certified electrician and grower

[origamijoint]

hello. growing in los angeles. A state certified electrician.....i have helped solve many many indoor and outdoor electrical issues associated with growing. I have also sponged much information from the community. Thanks for that....and I am ready to give some help back.....just ask...any electrical question.

 

[CocoJoe]

Hi origamijoint, to the 420Magazine forums. for joining us. Your talents will, I'm sure, be called apon by some of the brothers and sisters. Again, glad your here. I'll see you around the forums.

 

[crazy horse]

if i want 4 or 5 26w cfl's in my grow room, can i use 1 power cord to connect them all? how would i do this? what gauge of wire do i need? what size fuse in the plug? im from the uk so we use 3 pin plugs! what about earthing them?

 

[bizz]

yo!

I have my grow set up in my attic.

Currently running 120v but there is a nice 220v running across my attic from the breaker box to an outside AC unit that gets used only rarely on hottest summer days.

Was thinking of either splitting that line and running directly off of it or splitting it and putting another breaker box there. My friend told me that since this AC line goes to main breaker box with 2 40A breakers, that I would need to do the extra breaker box and put some 15A or 20A fuses there between the 220 line and my grow. He theorizes that if something went wrong and some gear went haywire shorting out, that the 40A breakers might not get tripped before potential fire happens...

What say you?

 

[bizz]

if i want 4 or 5 26w cfl's in my grow room, can i use 1 power cord to connect them all? how would i do this? what gauge of wire do i need? what size fuse in the plug? im from the uk so we use 3 pin plugs! what about earthing them?

4 or 5 26w bulbs is still less than 130w, i might be out of line, but i wouldnt be too concerned with this much power current, doesnt seem like enough to make special considerations...

 

[crazy horse]

 

[The Weed]

Very Cool!
Great to have you here origamijoint.
You will be a great addition.
Please Make yourself at home.
Continue to the forums and Grow journals.
You will like what we have here and all the wonderful members, tons from Cali!
Like Hogdady,
My First Grow
A great grower and very knowledgeable in electrical issues too. Say hello.
We will be looking for you around this Fantastic Community..ok?

 

[Weedpipe]

 

[Weedpipe]

ok, ur chance to shine ...

CFL Light Tutorial

check out post #123 ...

 

[HUMANCHIMNEY]

First Question some ac unit are used in the winter as heat pumps if so this line needs to be left alone. but if its only ac and dont plan on using it in summer time then yes you would need to protect anything pluging into the circuit most 110 components are not rated over 20 amps.

yo!

I have my grow set up in my attic.

Currently running 120v but there is a nice 220v running across my attic from the breaker box to an outside AC unit that gets used only rarely on hottest summer days.

Was thinking of either splitting that line and running directly off of it or splitting it and putting another breaker box there. My friend told me that since this AC line goes to main breaker box with 2 40A breakers, that I would need to do the extra breaker box and put some 15A or 20A fuses there between the 220 line and my grow. He theorizes that if something went wrong and some gear went haywire shorting out, that the 40A breakers might not get tripped before potential fire happens...

What say you?

 

[HUMANCHIMNEY]

5 x 26 = 130 watts divided by volts 110 = 1.18 amps most cords are rated at least 10 amps

if i want 4 or 5 26w cfl's in my grow room, can i use 1 power cord to connect them all? how would i do this? what gauge of wire do i need? what size fuse in the plug? im from the uk so we use 3 pin plugs! what about earthing them?

 

[HUMANCHIMNEY]

I was also an Elecltrician in the Navy back in 85. Ive enjoyed this forum very much. waaaaaaaaaay better than any other

hello. growing in los angeles. A state certified electrician.....i have helped solve many many indoor and outdoor electrical issues associated with growing. I have also sponged much information from the community. Thanks for that....and I am ready to give some help back.....just ask...any electrical question.

