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

bodhipop

bodhipop

Well-Known Member
I have a rather dumb question but I keep hearing different things on the subject.
Does switching your main breaker off and back on multiple times in a year cause wear or damage? Should you always leave it on except for repairs?
I have a cabin that I was not staying at. When I would leave for multiple weeks, I would unplug all appliances and switch the main breaker off.
I've never had an issue but I must of done this 10 times over the course of a year before I read you should not do this. I would also leave the circuit branches all on and just switch the main. There was a squirrel stuck up in the attic so this is why I chose to cut the power off while I was not there.
 
B

Ben123456733

Well-Known Member
bodhipop said:
I have a rather dumb question but I keep hearing different things on the subject.
Does switching your main breaker off and back on multiple times in a year cause wear or damage? Should you always leave it on except for repairs?
I have a cabin that I was not staying at. When I would leave for multiple weeks, I would unplug all appliances and switch the main breaker off.
I've never had an issue but I must of done this 10 times over the course of a year before I read you should not do this. I would also leave the circuit branches all on and just switch the main. There was a squirrel stuck up in the attic so this is why I chose to cut the power off while I was not there.
Click to expand...
In a case like that I'd say you are doing the right thing.
Breakers will wear down with use, like anything else.
That being said it will be able to be turned on and off hundreds of times and if it were to fail it would simply not turn back on and supply power to the panel.
On top of that, a new main breaker will cost $40-$300 for the material on residential property.
There most likely would be no issue leaving the power on , but the way I look at it you replace a $300 part or your house
 
Lurrabq

Lurrabq

Well-Known Member
bodhipop said:
I have a rather dumb question but I keep hearing different things on the subject.
Does switching your main breaker off and back on multiple times in a year cause wear or damage? Should you always leave it on except for repairs?
I have a cabin that I was not staying at. When I would leave for multiple weeks, I would unplug all appliances and switch the main breaker off.
I've never had an issue but I must of done this 10 times over the course of a year before I read you should not do this. I would also leave the circuit branches all on and just switch the main. There was a squirrel stuck up in the attic so this is why I chose to cut the power off while I was not there.
Click to expand...
Something to note. It is recommended to 'exercise' the breakers by turning them off every 6 months for a sufficient time to let the trip spring relax and cool fully. Good facilities managers work this into the maintenance schedules.
 
2

2com

Well-Known Member
Lurrabq said:
Something to note. It is recommended to 'exercise' the breakers by turning them off every 6 months for a sufficient time to let the trip spring relax and cool fully. Good facilities managers work this into the maintenance schedules.
Click to expand...
Cool, I've never heard of that.
 
Gtjoker420

Gtjoker420

Well-Known Member
How do I connect my 4 light controller to my dryer outlet so I can power my 4 lights.

I’ve ran the 10/2 Romex from the outlet to the grow room but haven’t connected the plug yet: this is the plug style I got. It says non grounding which I didn’t notice at first
 

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KnowMsayin' Mane

KnowMsayin' Mane

Member
Hi everyone
Any electrician still round ?
Is a 1mm² cable "thick" enough to power a 600w bulb ?
(As the cord going from the ferromagnetic ballast to the bulb, distance approx. 10-15 meters)

On the paper it is enough, but in reality ?

ps: forgot to specify, with flexible cable!
 
J

Jonesfamily7715

Well-Known Member
KnowMsayin' Mane said:
Hi everyone
Any electrician still round ?
Is a 1mm² cable "thick" enough to power a 600w bulb ?
(As the cord going from the ferromagnetic ballast to the bulb, distance approx. 10-15 meters)

On the paper it is enough, but in reality ?

ps: forgot to specify, with flexible cable!
Click to expand...
It's not watts that determines wire size it is amps. Yes I'm an electrician, this is an hid correct? Hid sue a ballast which transforms the wall to 250vdc typically I think. Anyways 600 watts at 250v is a measley 2.4 amps. I'm in america so we use Inches round here and awg wire gauge sizes., but Id bet your paper was correct
 
KnowMsayin' Mane

KnowMsayin' Mane

Member
Jonesfamily7715 said:
It's not watts that determines wire size it is amps. Yes I'm an electrician, this is an hid correct? Hid sue a ballast which transforms the wall to 250vdc typically I think. Anyways 600 watts at 250v is a measley 2.4 amps. I'm in america so we use Inches round here and awg wire gauge sizes., but Id bet your paper was correct
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yes Sir

230v here, which makes 2.6amp at 600watt
1mm² wire is 18 awg if I'm not mistaken

On the paper it's enough, but it's without taking account of the starting current of the ballast which is x times higher than 2.6 amp ??
So i'm wondering if the 18awg will suffice

The price difference on 18 awg vs 15 awg is not negligible actually

Another question

On adjust a wing medium reflectors, there is not earth socket on the reflector
I think this is because these are class 2 insulated, so using a 3g wire is pretty useless ??
We always used 3g1.5mm² wire without plugging the earth wire in the sockets, which makes the third wire pretty useless .. So, wondering if a triple wire is really needed ..
 
Drop That Sound

Drop That Sound

Well-Known Member
They make pre made ballast extension cords BTW. Like this:

1711266546205.jpeg
UltraGrow – Ballast Cord Extension 10′ 300v/14g



I dunno about 35-50ft long ones though. That's a long ways to go from the ballast to the bulb socket. Pretty sure there would be some voltage drop because of the length?

Found a 25ft one:

Hydrofarm-CSXCORD25-Lock-25-Foot-Extension
1711267508296.png
 
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KnowMsayin' Mane

KnowMsayin' Mane

Member
Drop That Sound said:
They make pre made ballast extension cords BTW. Like this:

View attachment 5380533
UltraGrow – Ballast Cord Extension 10′ 300v/14g



I dunno about 35-50ft long ones though. That's a long ways to go from the ballast to the bulb socket. Pretty sure there would be some voltage drop because of the length?

Found a 25ft one:

Hydrofarm-CSXCORD25-Lock-25-Foot-Extension
View attachment 5380536
Click to expand...
I think the voltage drop will be negligible

To my knowledge these extension cord are very fire hazardous

Ime it is wiser to use a single cable from the ballast to the bulb, without connection in between

Even when I used lumatek digi I used to strip the c14 type plug to connect a domino

I will not tempt the devil, let's keep going with the 15 awg
 
S

StoneDHedgE

Well-Known Member
bricktown73 said:
Smoote pretty much nailed it. A surge protector is pretty much a multi outlet with a small replacable fuse in it. And you should be fine with a regular 14 guage wire extension chord to run what you need. Good explaination smoote.
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Not quite true. Surge protection shorts out the line breaker in the unit. Upon high current or voltage spikes etc. Reset it....not replace it.
 
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