Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions

A 1500 watt plug in electric heater draws about 12 amps. If you install a twenty amp breaker you'll need a specail pluggin' to make it legal. A fifteen amp standard outlet should be good. Don't count the equivalent cfl wattage. Add up the real bulb wattage. 15 amps equals 1850 watts.

I did add up the real wattage.....I figured maxxed out I could be using 1440 watts possibly more if I add bigger bulbs...This does not include the exhaust fan, or pc fans. That total is bulbs only.

So if I use a #12 wire for an extension cord, it has special ends on it that plug into the outlet ? So I would have to change out the actual electrical receptacle on the wall as well ?

Snaps, I think I am going to go with your idea and split the power when it comes inside into two 15 amp power strips...

Also I have a cheap timer...it is 15 amp, however it only has two holes to plug into instead of the standard three (ground, positive, neutral)...The male end of the timer also only has two plugs not three....Is this a big no-no using a cheap timer like this ? Should I get some three prong timers ?

thanks again guys, SC

Theres plenty of #12 extension cords at homedepot or lowes that will plug into your receptacle however swapping the receptacle for a 20 amp version would be a good idea especially if the existing one is old (contacts get looser over time making for an arc hazard.)

I have a husky brand #12 cord & #12 three-way that I picked up at home depot for use around the house. Frankly I don't bother with #14 extension cords.

Don't think I would use that timer. No model or pics so I can't speculate further.

ok Snaps, here's a few pics of that timer.....

Also, I plan on making my own extension cord....I am going to drill a hole in the bottom of my cab just big enough for the power cord to go in, and then feed it up to the top where all the power stuff is.....This way I won't have excess cord laying around, and it will be totally stealth....you won't see some odd sight like a power cord going in the side or back of the cabinet......I am also considering getting into model trains, so I would have the cab near the trains...I was also hoping the cord and cab would get lost in the train stuff....

yay or nay on the timer here ?

and one last question...

my large fixture will be drawing about 7 amps....What gauge wire do I need to run that ? thanks.



I tried editing, and adding that question to the previous post but it said my message was too short, and it wouldn't let me.

Here's one. I have a building 75 feet from my house that currently has a 12-2 red heater wire running in conduit and buried under ground running from my house panel on a 20 amp breaker. I am maxed out on my power wattage/amp consumption. I am running a 1000 hps at 8.9 amps and two 600 mh at 5 each, plus two small osc fans and a bathroom exhaust fan. I have had no problems running this set up. So here is my question. If I install a separate panel connected to the same 12-2 wire and from that have 3-4 separate breakers running different things, will I be able to add another light or two? Or do I need to add another cable underground to make this happen? Oh and by the way a very nice neat electrical board you have there.

white1340 said:

Here's one. I have a building 75 feet from my house that currently has a 12-2 red heater wire running in conduit and buried under ground running from my house panel on a 20 amp breaker. I am maxed out on my power wattage/amp consumption. I am running a 1000 hps at 8.9 amps and two 600 mh at 5 each, plus two small osc fans and a bathroom exhaust fan. I have had no problems running this set up. So here is my question. If I install a separate panel connected to the same 12-2 wire and from that have 3-4 separate breakers running different things, will I be able to add another light or two? Or do I need to add another cable underground to make this happen? Oh and by the way a very nice neat electrical board you have there.

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Your 12-2 feed from the service is limited to the 20 amp breaker (max for #12). No way around that. If you can fish another conductor you could add a neutral and then effectively double your wattage by changing the feed to 240v. Then you would use a small panel to break that out into 120v and 240v as required.

white1340 said:

Here's one. I have a building 75 feet from my house that currently has a 12-2 red heater wire running in conduit and buried under ground running from my house panel on a 20 amp breaker. I am maxed out on my power wattage/amp consumption. I am running a 1000 hps at 8.9 amps and two 600 mh at 5 each, plus two small osc fans and a bathroom exhaust fan. I have had no problems running this set up. So here is my question. If I install a separate panel connected to the same 12-2 wire and from that have 3-4 separate breakers running different things, will I be able to add another light or two? Or do I need to add another cable underground to make this happen? Oh and by the way a very nice neat electrical board you have there.

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my suggestion...us the existing wire and connect a higher gauge wire to it. pull the old wire through thus pulling the new wire with it. then you can add a sub panel, a light controller, or just pull some #10 or #8 wire and change the breaker out to a 120v 40amp breaker. then you can add whatever you want.

