Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

[n00bGrower]

I sent this question to Brick via PM, but I'm sure he's swamped with requests... So, I thought I'd throw it up here and see what people think.

I am making a stealth cab out of an old freezer and need to get some wiring done for the lights and the fans. The thing is totally gutted (condenser is removed, all shelving and anything else that required current is gone) and I'm ready to get the thing set up. I had a few questions about how to do it safely.

I have done household wiring before, but this is different. I want to set up 2 pairs of CFL's on goosenecks, wired parallel (2 x 100w/23w actual on 60 w sockets) and terminated by a standard plug that is plugged into a power strip. Basically, I wanna be able to get 4 bulbs working by using only 2 outlets. Is this possible? Can it be done safely? I've only ever wired household electrical outlets, can lights, and the occasional table lamp.

Also, I will be putting in an exhaust fan using a single PC fan (12v DC 0.56A) spliced into an old router power adapter ("Class 2 Transformer" INPUT: 120V 60 Hz 15W OUTPUT: 12VDC 500mA). Will this work? Will it be safe? I'm not planning on putting an intake fan in, as I am using the drain hose in the bottom as a source for fresh air. The freezer is airtight (aside from the proposed exhaust and the drain tube), so I'm hoping the 12v PC fan will have enough power to draw air from the drain hose in an almost zero pressure environment.

My babys are vegging out in another cab I made years ago and are almost ready to start flowering. Once they hit that point, I'll need to move them to the new cab for odor control.

Any tips, advice, warnings would be greatly appreciated!

kiss-ass

 

[mizke]

I sent this question to Brick via PM, but I'm sure he's swamped with requests... So, I thought I'd throw it up here and see what people think.

I am making a stealth cab out of an old freezer and need to get some wiring done for the lights and the fans. The thing is totally gutted (condenser is removed, all shelving and anything else that required current is gone) and I'm ready to get the thing set up. I had a few questions about how to do it safely.

I have done household wiring before, but this is different. I want to set up 2 pairs of CFL's on goosenecks, wired parallel (2 x 100w/23w actual on 60 w sockets) and terminated by a standard plug that is plugged into a power strip. Basically, I wanna be able to get 4 bulbs working by using only 2 outlets. Is this possible? Can it be done safely? I've only ever wired household electrical outlets, can lights, and the occasional table lamp.

Also, I will be putting in an exhaust fan using a single PC fan (12v DC 0.56A) spliced into an old router power adapter ("Class 2 Transformer" INPUT: 120V 60 Hz 15W OUTPUT: 12VDC 500mA). Will this work? Will it be safe? I'm not planning on putting an intake fan in, as I am using the drain hose in the bottom as a source for fresh air. The freezer is airtight (aside from the proposed exhaust and the drain tube), so I'm hoping the 12v PC fan will have enough power to draw air from the drain hose in an almost zero pressure environment.

My babys are vegging out in another cab I made years ago and are almost ready to start flowering. Once they hit that point, I'll need to move them to the new cab for odor control.

Any tips, advice, warnings would be greatly appreciated!

kiss-ass

i am new but you are going to need an intake. i just bought a storage box from walmarts. i think its like 36x36x18, removed the shelves, thought i could get away with running 4 cfls. nope temp was around 90. so i bought a 6 doller battery opperated fan at walmarts, spliced it into a 3v nokia charger. droped the temps by about 5. i then had to splice a 120mm pc case fan into a 12v battery charger supply. then i had to cut the back out to mount the fans with the intake at the bottem, and the exhaust at the top. with 2 cfls going the temp stays at 76.5 give or take .2.. with 3 the temps go up to 80, and with 4 it hits 85..i always will only end up with 4 plants for personal.

now i have to rig up a ice box with ducted intake coiled up in it a few times then going to the intake fan. as well as finish building the carbon filter.

as for if the fan will do for getting the air. my pc fan is rated for 60-80cfm. and it really puts out. if it is not strong enough, you can always do a dual fan system to push and pull the air.

