15 amps?

GODOFBUD

Well-Known Member
I was hoping someone could help me since i cant find anything on the net, i have a seperate 15amp wire running outside my tent, 1 1000w hps is hoooked up to all 15amps i was wondering do you guys think it would be fine to plug a airconditioner into the 2nd plug on the 15amp breaker, or is this to much power I dont think so but i could be wrong i will only be running the fan on the air cconditioning unit, please help thanks;-)
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
The AC probably requires a 15-amp breaker.

""Smaller room air conditioners (those drawing less than 7.5 amps of electricity) can be plugged into any 15- or 20-amp, 115-volt household circuit that is not shared with any other major appliances. Larger room air conditioners (those drawing more than 7.5 amps) need their own dedicated 115-volt circuit. The largest models require a dedicated 230-volt circuit."

If Bob Vila knows anything. Look on the manufacturers tag for max amp draw.
 

GODOFBUD

Well-Known Member
there is no tag on the unit but it is a 5000btu but i wont be using the btus only the fan so im thinking i should be okay
 

calicat

Well-Known Member
I was hoping someone could help me since i cant find anything on the net, i have a seperate 15amp wire running outside my tent, 1 1000w hps is hoooked up to all 15amps i was wondering do you guys think it would be fine to plug a airconditioner into the 2nd plug on the 15amp breaker, or is this to much power I dont think so but i could be wrong i will only be running the fan on the air cconditioning unit, please help thanks;-)
Determine the appliance's actual amp. Keep in mind its a good idea to not exceed 80% of your actual fuse rating.
 

imchucky666

Well-Known Member
I was hoping someone could help me since i cant find anything on the net, i have a seperate 15amp wire running outside my tent, 1 1000w hps is hoooked up to all 15amps i was wondering do you guys think it would be fine to plug a airconditioner into the 2nd plug on the 15amp breaker, or is this to much power I dont think so but i could be wrong i will only be running the fan on the air cconditioning unit, please help thanks;-)
When you say 15a wire, do you mean extension cord? If yes, then No, don't do it.
 

supchaka

Well-Known Member
A little AC unit like that running just the fan only pulls about 40 watts. It's very minimal draw. A 5k btu even while running will pull between 5-700 watts. You could safely run 2 1k's on that 15 amp circuit so a 1k and the AC will be fine too.
 

GODOFBUD

Well-Known Member
A little AC unit like that running just the fan only pulls about 40 watts. It's very minimal draw. A 5k btu even while running will pull between 5-700 watts. You could safely run 2 1k's on that 15 amp circuit so a 1k and the AC will be fine too.
Thats ehat i was thinking
 

imchucky666

Well-Known Member
I'm staying out of this one, but we should figure out the difference between watts and amps.
Check out Ohm's law..........
 

KrazyKat

Member
1000watts draws a lil over 9amps at 120volts, so on a 15amp circuit that only leaves a few amps to use safely. Using just the fan motor on a window ac and not the compressor wont draw much over an amp and should be fine with the 1000, but why use an ac unit just for the fan instead of a fan? Also you are allowing yourself to potentially overload the circuit with the flip of a switch on the ac unit.
But what really concerns me and makes it impossible for me to give you an answer that i would back is, you described it as a 15amp wire and the 2nd plug on the 15am breaker. Wire is not commonly described by the ampere, it is the gauge/#conductors, and i am yet in my long career to see a breaker with plugs, a breaker is the black switches in your homes electrical panel and plugs would commonly refer to the receptacles in the walls around your house, surge strip, ect. A 15amp wire would be #14gauge, 12 is 20, 10 is 30, and so on.
So if you have for-say a 14/2 romex wire running from your houses electrical panel on a 15amp breaker to a 15amp duplex receptacle by your tent then yes you would be ok to max it out. But if you have a strip or ext cord or something like that plugged into a receptacle on your homes wall and not knowing what else is on that circuit than no, i would be hesitant to run anything high draw if i weren't home.
I know alot of ppl run the 1000w digital ballast at 120v but if you wanna do it cheaper, safer, and put less amps on your circuit than run them at 240v if possible, your ballast would also need to be a multi-tap.
 

HanginIron

Active Member
1000watt light pulls 10.7 amps at 120volts. You really shouldn't go over 12 amps continuous on a 15 amp breaker. Your call, I wouldn't risk it. Just my opinion.