 

[origamijoint]

wow. that was fast....seems like I went out back to hang with the ladies....and i return to find sparky questions. Let's see if I can break off some love to all.

 

[origamijoint]

Crazy horse....yes no problem on running all on one cord....but I would run two circuits or 2 cords.....why....because you are going to have more than lights on those cords. fans/air pumps/water pump/the moving statue of Elvis watching over the ladies...whatever you have...it is going to be run off of those cord(s). So run two....from two separate circuits. And so sorry about the entire light/mate/water pipe burst/plants busted adventure. Go "obtain" two cords. Plug them into separate circuits...and no worries. This is why professionally wired buildings do not have all the lights or outlets in a single room on one circuit...so if a breaker snaps open....you will still have light in some of the outlets/and light from either the hallway or bathroom (sorry water closet).

 

[origamijoint]

Bizz
+++ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE "The Code" is the minimum safe requirement. minimum. And the code is very very specific about dedicated circuits for things like motors and AC blowers and other big stuff that sits on the roof or the side of the house looking big and bulky and all serious and sour beans and kinda gives off this whole "don't even look at what is under my hood" attitude.

Bizz....I would not mess with the AC line...why....because it is a dedicated circuit. AND when the unit was installed and the circuit calculated and the wire size determined....your covert weed dreams were not calculated into the equation. SO when it is the middle of summer and you have the lights and fans and magic potions and lotions and bubbler's and air pumps and the ten thousand other devices that we use to make the magic happen......and in that summer heat......some hotty you have over for a party decides that 110 degrees in the basement is a little warm and hits the AC switch...and that initial surge of juice that the unit needs (motor start up is a huge spike that can overload even the most dedicated correctly calculated of circuits) Your ladies in the attic will suffer. SO DO NOT TAP INTO THE AC LINE. IT IS FOR THE AC UNIT ONLY. That said......run a circuit (or two) ....and sleep the sleep of the just knowing that your 15 or 20 amp circuit (the size depends on the wire size which depends on the load.....I will explain again later) will not be in trouble no matter who decides to plug whatever into wherever.

 

[origamijoint]

Bizz...have a laugh on me....my garage has cords everywhere right now...why...because I am running/building my own pot baron dream grow room. And yes it is a pain in the ass. Even more so because some of my peeps know I am a sparky and the second they get into my place they are bird dogging my electrical work....so I have to make the conduit all strait and level and neat.....or I need to go back to having no friends...which I am really starting to consider with the amount of time this (my first grow) is eating up.

Your question was good....and if you decide to run a circuit or two to the love palace of green....i will walk you through it.

And check back in a few days.....i am going to explain the whole wire color system to the world. It really is easy. Unless you happen to be colorblind...then it is a little more difficult. But alas....I am going to bed.

 

[crazy horse]

thanks for the reply!! +rep

 

[mule]

Welcome sparky! I pulled 3 different runs of 12/3 with 20 amp breakers to my rooms a few days ago... Friend's kid that was helping said "Don't you think we are going a little overboard for a few T-5 lights and some pumps?" To which I replied... Future upgrades... His Grandpa is one of the city electrical inspectors... So ya I have to run a tight ship wiring around that kid!

 

[origamijoint]

Mule.....thank you. And you know the first thing someone does after you finish and rolling out of the job....they are looking at the grow room thinking......"ok if I put another lamp there then......
thanks for the welcome.

 

[Slowpuffer]

Origamijoint,
I bought a cheap 400 watt ballast off ebay, and it worked fine for about 8 months. And all of a sudden, nothing. Come to find out it has to be shipped to china for repair. Ha !! I aint gonna do that !! Anyhow, is there any checks i can make ?? I have a multi-meter, but little electrical knowledge !! It doe's light up sometimes, but it's kind of hard to plan on that. I took the front of it off, and it's got all that gooey puddy looking stuff in there. My wife tells me tht i'm gonna get fried, hope not !! Any suggestions will be appreciated !!