for 4k watts )
& 2 20amp 120V circuits for everything else .

 

[rives]

As most of the contributors have said, it's a piss poor idea. The only reason that so many clueless people feel safe playing with electricity is because of a century of code work and strict adherence to standardization. Without that, people would understand that you have a tame lightning bolt hiding in your walls, waiting for the chance to fuck your day up when your attention slips.

 

[Holdin']

what he is doing is changing the outlets to except a 120v plug. The problem with this is if you plug a 120v device into a 240v power you will fry what ever you plugged in. Its not a safe way of doing things. Make sure everything is properly wired ..

Maybe I'm too stoned and don't understand what the OP is saying the shop/manufacturer is trying to accomplish.

What I'm imagining is, this is a 240v controller. It takes 240v power and distributes 240v to recepticles. It comes standard with 240v recepticles, but if you wish they will swap with "120v" outlets - so that you can use your 120v/240v ballast that came with a 120v plug/cord and running it as 240v since your ballast - since you'll be running 240v to your controller.

The only difference between a 120v cord and a 240v cord is the color of the wires inside and the plug.

If the OP meant using a 120v ballast on 240v power... well uhh yeah that's obviously not going to work and is not safe haha !!

If the OP meant that this would be "wild-catting" a 120v ballast off of an individual leg of 240v and using a "ground" as a "neutral"... well... it'll work. But is not safe and not good wiring/electrical practice.


I think we need some specification here. Somebody is misunderstanding something, and that's completely fine if it is me. I just don't see a shop/manufacturer recommending doing something THAT ridiculous.

 

[whatthe215]

aint worth it IMO. you stumble in one night tired as hell and aren't thinking and BOOM a T5 panel just blew up or some shit. potential fire.

at $10 a piece, the cost of new cords aint a thing.

 

[coastal]

Honestly it will work just fine if you aren't an idiot.

Nothing wrong with buying the 240 cords to be safe but they will both work. A power cord is a power cord.

 

[mowood3479]

will it work.... yes. is it a bad idea... yes
ive plugged in a 120 light into a 240 fed line... n watched it snap, crackle n then blow the fuck up after about two seconds...
why not just pay to get the right (240) cords...
the guy at dxhydro is just giving u the option of saving ten bucks (per cord) at the expense of a safety feature... designed to prevent a person from plugging in a 120 device into a 240 outlet..
so yes it will work and yes it is a bad idea.. spend a few extra bucks and do it right.

 

[Hammerhead]

Maybe I'm too stoned and don't understand what the OP is saying the shop/manufacturer is trying to accomplish.

What I'm imagining is, this is a 240v controller. It takes 240v power and distributes 240v to recepticles. It comes standard with 240v recepticles, but if you wish they will swap with "120v" outlets - so that you can use your 120v/240v ballast that came with a 120v plug/cord and running it as 240v since your ballast - since you'll be running 240v to your controller.

The only difference between a 120v cord and a 240v cord is the color of the wires inside and the plug.

If the OP meant using a 120v ballast on 240v power... well uhh yeah that's obviously not going to work and is not safe haha !!

If the OP meant that this would be "wild-catting" a 120v ballast off of an individual leg of 240v and using a "ground" as a "neutral"... well... it'll work. But is not safe and not good wiring/electrical practice.


I think we need some specification here. Somebody is misunderstanding something, and that's completely fine if it is me. I just don't see a shop/manufacturer recommending doing something THAT ridiculous.

Theres no confusion on my part. we are not talking about the cord itself..120v cord will work thats not the problem. Its cuases a unsafe situation.. If yo do that and forget that outlet is 240v you could cause a fire if you plug in a 120v device into 240v. The cost to have the right stuff is minor. The 240v cord is 12$ do it right the first time.

 

[Treetroit City]

Maybe I'm too stoned and don't understand what the OP is saying the shop/manufacturer is trying to accomplish.

What I'm imagining is, this is a 240v controller. It takes 240v power and distributes 240v to recepticles. It comes standard with 240v recepticles, but if you wish they will swap with "120v" outlets - so that you can use your 120v/240v ballast that came with a 120v plug/cord and running it as 240v since your ballast - since you'll be running 240v to your controller.

The only difference between a 120v cord and a 240v cord is the color of the wires inside and the plug.

If the OP meant using a 120v ballast on 240v power... well uhh yeah that's obviously not going to work and is not safe haha !!

If the OP meant that this would be "wild-catting" a 120v ballast off of an individual leg of 240v and using a "ground" as a "neutral"... well... it'll work. But is not safe and not good wiring/electrical practice.


I think we need some specification here. Somebody is misunderstanding something, and that's completely fine if it is me. I just don't see a shop/manufacturer recommending doing something THAT ridiculous.

Yep, you got it. Well thanks everyone for the advice. I will definitely make sure to go with the 240 receptacles and get the 240 cords for my ballasts. I didn't realize that the gauge wire was the same in a 120 and 240, thus I was confused.

Now to decide if I want to go with a lighting controller or just use Solis Tek Matrix ballast and not need the controller.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

If anyone in here is forgetting that they're running a 240v controller and accidentally goes plugging 120v devices into it then they should put the joint down and step out of the grow room.

I really don't understand how these mistakes happen unless we are talking a multi-person grow room operation with goofy partners that like plugging things in where they don't belong.

..I'll never plug a 120v grow light into a 240v controller..despite what the plug orientation is.


I suppose I can see where one could make a stupid mistake if they forget to spin around the voltage selector to 240v before plugging in the ballast, but that is a stupid mistake that could happen regardless of what power cord they have in hand. They could just as easily still use the 240v cord placed into the 120v area of the dual voltage ballast and achieve the same damage. Spending $10 extra per ballast doesnt save them from stupid.


No risk with newer digitals. They will run at whatever voltage they get plugged into.


Buying additional power cords seems silly to me. The simple solution is to just pay attention when you are plugging your lights in....otherwise you shouldnt be in a grow room in the 1st place... or at least stick to 120v only. Spending the extra money is pointless unless your going to modify your dual voltage ballast with removable powercord.. eliminate that feature, and hard wire a 240v cord into it.


I have an inclining that this is one of those things that people just cannot resist to do for some odd reason....like a don't touch wet paint sign. They know they shouldn't plug that inline fan into their 240v controller, but they cannot resist the urge..lol

 

[rives]

People have been conditioned throughout their entire lives that if a given plug fits it's corresponding receptacle, then it is safe to use it. I've read a number of times on here of people who accidentally fried their equipment from this precise scenario, and in at least one instance, it was an electrician who did it. MJ isn't really known for improving your memory or clarity of thought. The other problem is the equipment that has the wrong cordset - if it gets moved to a different location or sent in for repair, etc, it has a high potential of being plugged into the wrong voltage at that point. It is pretty stupid to have to check and see how every ballast is tapped prior to energizing it because some stoner thinks that bypassing a universal standard to save ten bucks is a wonderful idea.

 

[Hammerhead]

If I had the cash I would go with the Solis.. If you can use 1 less piece of equipment the better IMO..I might do that myself someday..