 

[cflMAN]

i got 4 dc fans,from x-box intercooler how can i hook em up

 

[VictorVIcious]

i got 4 dc fans,from x-box intercooler how can i hook em up

Use the power converter from the x-box?? It had to have one in it?? VV

 

[mostasteless]

ok im starting a new grow room in a 12x8 room with a closet.ive been remodeling the room for awhile and about to put in installation and sheetrock up.im gonna be using 2 1000watt mh that can convert in hps for flowering and 1 4 foot 4 bank cfl for my mothers in the closet. i will have a intake fan that will run threw the mh to keep things cool.And also will have a exhaust fan. everything will be on timers and i will be using soil.my service panel is 100 amps for my whole house and the breaker for the room is 20 amps. i think i will need more amps to have this set up. my first question is how many amps will 1 cfl 2mh 1000watts w/ ballist a intake fan and exuast fan use.

im spending about 2000$ on the set up thats including building materials and lights i got a couple estimates on getting a new service panel to up my amps to 200 they said it would cost about 2000$. so im looking at some other way i can up my amps. are there any other ways i can get the power into the room?how hard is it to change the service panel from a 100 amp to 200 amp? can i install another service panel that would just run 50 or so amps to the room?

__v service panel______________________________
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx^xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxSWS|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxintakexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx{======}xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx^ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx||xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMH||xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxvxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx{======}xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/door
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
| mothers|
|_cfl____|
quick look at the room
SWS=window
intake= hole in wall ill hook a intake fan to
MH= two hanging mh ill center them in the room
mothers=closet with cfl in it and 4 mothers
service panel= is right on the other side of the wall

trying to give you guys as much info as i can

 

[Captn]

You don't mention how many watts of cfl, but the 2 mh will use 17 amps, imma jump out on a limb and say 5 amps for both fans. you don't need 50 amps in that room, and you don't need a service change (not for your grow room, anyway). another 20a/120v circuit will do ya. Im assuming the 20amp circuit in there is 120 volt. watts/volts=amps. so for you lights 2000/120=16.6 and always round up, so 17amps for the two mh. Add up your total wattage and divide by the voltage. Look for another circuit nearby, like in an adjoining room, or just run a new one from you service panel. good luck.

 

[rambam]

I wanted to ask about overdriven fluorescents and their power consumption, which I thought might be especially (though not exclusively) interesting to you, V V, since their improved output suggest the potential to REALLY match HID outcomes, with no heat issues and potentially MORE photosynthetically usable light.

Two 8-lamp T5HO setups (total of 16 bulbs), when overdriven 2x will put out 1.7 times their rated output. In this case that would be 16bulbs X 5000 lumens per bulb = 80,000 lumens. Multiplied by 1.7 (when overdriven by factor of 2) give you 136,000 lumens. That is on par with a 1000w HPS, which get around 140,000 lumens.

Here is the question: Does anyone know how much wattage an overdriven bulb actually consumes?

Ex: If you overdrive an 8-bulb sunblaze that normally runs at 432 watts (8x54 watts) 2x by putting on two extra 216w ballasts, so that you have a total of four 216w ballasts, each powering just two bulbs, then the AVAILABLE power from the ballasts would be 128 watts per bulb, or 864 total watts. Now, would power consumption actually be that high? Would that be USING 864 watts of electricity? Do overdriven bulbs draw and consume ALL the wattage made available to them?

 

[poo taco]

dude, your wiring is impressive, very clean job. I have a real question for you that I think is indicative of many homes around the country. I have an older home with a 100 amp newer electrical system with 220v access in the basement that a dryer will be running off of. I don't like splicing 220v outlets or doing anything that takes electrical know how for that matter. Electricity is something this cracka ass cracka don't mess with. OK...so to the point....
Right now I have a 1000w HPS with digital ballast and a 400W HM hydrofarm light. I plan on adding an extra 1000W HPS later and moving the 400 into a prospective veggie room. SO..for (2) 1000W HPS what would you do with my situation. Taking place in a basement where breaker box is......All suggestions welcome. I can afford to have a licensed electrician come over and wire a new circuit in...but If I can stay away from that scenario..That would be great as I prefer to keep very private. ALSO...keep in mind I will be running exhaust fans and possibly a dehumidifier during the summer months...

