Bringing in 30a/240v power

I have an electrical question for bringing power from a 30amp 240v NEMA 10-30P electric dryer receptacle in a laundry room to the grow room. Obviously the laundry circuit is protected by double 30amp breakers. Option 1 is a C.A.P. MLC-4a Master Lighting Controller. It takes 30amp/240v 10/3 wire in and has 4x 240v NEMA 5 - 15 120v outlets because all of my ballasts are multivolt internally but one old hydrofarm SG is hardwired to a 120v power cord. I would need to run 10/3 wire from the laundry room to grow room (50'). I was wondering what kind of cable options I have besides romex. Romex is a bad idea because I want to just run this cord straight across the floor. I do not have any guests and won't be here too long. I have seen several 10/3 extension cords (heavy duty / contractor use etc) but they all claim 15 amp max ratings. I will be clipping the ends of whatever I use for cable and wiring a male 10-30P dryer cord plug to one end and leaving the other end unterminated for the controller, the wiring of which I fully understand already. I am basically stuck on making a 50' cord for it.


My other option is to use a Gen-Tran B10350DW (google for it)

That thing comes with a 50' cord with a NEMA L5-30 plug that is intended for 30amp / 240v load and has 4x 120v NEMA 5-15 outlets on two 20amp circuits, 2 outlets per circuit.

Here is my hang-up between the two. I use multivolt ballasts wired for NEMA 5-15 / 120v standard pluga. So I could plug in to either device. I will be running 4x 1kw ballasts. I know that amps=watts/volts so 4000w/120v=33.3a. I have barely exceeded 30amps but not the 40amps that GFCI box is breakered for. The MLC would allow 4000w/240v=16.6amps. It seems that would be the better option if I can construct a power cord that will plug right in to the dryer outlet and flexible enough to coil up when unused.


Which do I choose and if I go with the MLC how do I make an extension cord for it. I can get the MLC-4a for $120 so that is something to consider. That corded CGFI box on 120v is $166 so it'll be close to the same cost making my own cord I suspect. I would prefer to wire the MLC even if it costs a bit more.

Comments? Suggestions?

Go ahead and make a 50' cord for it. Aside from romex wire, you can use extension cord type of wire (also known as SEOW/SJEW/SJEOW). A 10 gauge wire is rated for 30 amps and up to 40 amps, all dependant upon the ambient temperature. The reason for the 15 amp rating on a pre-made 10/3 extension cord is because of the cord ends, (they are made for 120v/15A).

Hope this was helpful...let me know

Amazon.com: Coleman Cable 2688 10/3 50-Foot Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cord: Home Improvement

Coleman Cable 02688 10/3 X 50' Yellow Sjtw Vinyl Cord W/Lit En

So that would work fine? SJTW



edit*the wiring diagram for the MLC4a shows a ground and neutral wire both going to the same point in the controller...I know the NEMA 10-30P older style 30amp dryer receptacle is ungrounded, just 2 poles and a neurtal. Since I'm making my own cable its just a matter of will 3 wires be safe? I would assume I connect everything the same and just ignore the ground wire since the neutral is connected to the same point and there will only be 3 wires in my cable? Sorry if this seems like a redundant question.

http://www.randmsupply.com/images/link/MLC-4Instructions.pdf That is the manual for the controller.

In most cases the neutral and ground are run to the same buss in the back of the breaker panel. Some fixtures require that ground to have a ground so I would just tie the 2 together at the fixture location.

Yes, that coleman cord will allow 30Amps to be conducted through the wire.
And that is according to the NEC code book, Article 400.6

I hope you do know that the Coleman cord that you're considering only has a black, a white, and a ground. In your situation, this means that you will have two current carrying conductors and a ground but no neutral. what you need in order to split this up for two separate 15A circuits is:

2 conductors
1 neutral
1 ground
...a neutral is absolutely necessary.

The instructions for your MLC4a specifies that you need "three wire cable with ground.

Just thought you should know

I came to the same discoveries overnight so I modified my plan. First I found 10/3 with no ground (would work) and considered that but then I decided I to go investigate the crawl space.

Because I want to make a minimal impact on the house (rented) and I have electrical and ventilation issues I have decided to make 1 cut in the ceiling to allow me access to the large crawl space above. The crawl space is large enough to work comfortably in and is a direct shoot to any room in the house to the garage and breaker box.

My breaker panel is a 200amp panel with free space to add a breaker if I need to. However these is an electric range used often as well as electric heaters, well water and septic pumps, and other things I am not used to having to deal with in my previous home that was on natural gas and still had a 200amp panel, most of which was empty. My plan right now is to use Romex 10/3 with ground (4 wires total) and connect the MLC correctly and run the 2 hot wires to the breaker that the dryer is currently on, and attach the ground and neutral to the neutral/ground bus in the main panel. Since the breaker is the right size and already wired up from the service end it would seem a simple unscrew and rescrew operation to remove the grow room power and reattach the laundry room power when I move or decide to install a subpanel later on and reattach my dryer power.

Am I on the right track or at this point should I just install a new circuit? If the above will work then it is what I want to do. I dont have a clue how to deal with power after the main breaker box. If there wasn't a major DEA-funded narc program going on right now I would hire an electrician to install a subpanel with a single 40a/240v circuit (MLC8 instead of 4 can then be used) and a like 4 15a/120v circuits for blowers and a/c, etc.

I'd say to hire an electrician. I am one myself and have been wiring up homes for almost 4 years now. The electrician doesn't need to know what you're using this for. I know I never asked about the jobs that I've been on.

That MLC8 that you mention will do the best job for you. Be sure to use 8/3 Romex w/ ground. Use a 2pole/40 amp breaker instead of the 30 amp that's currently in your panel.

you might start taking notes at customer's homes if the state police and DEA were working side by side to anonymously award 5 grand to narcs....ANONYMOUSLY. This system is in place and functioning here. Everyone is a narc.

Do you have any idea if the Plug N Grow iLS4-120S http://igrowing.ca/pdf/page_20_en.pdf will that actually allow me to operate devices strictly requiring 120v not 240v? The MLC controllers from C.A.P. specifically state that plugging in 120v equipment will cause a failure. This thing says "Plug iLS4-120S sense cord in any PLUG’N’GROW controller outlet to control up to 8,000 W of 120 V equipments" Does this mean I can plug in my lumatek 120v ballast that will not operate on 240v to one of these? I feel confident I can connect this after Kihei helped clear things up.

That Plug'n'grow looks so much better for your setup. Yes, you actually can plug in your lumatek ballast into it.