Electrical Help

had a problem last time with fuses tripping in main fuse box due to overload as upstairs of house was using electric as well as the grow lights so thinking of running the new room on its own supply from main box as there are spare unused fuse trippers in the main box.
is it as simple as connecting thick grey wire to the new fuse tripper and a socket on the other end? or does it have to loop back to main box?
how much power can i safely run of a new circuit?
ideas welcome.
thx

First, try isolating your circuit to your grow area.
Sometimes in a house 1 circuit might run to different rooms, running a small cord to a different wall can eliminate the need to rewire.
Otherwise you have to break down your walls and pull say 10 or 12 gauge for a 20 amp, depends on distance from the circuit box.
It's complex and a fire could happen pretty easily.
Give us some more info on your lights and stuff

You have 3 wires to hook up if you intend to add another circuit to your electrical. Ground, Hot(line) and neutral. Pull the breaker you want to use before hooking up wiring, they just slide out and up to get them off the panel. If you have no idea what Im talking about you might want to enlist the help of a qualified person.

I can tell from the wording of the original question that a qualified professional is going to be needed.... This is not an insult, it is advice. Electricity kills. If you do not know what you are doing, DO NOT take off the panel's cover and expose wires.

Its very easy to do, but very hard for someone who does not know. Soo that said, pay for help from a professional and he will bomb it all together for a few hundred bucks and that includes materials Let him pull the wire

If they ask any questions, you have medical equipment that will be in the room. That should stop most people from prying any further if you just let them know you need this many amp service in that room.

How many amps does he need? I mean, sounds like hes growing upstairs and not in a basement. He bud just wired all 240 V he should pull a 30 amp line up on a 12 awg wire- that is providing he stays under 54 feet. Say your putting in a tanning bed or a saltwater set up and you wanted it all 240! So now he can go buy a 240 (4 outlet timed) and 2 outlet continue 120V for his fans etc. Unit is found for about 150 bucks..

i can do it myself i might not use the correct terminology but i understand the basics.
it will be to power say 4 - 6 600w lamps and 3 fans.
as i asked in the 1st place can you run the wire straight from the fuse board to the room (socket on the end)or does it need to loop back?
and how much power can i safely run of a 20 amp fuse?
thx

Hi
You can run a 20amp line, but that just means you have a 20 amp fuse. Its about wire awg and and the timer you are going to wire too! This is what I would do if I were u. Go buy a 12 awg wire. Get a double 30AMP 240V breaker. On the wire end that is going to your grow room place a dryer plug on it. Now you have a dry plug that will give you 30amps at 240 to work with. SO now go buy a timed box because you just wantting to put a normal house outlet is not going to work in your case. I am telling you the right way to do it, so I hope you look into this.

Now go to the grow store and buy a box that has a tork or intermatic timer that has 4 outlets wired to it. All your 600 will plug into that and you have one large timer. This is how it works. Best luck

Don't listen to the guy above me. 12 gauge wire should not be used for more than 20 amps.

If your going to run wire you might as well run 10 gauge so you can safely run more amps if you want to.

And you don't need a timer wired in either. You can tun it to a normal recep. Fot the most effective way to get the most power, run your wire into a sub panel in your grow room, then you can have multiple circuits and access them from the room.

6x600 watts= 3,600 watts needed to run just the lights, say an extra 800 for fans, timers, pumps and whatnot to be safe. a 20 amp breaker can pull 20 amps of 120 volt power (110) 120x20 =2,400 watts max, looks like a single 20 amp breaker will not provide enough power, you will have to have 2 separate circuits and 2 separate breakers to run everything. Don't run anything less than 12 gauge wire and always always do all the work of pulling wire and putting in receptacles before you make a connection to the panel. Like JLStiffy said. its easy as pie to do, but impossible if you don't know how and dangerous if you know just enough to think you know what you are doing. A Subpanel is the best choice if you really need some power.

If that guy is saying use a "double 30amp" on 12's he has no idea what he's talking about and is going to start a fire. When your wiring melts and grounds out on something I will spark and something will catch.

Also if he's using words like "dryer plug" and "double 30 amp" just stop listening. if ppl don't even know the correct terminology they are in no position to give advice that could kill you.