All I know is I better make something happen quick...I'm transitioning into a new home and need something set up now...or a dry spell will be coming soon...

 

[Lennard]

I have a fuse box with 2) 50 amp 240 volt breakers in a breaker box that drops down to two 50 amp recepticles. I also have a real nice extension cord with the 50A type 240 plugs. Am I able to put a std 240 volt on one end of that cord to match my lumatek? I used to weld and use plasma with it.

 

[beemer535]

hey Brick. Thanks in advance for helping me NOT burn my house down. I have an older home that does not have ground wires. how do I hook up a 1000w light with three prongs to a two wire light socket?

 

[redeye78]

I posted this question over in another thread about wiring a timer and a speed control in parallel. Can you help?

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/126937-axial-wall-fans-serious-noise.html#post2532491

I'm looking to have the fan speed be on low when the lights are off...

 

[Mrnoprints]

Can anyone help me. I bought a Signaline 8 pin recycle timer and don't have the slightest how to hook it up. When I bought it I thought it couldn't be very difficult, but turns out it takes some electrical wiring know how. someone please assist me so I can get my aero runnning efficiently.

 

[Captn]

dude, your wiring is impressive, very clean job. I have a real question for you that I think is indicative of many homes around the country. I have an older home with a 100 amp newer electrical system with 220v access in the basement that a dryer will be running off of. I don't like splicing 220v outlets or doing anything that takes electrical know how for that matter. Electricity is something this cracka ass cracka don't mess with. OK...so to the point....
Right now I have a 1000w HPS with digital ballast and a 400W HM hydrofarm light. I plan on adding an extra 1000W HPS later and moving the 400 into a prospective veggie room. SO..for (2) 1000W HPS what would you do with my situation. Taking place in a basement where breaker box is......All suggestions welcome. I can afford to have a licensed electrician come over and wire a new circuit in...but If I can stay away from that scenario..That would be great as I prefer to keep very private. ALSO...keep in mind I will be running exhaust fans and possibly a dehumidifier during the summer months...

All I know is I better make something happen quick...I'm transitioning into a new home and need something set up now...or a dry spell will be coming soon...

For what you mention, two 1000 HPS plus various support equipment (pumps, blower, etc.) this is the minimum. Install two 20a/120v breakers in the main panel. From each breaker run one 12/2 romex cable to one standard and one GFI 20a/120v receptacles, for a total of four. On one circuit, use plug in timers in each outlet and plug you lights into those. Then plug everything else into the other circuit. There are a lot of ways to do what you want, this is probably the easiest and cheapest. Good luck.

 

[Captn]

I have a fuse box with 2) 50 amp 240 volt breakers in a breaker box that drops down to two 50 amp recepticles. I also have a real nice extension cord with the 50A type 240 plugs. Am I able to put a std 240 volt on one end of that cord to match my lumatek? I used to weld and use plasma with it.

Ya, that'll be fine.

 

[loadman]

I have a newer home with good wiring. Question I have is this: can I swap out a 15 amp breaker for a 20 amp? Do I need different wiring for this? Only my stuff will be on the circuit. About 1400 watts. Thx for the help!

 

[Captn]

I have a newer home with good wiring. Question I have is this: can I swap out a 15 amp breaker for a 20 amp? Do I need different wiring for this? Only my stuff will be on the circuit. About 1400 watts. Thx for the help!

If you upgrade the breaker you will have to upgrade the wire, from 14/2 to 12/2, or a fire can result. But you don't need to upgrade the breaker. 1400w will draw less than 12 amps.

 

[loadman]

If you upgrade the breaker you will have to upgrade the wire, from 14/2 to 12/2, or a fire can result. But you don't need to upgrade the breaker. 1400w will draw less than 12 amps.

What if I was drawing say 13-14 amps....still ok?

 

[Captn]

yes, sir. .

 

[Lennard]

Thanks captn!

 

[bam bam]

Hey I want to drill some small holes in my wall. Is there a way to find out if there are any electrical wires behind the wall? I dont want to buy that device that finds eletrical wiring behind walls. The holes Iam drilling will be about 5 feet above my floor, so nothing down low and close to wall outlets.