Electrical Help Needed! 60 AMP Breaker Keeps Tripping! Need Electrical Help!

[davidmoore]

I have 8 1000 HPS's plugged into a C.A.P. Master Lighting Controller (8MLC) using a #8 guage wire connected to a 50 AMP GE breaker. The 8MLC uses a meachanical timer connected to a 120V trigger cable to activate the lighting relay. The breaker is in a sub-panel split from a main panel in another unit.

The 50 amp breaker trips when the mechanical timer connected to the 120volt trigger cable tells the relay to turn on. It began doing this once or twice a week then it began doing it more often.

I hired an electrician to inspect. We bought a new 8MLC, replaced the #8 gauge wire with #6 gauge wire and installed a Murray 60 amp breaker. We measured the load and concluded the max load was 43 amps.

After two days the new 60 amp breaker trips daily. It trips initially at start up and again a few hours into the cycle. The breaker is hot.

Note: When we replacec the 50 amp breaker with the new 60 amp breaker we noticed the "teeth"on the panel where the breaker connects shows some kind of corrosion or discoloration.

What is causing my breaker to trip if the load is only 43 amps and the breaker is rated for 60 amps?

Could the sub panel be the problem? Maybe it cant handle the load?

Could the 8MLC cause an arc?

Can the 60 amp breaker be arcing because the "teeth" where it connects be damaged?

 

[Randm]

8 1000 watt lamps = 8000 watts. I don't know the qualifications of your electrician but your lamps are pulling more than the 60 amps your breaker is rated at. what else is on that same circuit? Fans, blowers... ? the amprage just the lights are pulling is aproximately 80 amps. ( E= I/R ). Sounds like a fire waiting to happen.

 

[bud nugbong]

yea im pretty sure your only good for 7200w @ 120v on the 60 amp. and your really not supposed to go to the max. try a 240v to save you a little bit but i would bring in another breaker to cut it in half.

 

[Oldreefer]

You're a long way under powered for that many lights.....and are exposed to a hazardous situation that WILL happen.....gotta wonder where you got your design for your setup....electrical supply is nowhere close to what ya need....8 -1000w lights...DAMN...how's it look to flir?

 

[NoGutsGrower]

each of my 1000 watts draws 9.5 amps because it is running on 120v if I had the same ballast running on 240v it would only draw 4.75 amps. I think the OP is calculating it as if he was using a 240v even though he says 120. I have all the same ballasts and they all draw 9.5 amps. looking at ( http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/static/articles/0506_digiballasts.asp ) it says the digital is still drawing over 8 amps each. so lets say you have 8 digital ballasts, 8x8 is 64 amps
I hope you did the calculations or didn't give the guy all/correct info, because he really should have know that! Not trying to be a dick but if you gave the guy all the right info there is No reason you should be having problems still. if a real electrician or anyone with some basic knowledge came out they would have fixed the issue! like advising you to leave the circuit you already had in and just running another one! from what you said in the post you replaced your wire (should have just ran more wire leaving the old in place) bought a new larger breaker (if you have room in your box should have left them both in! or replaced 2 small breakers in your box with a double pole breaker to make room for another breaker) and bought a new controller (could have plugged that into the new circuit!) so you actually did more work, cost more money and made it pretty unsafe by running new stuff instead of another breaker! Who wants their whole load on one breaker anyways? I'm sorry but I think your electrician isn't that great!
http://www.lowes.com/pd_71985-76863-THQP220_0__?productId=1099039&Ntt=double+pole+breaker&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=double+pole+breaker&facetInfo=

 

[davidmoore]

8 1000 watt lamps = 8000 watts. I don't know the qualifications of your electrician but your lamps are pulling more than the 60 amps your breaker is rated at. what else is on that same circuit? Fans, blowers... ? the amprage just the lights are pulling is aproximately 80 amps. ( E= I/R ). Sounds like a fire waiting to happen.

The circuit is dedicated to the 8 lights nothing more. The circuit is also wired for 240V however the draw is only 205V. With that being said the forumla is as follows;

1000Watts / 205Volts = 39AMP draw

 

[davidmoore]

yea im pretty sure your only good for 7200w @ 120v on the 60 amp. and your really not supposed to go to the max. try a 240v to save you a little bit but i would bring in another breaker to cut it in half.

It is set up as 240V however the building only is giving me 205V.

 

[davidmoore]

You're a long way under powered for that many lights.....and are exposed to a hazardous situation that WILL happen.....gotta wonder where you got your design for your setup....electrical supply is nowhere close to what ya need....8 -1000w lights...DAMN...how's it look to flir?

What is flir?

 

[davidmoore]

each of my 1000 watts draws 9.5 amps because it is running on 120v if I had the same ballast running on 240v it would only draw 4.75 amps. I think the OP is calculating it as if he was using a 240v even though he says 120. I have all the same ballasts and they all draw 9.5 amps. looking at ( http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/static/articles/0506_digiballasts.asp ) it says the digital is still drawing over 8 amps each. so lets say you have 8 digital ballasts, 8x8 is 64 amps
I hope you did the calculations or didn't give the guy all/correct info, because he really should have know that! Not trying to be a dick but if you gave the guy all the right info there is No reason you should be having problems still. if a real electrician or anyone with some basic knowledge came out they would have fixed the issue! like advising you to leave the circuit you already had in and just running another one! from what you said in the post you replaced your wire (should have just ran more wire leaving the old in place) bought a new larger breaker (if you have room in your box should have left them both in! or replaced 2 small breakers in your box with a double pole breaker to make room for another breaker) and bought a new controller (could have plugged that into the new circuit!) so you actually did more work, cost more money and made it pretty unsafe by running new stuff instead of another breaker! Who wants their whole load on one breaker anyways? I'm sorry but I think your electrician isn't that great!
http://www.lowes.com/pd_71985-76863-THQP220_0__?productId=1099039&Ntt=double+pole+breaker&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=double+pole+breaker&facetInfo=

I think you guys misunderstood my explanation. The dedicated circuit is wired to be 240V however the MLC8 has a separate 120V trigger cable used for a mechanical timer. Im starting to think that Im drawing to much power, more than the sub panel can handle.

 

[toastycookies]

is this happening during lights on? do you have all your equipment to turn on at once? if so try staggering them... fans come on 15min before lights or whatever.

 

[rosecitypapa]

This might help. Sounds like a heat issue from undersized components.

running load > 80% breaker rating