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I assumed the reason we run our lights using 220 power is so we can get more amps out of our main panel. Is this assumption correct? Any electricians care to chime in?
I assumed the reason we run our lights using 220 power is so we can get more amps out of our main panel. Is this assumption correct? Any electricians care to chime in?
no..it's just more efficient.
A digital ballast will use approx 5 amps @ 220v and approx 10 amps @ 120v..to give you a frame of reference. Always use the 80% usage rule of any circuit or panel. Assuming that the draw from the panel is directly wired to a meter/pole and absolutely nothing else is drawing power from it..you would have approx 160 amps to work with. One must take into account start-up draws, which are usually much higher than what the appliance is rated for..especially magnetic ballasts and air conditioners. Read mfg specs or research the net for max possible amperage draw upon start-up.
It's not a matter of opinion, it's science! Haha... more volts, lower amps. Running your lights at 240v allows more lights to be ran on a given circuit.Thanks to everyone for the answers! I've heard conflicting answers to this question. Has anyone actually seen a flower room with 16,000 watts worth of lighting running at the same time (not 2-8,000 watt rooms running on a flip) on a 200 amp panel?
Thanks to everyone for the answers! I've heard conflicting answers to this question. Has anyone actually seen a flower room with 16,000 watts worth of lighting running at the same time (not 2-8,000 watt rooms running on a flip) on a 200 amp panel?
Yes!I understand that by running my lights at 240v I'm able to run more lights on a given circuit. But does the same apply to the main panel?
And for the record brother, if this is not a separate panel to dedicate to a grow space, you need to consider the entire load of your home, and that is a whole different ballgame. All of the examples I spoke of, I was referring to a panel that would be dedicated to lighting. With 16kw you could dedicate a 200amp service to a grow and still have room for other components of the grow, but if this is the same 200 amp panel as your living space, then a calculation with COMPLETELY different factors will come into play. It depends exactly what you're trying to do here boss.