Ok disregard any previous questions I am just about done...Only thing I need to know is if this wire is rated for 20 amp ? This is the wire feeding my cab..It is daisy chained to two electrical outlets (currently not in use) before it reaches the cab.

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Also is this 3-way ok to put on the end of my 12# power feed ? Or should I get one of those heavy duty 3-way Husky splitters with the 12# ?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-3-OutletGrounded-Tap-Adapter-With-Sensing-Light-6-Pack-156820/203406479?N=5yc1vZc4o9

thanks guys...this should just about be it for questions as I am about done.....here's a few pics of my progress.

View attachment 2978842View attachment 2978843View attachment 2978844View attachment 2978845View attachment 2978846

15 amps on 14-2.

and i'd go with a heavier splitter than that thing. Why not just add some outlets?

joe macclennan said:

15 amps on 14-2.

and i'd go with a heavier splitter than that thing. Why not just add some outlets?

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well isn't that nice....that 14-2 wire leads to a 20 amp breaker in the panel...clown wiring....Guess I'll be running a new 20 amp wire and outlet at some point.

Add some outlets in the cab ? I need about 9 outlets or so....So the feed was going to be split 3 ways.....two of those 3-ways will have a 6 outlet power strip on it.....Already got the power strips.

you've just got a bunch of cfls and shop lights in there correct? Why not just wire them all together and have one cord come out of your cab to plug in? so much simpler and safer than having multiple extension cords and stuff to splitters and power strips.

joe macclennan said:

you've just got a bunch of cfls and shop lights in there correct? Why not just wire them all together and have one cord come out of your cab to plug in? so much simpler and safer than having multiple extension cords and stuff to splitters and power strips.

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I have fifty 23 to 26 watt cfls, four 39 watt T5HOs, one bathroom fan, and probably 4 pc fans....

I do have one feed to power the cab up...It's the black and red #12 wire coming in and up and the front of the cab.

so you've around 1350w total of lights...roughly. Plus a fart fan and some pc fans?

total of around 1500watts.

I'd wire all that shit together and only run one 12ga wire and plug out of the cab to plug in.....so much simpler.

oh, and I will almost bet heat will be a problem in there. One little fart fan won't exhaust enough to cool 1500w of lights ime. Upgrade to a 4" can fan and you'll probably be alright . It will be much louder tho.

14 gauge wire is rated for 20 amps. you just don't want to use more than 75-80% of the rated load of the wire. at 1500w even if everything is running at 110v you are only using 13.63amps. well within the acceptable 75-80% range.

http://www.armstrongssupply.com/wire_chart.htm

my concern would be the firing surge. when ballasts and motor loads turn on they use more power than they are rated for. it only for a nanosecond but it can trip a breaker or create a short in your wiring. in your case you can easily just upgrade to 10/2 romex and a 30 amp breaker. you'll never have a problem and you'll be abale to add stuff in the future. plus it will cost you $20.

Snaps or anyone....Instead of me running the #12 cord into the cab and into a 3-way splitter.......Could I wire that #12 extension cord into a 20 amp electrical receptacle mounted inside the cab ? And if so, Would a gfi receptacle be recommended ? thanks SC

SpaaaceCowboy said:

Snaps or anyone....Instead of me running the #12 cord into the cab and into a 3-way splitter.......Could I wire that #12 extension cord into a 20 amp electrical receptacle mounted inside the cab ? And if so, Would a gfi receptacle be recommended ? thanks SC

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you could, but you'd only get a duplex outlet (2 outlets) unless you wired it to a double gang box and installed 2 duplex outlets. in a grow room i'd always recommend a gfi outlet.

thnx scooby....I was going to do a regular 2 receptacle outlet with 2 power strips coming off them for a total of 12 outlets - total overkill.....Maybe I'll go with your idea with the double gang box for 4 outlets.

Can anyone help with my elecrical problem. Im in uk which is slightly different to north america (i think)

Im going to hook up a 400w hps, 125w cfl and a tt100 fan

Problem is i dont have a socket in the closet and extlead is not practical.

On the left inside the closet is a fused switch. Coming out of the bottom of the fused switch are 2 cables. One is thick grey wire which goes round the top of the closet into another fused switch (then into a security box) the other wire coming out of the first fused switch is white and goes to the immersion tank.

Am i correct in thinking if i take off the fused switch there will be the ring main going into the back of it? Then i can put the ring main into the back of a junction box instead, placed where the fused switch was. I then wire the fused switch into the junction box, then i can add another cable to the junction box going to new sockets??

If this is correct do i leave the immersion tank where it is (going into the fused switch) or do i connect it to the junction box???


Any help greatly appreciated.