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Electric Questions, how many watts can I put on a 15 amp?

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Electric Questions, how many watts can I put on a 15 amp?

LegalGrow 44 Replies 9,514 Views
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LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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#1
Electric Questions, how many watts can I put on a 15 amp?

Getting ready to get a box for the grow and was wondering how many outlets I should connect to each breaker?
Was planning to run a 50 AMP breaker from the main box to the new panel box and have a bunch of 15amp inside. Plan to eventually run 12-15 , 1000W lights plus the other things fans/etc.

I know I can google the hard answer, but wanted some thoughts as well as what others are doing?
 
#2
Watts/volts = amps. Assuming your going to use 240v a 1000w ballast uses 4.1 amps just to run the bulb.

You can only run a breaker at 80% capacity. So you can run 12 amps on a 15a breaker. This means 2 1000w per 15a.

12-1000w on a 50a sub panel won't quite do it. You'll need a 75a just to run the bulbs. Not including all the other things you'd need power for.
 
#3
Also, most ballasts will pull about twice the amps upon startup(first few seconds). So 2 1000w ballasts may pull as much as 16amps on startup depending on your ballasts and whether or not they are plugged into the exact same timer etc. It should be said that these numbers are for 240v ballast ops... if you are running 120v you'll need even more amps. But you are wiring this room from the start so you'll run 240 on everything you can I'm sure.
 
#4
This electrical stuff I don't understand. I've have researched and still don't understand. I'm going to be running 4-1000w. What do I need to run it?
 
#9
Thanks gents. Dang, I need a full breaker box and may not have enough power.
I wonder if I should consider a diesel generator and just run that instead..

My idea was to put in a full box and run right to outside pole, however my electrical expert friend said it doesn't work that way.. Damn the 60 amp swim spa, damn you!
 
#11
At a fixed voltage:

Amps*volts = watts

Most households have 120V/15a outlets. These are most common.

So:

15a*120V = 1800W

As someone said, most breakers run at 75-80%, so:

12a*120v = 1440W
 
#12
Squiggs he's gotta pull all new wire. It'd be dumb to have amp consumption worrys and not use 240v.

Legal- sounds like you need a 100a sub panel.
 
#13
@WalterWhiteFire - that is what I was pondering, just not sure my main box has enough juice to power 100AMP with everything else we have in our warehouse.
I asked about a new panel side by side of our existing and the electric company requires the whole building be inspected.. not a good thing.
 
#15
How often is your swim spa running? Can you put it's 60 amps in a sub-box and put the spa power on a timer so its only running when you're not running your flower lights? That way you could have gaurenteed access to those 60 amps for 12 hours a day, and then just run the rest of your room off the rest of the available power...
 
#16
@Tank333 could possibly do that, the spa is already in a sub box, not sure how a timer might work, it does run periodically to clean and keep warm, so not sure if I could have it off those 12 hours.. :)
 
J

Jalisco Kid

Guest
#17
This is why you use a pencil before you use your wallet.
Electrical is clean work, easy when you have the theory and have worked with it.
It burns and kills those that don't, never tell someone electrical is butt easy.
JK
 
#18
indeed, oh I guess I did buy and install 30 outlets, although those were pretty cheap for $12.. dang it.
I guess diesel generator it is.. :)
 
#19
PS, if anyone watched the UNION documentary, they had 20 full size train cars buried in as a grow with full diesel generator...
 
#20
Had a 600 that was tripping a 15 amp all the time. New house has nothing but 30's never trips. Just install the 30 amps and forget about it.
 
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