EDIT: Sorry KrazyKat, didn't see your post until I had already sent mine.
 

imchucky666

Well-Known Member
1000watts draws a lil over 9amps at 120volts, so on a 15amp circuit that only leaves a few amps to use safely. Using just the fan motor on a window ac and not the compressor wont draw much over an amp and should be fine with the 1000, but why use an ac unit just for the fan instead of a fan? Also you are allowing yourself to potentially overload the circuit with the flip of a switch on the ac unit.
But what really concerns me and makes it impossible for me to give you an answer that i would back is, you described it as a 15amp wire and the 2nd plug on the 15am breaker. Wire is not commonly described by the ampere, it is the gauge/#conductors, and i am yet in my long career to see a breaker with plugs, a breaker is the black switches in your homes electrical panel and plugs would commonly refer to the receptacles in the walls around your house, surge strip, ect. A 15amp wire would be #14gauge, 12 is 20, 10 is 30, and so on.
So if you have for-say a 14/2 romex wire running from your houses electrical panel on a 15amp breaker to a 15amp duplex receptacle by your tent then yes you would be ok to max it out. But if you have a strip or ext cord or something like that plugged into a receptacle on your homes wall and not knowing what else is on that circuit than no, i would be hesitant to run anything high draw if i weren't home.
I know alot of ppl run the 1000w digital ballast at 120v but if you wanna do it cheaper, safer, and put less amps on your circuit than run them at 240v if possible, your ballast would also need to be a multi-tap.
Thanks. I didn't want to get into it, being an outdoor grower, and not knowing the load of the light he was using, not being sure, even though he said "no extension cord", but plug off breaker kinda had me curious......... Then when the word Watts was brought into the amp picture, I washed my hands of it.
 

GODOFBUD

Well-Known Member
Sorry guys i will start again i have a 200 amp panel i ran a 15amp curcuit out side of my tent with 1 wall plug, i will be having only 1 1000w hps and 1 ac unit only running the fan
 

KrazyKat

Member
Sorry guys i will start again i have a 200 amp panel i ran a 15amp curcuit out side of my tent with 1 wall plug, i will be having only 1 1000w hps and 1 ac unit only running the fan
You will be fine than. Worse thing that could happen, as long as there are no bad splices in between, is your breaker will trip.
 

cues

Well-Known Member
OK Guys. One more time.
Ohms law VxAmps=Watts doesn't work with HPS lamps when working out fuse ratings. Your 1000w may only pull 9 amps (8.33 actually) when running, but during start-up, you're probably pulling close to 15. I hope you have a contactor on your timer.
It's due to the massive initial draw of the ballast to strike the arc of the bulb.
If this turns out to be a problem, run the a/c on a timer so that it's turned off when the bulb fires up.
 

KrazyKat

Member
OK Guys. One more time.
Ohms law VxAmps=Watts doesn't work with HPS lamps when working out fuse ratings. Your 1000w may only pull 9 amps (8.33 actually) when running, but during start-up, you're probably pulling close to 15. I hope you have a contactor on your timer.
It's due to the massive initial draw of the ballast to strike the arc of the bulb.
If this turns out to be a problem, run the a/c on a timer so that it's turned off when the bulb fires up.
Its not Ohm's Opinion or Ohm's Rule Sometimes, its Ohm's Law for a reason. And yes it works when working out fuse ratings on Everything. You are right that startup amps can be higher than running amps but it will be nowhere around 15amps, but this is still not a prob since breakers are all time delayed since the days of glass screw in fuses for this reason.
 

cues

Well-Known Member
Sorry, not true. I've experienced it and had it confirmed by a qualified electrician.
I'm no sparky. I only know this because he explained it to me.
Apparently magnetic ballasts (mine) are worse than electronic ones.
 

KrazyKat

Member
Wow I give up! As long as everyone on here knows a guy that knows a "qualified electrician" than you must be good.
No need for advice from a Licensed Electrician with 14 years of experience that does this for a living everyday.
Instead I'll let everyone take advice from the guys that live in there mommy's house growing plants and that don't have jobs so they have plenty of time to answer everyones questions with there vast knowledge that they have obtained from someone they knew that had a job.
 
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