220v versus 110v lights

I was wondering if there is a special advantage to having 220v lights as opposed to the normal 110v we are used to in the USA. Reason I ask is that I bought a Gavita light and I think its absolutely awesome but I run it off of a step down transformer which I'm told you're not really supposed to do. If I were to continue using it and maybe buy another, I would have to rewire my socket for 220-240v, and I guess I am wondering if it's worth it? Or should I just buy regular 110v ballasts? Gavita has a special reputation, and they make amazing lights, but they don't make lights in 110v models.

Call your local electrician he will run a 240v line for around 400 to 600 dollers depending on how many outlets you need and cord lenth and gauge

I'll try to explain this as simple as possible. We are going under the assumption your grow room is attached to one fuse only a 20 amp one. And lets say all your grow appliances total 1,200 watts. So, if your plugs are 120 volts the amps your using on the circuit would be 10 amps ( wattage / voltage = amps). If your plugs are 240 volts you can have the same amount of wattage used however your amps being used is 5. The obvious advantage is that you can pump more wattage in your grow room in 240 voltage than you could 120 voltage before you blow the fuse.

I suspect the light will run off a 110V ballast, you can always write the manufacturer.

If there's a dryer or stove plug near by, that's 220VAC. Then you can replace just the plug for $15 to $20.

less amps-

resulting in lower WIRING costs. 12 gauge wire runs 16 amps continuous duty. period.
one, one thousand watt lamp safe on the circuit 120V @ 10A each.

three, one thousand watt lamps on the same 12 gauge line, 220V @ 5A each.

doubling the voltage halves the amperage. Ohm's law.

calicat said:

I'll try to explain this as simple as possible. We are going under the assumption your grow room is attached to one fuse only a 20 amp one. And lets say all your grow appliances total 1,200 watts. So, if your plugs are 120 volts the amps your using on the circuit would be 10 amps ( wattage / voltage = amps). If your plugs are 240 volts you can have the same amount of wattage used however your amps being used is 5. The obvious advantage is that you can pump more wattage in your grow room in 240 voltage than you could 120 voltage before you blow the fuse.

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Nice description Calicat, few people know how it works let alone to explain it. One other feature about the 240V vs 120V is that the lower amperage causes less heat and less wear & tear on the electronics as well as the mechanics. I always run as much 240V lines as I can for these reasons.

Thanks for the responses everyone. So I gather that it is truly worth it to spend the $$ and get the wiring done. I am completely out of room on my current fuse box, so I imagine an electrician would have to install some sort of extension or second box. The lower amperage on 200v seems much safer and more practical. Kind of makes me wonder why the US standard is 110v instead of 220. The European voltage just seems superior in every way. I must say that I like the Gavita's a lot, so hearing your opinions makes me want to stick with them even though it would require electrical work

sfttailpaul said:

Nice description Calicat, few people know how it works let alone to explain it. One other feature about the 240V vs 120V is that the lower amperage causes less heat and less wear & tear on the electronics as well as the mechanics. I always run as much 240V lines as I can for these reasons.

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There is a dirty little circuit on universal power supplies that run digital ballasts. Running a 240v circuit over a 110v will make no difference on electronics wear and tear. In fact as far as the boards are concerned it's the exact opposite. For example, if your electronic ballast has a universal power supply that automatically accepts voltages between 120-277v 50/60 Hz will be fused on the board for the lowest possible supply voltage. The board will also not fuse the 110v neutral connection. When you supply 220v or higher the on board fuse, not customer serviceable, is twice what the new supply voltage is and the new live leg has no fusing whatsoever. The components become what we refer to as 'sacrificial'.

The benefits of running the 220-240 circuit are that you can put twice as many fixtures of the same wattage on the 220 circuit than you could on a 110v circuit. The heat contribution is identical in that 1 watt=3.41 btu/hr regardless of supply voltage.

And for those of you who are into dimming ballasts as a way to cut down on power consumption check the information out in this nema guide as dimming an electronic ballast comes at certain costs such as spectrum shift and lamp life to name a few.

http://www.isienergycontrols.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/NEMALSD14-2010Guidelines.pdf

calicat said:

I'll try to explain this as simple as possible. We are going under the assumption your grow room is attached to one fuse only a 20 amp one. And lets say all your grow appliances total 1,200 watts. So, if your plugs are 120 volts the amps your using on the circuit would be 10 amps ( wattage / voltage = amps). If your plugs are 240 volts you can have the same amount of wattage used however your amps being used is 5. The obvious advantage is that you can pump more wattage in your grow room in 240 voltage than you could 120 voltage before you blow the fuse.

Click to expand...

Good man, used to be an electrician?

New to the forum scene but cant seem to find answer to this one relating to thread above...

WHat if I'm vegging with 110v T5s. If I use a step up / step down converter (like the travel ones) can I plug into my 220v controller and run twice as many and use the same AMPS?

bumppasurus

220v is the set up I have in my grow room.
Cost a Little under $200.00 at Menards
(2) hot water heater timers
The most expensive thing is the wire to run the 220v

The peace of mind to have a decent set-up is priceless.

Good Luck on Your Grow