CanniCastro420
Active Member
I plan on running 3 600w ballasts.
Experienced Electrician! Here to Answer Any and All Growroom Electrical Questions
- Thread starter bricktown73
- Start date
eyeswideopen
Member
600's at 240v only pull 2.5 amps each. 2.5x3 lights is 7.5 amps so 14/2 plus a ground is all you need and a 15 amp two pole breaker.
However, if you ever plan on expanding, I'd recommend wiring with 10/2 and a 30 amp breaker, which can handle up to 4 x 1000 watt lights, and the cost difference will be slim.
However, if you ever plan on expanding, I'd recommend wiring with 10/2 and a 30 amp breaker, which can handle up to 4 x 1000 watt lights, and the cost difference will be slim.
joe macclennan
Well-Known Member
ok i've got a ? on power consumption. Someone told me I can save on my power bill by using step up transformers going from 120 to 240v to run my 1000watters. I already have 220v via 10/3 romex off of a 40amp dbl pull to my room. but I have split it up and am running my lights on 120 for now. ( I am not sure how to rewire my ballasts for 220) So my ? is it more efficient to run my lights directly off the 220 or can I save on my power bill by adding a step up transformer to each leg of the 220 enabling me to run my lights at 220 off of one 110v leg each. I am planning on running 4-1000 watters although currently I am only running 2-1000's If this is possible what size transformers should I look at?
KT420
Active Member
Sell the POS Greenhouse ballasts and get Lumatek or Galaxy ballasts.
Read this guys horror story.
http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-marijuana-growing/347312-my-digital-ballast-caused-widespread-net-outage.html
O M F G!!
You are not gonna believe the night i just had!
I had been running the light in a socket in the attic but i was using an adapter that goes from 3 prongs ( ground ) to 2 prongs ( no ground ) and i thought maybe just maybe that had something to do w/ the bulbs blowing.. So i change outlets and plugged the ballast into a NORMAL GROUNDED ( 3 prong ) wall outlet in the living room and just ran a heavy duty extension cord ( same cord i have always used ) into my closet. At 2 am I see flashing lights outside and seen a flashlight going into my back yard. Now, our internet has been out all night ( since i plugged up the 600w digital ballast ) but i didnt think anything of it.there was a cable repair truck in front of my house ( 2 AM )and a repairman walking from behind my house so i ask whats wrong and he says..
"something in your home is causing RF feedback on the line and is causing the ENTIRE AREA's internet/cable to be out." I had to disable an outlet untill someone can get here tomorrow to come in and see whats causing it"
OK needless to say I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT and bagged up all my plants and immediately drove and disposed of them and came back and totally dismantled my grow area and got rid of EVERYTHING that has anything to do w/ growing.
I SERIOUSLY caution ANYONE thats thinking about buying a "digital greenhouse 600W digital ballast from HTG to not do so..I used it the correct way ( in a normal 3 plug grounded socket ) tonight and it caused internet/cable outages in my enttire area!!! Over 1000 homes he said.
Im still nervous as hell cuz I dont know wtf im gonna tell the cable ppl when they come and inspect to see what was causing it.
I am so fucking shocked by all this.. I cannot believe what just happened.
KT420
Active Member
I'd always recommend pulling 3 wire so you can provide 120v service as well.
Have you looked into how much a step up transformer would cost??? Let alone 1 for each leg? forget this idea. Your 40a "dbl pull" on 10/3 is scarey enough, 10/3 is only good for 30a, and 220v ballasts would only be 2-3% more efficient anyway. Be careful.
OmNomEdibles
Member
so i have 3 different outlets available in my garage where my tent is, all coming off of 120 v and then the infamous dryer plug which is 220 but i dont have a sub box thing and really dont wanna buy one(being cheap) but i was curious how safe i would be running 4 1000 w lights off of the 3 different outlets the ampage is 20 20 and a 15, so i was considering running 2 lights off of 1 plug 2 lights off of another an then fans off the 15. just looking for an opinion of some seasoned members. obviously im trying to save money but if the fact of the matter is i should get a sub box then it can be done
KT420
Active Member
You can afford a 4 light setup, but can't afford a $200 box? http://www.horticulturesource.com/product_info.php?products_id=1969
2 120v 1k's on 1 120v 20a circuit is too much, @ about 9.6a per light, that's too close.You COULD turn those 20a 120v recepts into 20a 240v recepts, and run 2 1kw 240v ballasts of each that way, but that would require swapping out the receptacles, and you'd have to swap the 20a single pole breakers in your panel out for 20a double poles, IF you have the room to add them, AND if there's enough length on your now neutral wire to reach the 2 pole breaker and turn it into a hto wire.... In the end, it would be easier, and better, to just get the 30a dryer/timer box. Although you may still want to convert one of those 20a 120v circuits to 240v if you want to power a window shaker AC or something...
ganjalibera
Active Member
simple and perhaps silly questions: could my 600w (budget) ballast suck more electricity than 600w? can i run a 400w his bulb on a 600w ballast and is it a good or bad idea? thanks
foreverflyhi
Well-Known Member
Hey brick, quick question, I have a outside shed that's more like a extra small room in the back, do u think it's worth getting electrical extensions to the back? Or will this be too much work?
Herbanfarmer52
Member
Hi I'm new to the thread, medical out here in new mexico. I need help with pigtailing 4 1000 watt electronic ballasts to a 40 amp water heater timer.
bewareofdogandowner
Active Member
No...600w is 600w no matter the voltage applied.
any lamp rated for other than what the fixture says can result in burnt ballast, possible fire etc. Early lamp failures
notmebutthisguyiknow
Member
Hey there glad to have found ur post could use some input. I recently moved into a house and it has a storoge room added onto it.I jus found out that it has its own breaker box, now I'm not sure if that's good or bad all I realy know how to do with electical is change a outlet,but anyways I realy would like to set up a good size grow but wanna make sure every thing is 100 percent safean as energy efficiant as possible any input will help.
ganjalibera
Active Member
Thanks bro
kgb424
Active Member
got a question for you I using the third part of a three car garage, and there is only one two plug outlet and was wondering if there is a way to make a panel or a series of 4 square boxes, in each box, can I put a plug,breaker or reset,on/off switch, to separately run my ac,ballast,exhaust fan, T5's,timers,air pump,so if something trips the breakers, they don't trip the main panel to the house, only one of the boxes, on its own circuit, will not have to reset the house panel, just reset the one that tripped the breaker
jerichojews
Well-Known Member
What if I wanted to plug a surge protector into another surge protector? Is this a stupid thing to do? I'd only be running cfl's on these, so I wouldn't be drawing too much wattage at all. Still, is this a hazard of any kind?
ScoobyDoobyDoo
Well-Known Member
not at all. add it up (600+25+25+50+200=900w). 900/110v = 8.19amps. nothing at all to worry about. you have plenty of room.
Total.Hydroponic.Control
Active Member
Yes, it is a hazzard of a certain kind. The common sense kind. Even though you have no intention to overload your megastrip, chaining power strips together creates numerous addition points of inadequate mechanical bonding. This will eventually likely cause a voltage drop further along your megastrip until your losing hundreds of watts to heat loss from poor connections. Even underloaded you'll be creating additional heat where you probably don't want or need it.