220 volt extension cord question?

doubletake

Well-Known Member
Would you guys say that 2400 watts into a regular outlet wall is too much I'm going to be starting a 8x8 tent with 4 600s and was hoping if I run it at night when nobody is using the washer or drew or dishwasher it should be ok?

2400/120 = 20 amps and you can run 30 amps right?
Thanks for any input guys.
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
Would you guys say that 2400 watts into a regular outlet wall is too much I'm going to be starting a 8x8 tent with 4 600s and was hoping if I run it at night when nobody is using the washer or drew or dishwasher it should be ok?

2400/120 = 20 amps and you can run 30 amps right?
Thanks for any input guys.
are you pulling new cabling into the room? if so you should just go with 30 amp 120 or even better 30 amp 220 instead. hook up a light controller and run all your lights off of that. 4 600s is way too much to run off of your wall outlets. you would have extension cords ran all thru your house becuz you would be constantly tripping breakers. and in all honesty its a pain in the ass that way and a huge headache over time.
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
are you pulling new cabling into the room? if so you should just go with 30 amp 120 or even better 30 amp 220 instead. hook up a light controller and run all your lights off of that. 4 600s is way too much to run off of your wall outlets. you would have extension cords ran all thru your house becuz you would be constantly tripping breakers. and in all honesty its a pain in the ass that way and a huge headache over time.
i only know becuz i did it forever. lmao.
 

bottletoke

Well-Known Member
In a run that long im guessing you know that larger gauge is a must due to voltage drop which increases current. 30 amp is pretty thick but the more power you pull the warmer that cord will get. If you wanted to be really safe you could get some 10/3 romex cable and just run that outlet over to your grow room if the dryer outlet is 30 amps already should be pretty easy.

I had a house burn down due to faulty wiringso im extra paranoid.
Your gonna have to go a lot farther then 50' for #10 to have an effect on voltage drop that exceeds 2% @30a.
Ps op: type sj #10 is only good for 25a

Im an electrician and a electrical technologist so if u have any questions fire away... im in canada but the codes are basically the same.
 

cues

Well-Known Member
Here we go again.
It's only 600w when it's running (probably more like 650 when you add the ballast)
THE PROBLEM is the start-up, when the ballast will briefly pull FAR more amps to fire the bulb.

2 ways around this.

1. Heavys gauge, heavy fuses etc.

2. Staggered timers. (remember you will probably need contactors)

Then again, what do I know.

I'm not an 'electrical technologist'

I won't suggest you 'fire away' as I see that as a bad omen.

The problem with this question comes simply because most 'sparkies' (household electricians, not electronic engineers) don't generally understand HID (or led or fluoro) lighting and the ballast draw.

I wish I did myself but that's a whole different subject I have neither the time nor inclination to attempt to learn. Looks like too much hard work to me.
 

bottletoke

Well-Known Member
Here we go again.
It's only 600w when it's running (probably more like 650 when you add the ballast)
THE PROBLEM is the start-up, when the ballast will briefly pull FAR more amps to fire the bulb.

2 ways around this.

1. Heavys gauge, heavy fuses etc.

2. Staggered timers. (remember you will probably need contactors)

Then again, what do I know.

I'm not an 'electrical technologist'

I won't suggest you 'fire away' as I see that as a bad omen.

The problem with this question comes simply because most 'sparkies' (household electricians, not electronic engineers) don't generally understand HID (or led or fluoro) lighting and the ballast draw.

I wish I did myself but that's a whole different subject I have neither the time nor inclination to attempt to learn. Looks like too much hard work to me.
Its called an inductive load. Ohms law is only good for resistive circuits. Anything that runs on magnetism is considered an inductive load.
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
Was pretty sure that the ignitor spike was capacitor-based... I very well may be wrong, but last schematic I looked .. am pretty sure it had cap for ignitor, and caps as part of the auto-balance circuit.
 
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