Not trying to be rude, but its probably in your best interest to hire someone or at least get help from a friend who knows what there doing. Or run a cord from a reccep on another circuit

kevb123 said:

i can do it myself i might not use the correct terminology but i understand the basics.
it will be to power say 4 - 6 600w lamps and 3 fans.
as i asked in the 1st place can you run the wire straight from the fuse board to the room (socket on the end)or does it need to loop back?
and how much power can i safely run of a 20 amp fuse?
thx

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You can run the single 220 line to the room (and run your fans off the existing outlet). I would probably run a single 110 line as its cheaper.

You need the following:

A roll of 12 gauge romex
30 amp circuit breaker...that matches the ones already in your box.
Two "new work" outlet boxes
two outlets
two outlet covers

You will be pulling close to 24 amps off of that 30 amp circuit and that is 80% of 30 which is our maximum recommended load. wiring the line is easy. I HIGHLY suggest you google the shit out of it and look at the other circuits to see how they are all wired. If you turn the power to the panel back on and the fuse pops, you did it wrong.

buy a line snake, a 1/2 spade bit, and a roll of electrical tape to fish the line through the walls.

Never take the panel cover off when its powered.
As a general rule, don't electrocute yourself to death.
Not being a dick but I don't think you actually do understand the basics lest you wouldn't have asked if the wires have to "loop" back.

NoDrama said:

6x600 watts= 3,600 watts needed to run just the lights, say an extra 800 for fans, timers, pumps and whatnot to be safe. a 20 amp breaker can pull 20 amps of 120 volt power (110) 120x20 =2,400 watts max, looks like a single 20 amp breaker will not provide enough power, you will have to have 2 separate circuits and 2 separate breakers to run everything. Don't run anything less than 12 gauge wire and always always do all the work of pulling wire and putting in receptacles before you make a connection to the panel. Like JLStiffy said. its easy as pie to do, but impossible if you don't know how and dangerous if you know just enough to think you know what you are doing. A Subpanel is the best choice if you really need some power.

Click to expand...

Jesus fuck people. If you don't know then don't answer.

#1 a 600 watt ballast pulls MORE than 6 amps. (nothing is 100% efficient)
#2 14 gauge wire is more than adequate for a 20 amp circuit (unless its really long)
#3 a 20 amp circuit can safely supply 16 Amps!! Not 20. You want at least 20% of overhead. If your running 20 or even 19 on a 20 amp circuit I guarantee that once it pops once its going to pop everytime.

You can get away with 14 gauge but if you are going to run wire you might as well go big so you can upgrade without repulling.

I would never use less than 12 gauge anyways. I'm a commercial electrician and the only time we ever use 14 ga is for wiring up controls.

Lastwood. Your talking to a guy that knows to little about electrical, your talking about a subpanel. I do not think you understand how do wire a grow room? He is better off with a 30 amp line running from his box than trying to wire a sub panel with a 10 gauge? thats fucked! You need min an 8awg-that is, if your argument say's (as you say) 'run multiple circuits'. You need a large intermatic timer or torc to run your lights.
I am not sure where you are from?

Hi lastwood, i just read another post of your's, Do you know what a double pull 30amp is?? And you dont, its point blank. I guess you dont have a dryer in your house. For him, it's ideal to run a 30amp 2-pole (or called double pull) breaker. Oh, - hate to say it, i was apprenticed for two years in Electrical. I have two years of work in the field. Than he needs to run a 12 awg wire. Put a 30amp receptacle on the end. Than, now he can go buy a timed board that has a itermatic or tork timer on. So all his lights can run on one timer. Now, how much easier can it get? And were do u get a 10 awg wire from? He wants 30amps..

Thats cause in the NEC...you need to have a 10 awg wire for 30 amps. I'm a 3.5 year apprentice currently and number 12s are not rated for 30 amps. Not meaning to start a disagreement.

Yup nailed on the head JLStiffy , you got it right btw i am running a 1000watt with fans and exhaust on 14 gauge and wire is still cool as a cucumber, on a 15 amp single pull. Btw TheLastWord are you sure you're a commercial electrician? Cuz 14 gauge is the wiring run thru houses here where we live and my 30 amp double pull breaker for my dryer would be able to run easily 4 x 1000 watt and accessories no problem maybe you better get your head put of your arse.

Hi, yea I know what yea mean about the National Electrical Code,; i would like to clear my point up, I was using my experience as credibility. In hope to convince bone head that a double 30 does not mean 60amps. It means 2-pole 30amp at 240v. Not a single pull 30amp. I bet our original poster is not even reading anymore. Im' out.
No hard feelins Demacross.