Grow Room Electrical

[mancdank]

Haha that's funny I actually don't mind painters ifts the drywallers that freak me out. Only thing the painters do is take off our plates and don't put them back on
Glad I could help anything else let me know
Hb

Lol its plumbers and pipe fitters for me :)

 

[jumpincactus]

Haha that's funny I actually don't mind painters ifts the drywallers that freak me out. Only thing the painters do is take off our plates and don't put them back on
Glad I could help anything else let me know
Hb

I actually make my guyz when removing switch plates put ther screws right back in the receptacle and all the plates in a bucket. That way they dont lose any screws or plates....... But we all know painters aint right anyhow due to all the fumes we breathe..... LOL Respect to all the construction trades. Peace

 

[mancdank]

I actually make my guyz when removing switch plates put ther screws right back in the receptacle and all the plates in a bucket. That way they dont lose any screws or plates....... But we all know painters aint right anyhow due to all the fumes we breathe..... LOL Respect to all the construction trades. Peace

U should teach this skill to plasterers too lol

 

[MSH]

I'm building out a basement room that'll be running up to 10kw (lights, fans etc). The main panel is on the third floor of my house and my plan is to run wires down to the basement and install a sub panel inside the bloom room with a built in timer for 12/12 (should a skip the built in timer and just get a light controller?). How big do the wires and breakers need to be? Is there anything else I need to take care of? Is there something else you would do @hiboy? I know little about electricity and want to know what to tell my electrician to do, thanks!

 

[hiboy]

I'm building out a basement room that'll be running up to 10kw (lights, fans etc). The main panel is on the third floor of my house and my plan is to run wires down to the basement and install a sub panel inside the bloom room with a built in timer for 12/12 (should a skip the built in timer and just get a light controller?). How big do the wires and breakers need to be? Is there anything else I need to take care of? Is there something else you would do @hiboy? I know little about electricity and want to know what to tell my electrician to do, thanks!

Are u running A/C from the new sub panel. Might make a difference. 125 amps will do u OK. That wire is #2 thhn. U can buy that in Romex form or run conduit and pull it inside it.
Hb

 

[MSH]

Are u running A/C from the new sub panel. Might make a difference. 125 amps will do u OK. That wire is #2 thhn. U can buy that in Romex form or run conduit and pull it inside it.
Hb

Thanks @hiboy! No, I won't be running A/C. Veg room + bloom room will use around 10 kw in total, 13 kw max during winter months, a 125 amp panel will suffice? What is THHN2 in gauges?

 

[hiboy]

Thanks @hiboy! No, I won't be running A/C. Veg room + bloom room will use around 10 kw in total, 13 kw max during winter months, a 125 amp panel will suffice? What is THHN2 in gauges?

Just #2
#4 will get u 90 amp
13000 watts / 230v= 56 amps
You would save a little $ with #4 wire.
Hb

 

[dorjewright]

Electrical Question
I am rewiring my small room directly to a pge meter (legally). With fans, 2 1000w lights, and a dehuy I figure 32 +/- amps total draw max. Right now there is a sub panel connected to the mail house panel. That will be changed out to become a separate main panel powered directly to its own meter.
Here's the first problem, the underground power line I want to use contains only 3 wires. A black hot, a white hot and covered ground. It ran a 240v submersable. That will be disconnected.

I understand I need 3 wires and a ground; two hots and a neutral plus ground from the meter to the grow room panel. I could replace the 2+ wire with the correct 3 + ground but; second problem. About 10' feet of that 2+ground wire with out a neutral is 2 feet under a rock hard paved road. Don't particularly want to dig it up.
I could reconnect the covered ground making a neutral leaving me with no ground going all the way back to the meter panel.
Is there a way to ground at the grow room panel to substitute for no ground on the incoming cable that goes to the meter?
Hope this clear enough to make sense.

 

[fishwhistle]

You COULD establish a new ground at the sub panel by driving a new ground rod,I did this and it works fine.My run was so long (225') and such big wire(1/0) i wanted to cheat any way i safely could.My new ground was tied into a ufer bar(rebar)in my footings as well as a new 10' ground rod i drove in.
Im sure someone will chime in and say its not code blah blah blah but it works well.

 

[hiboy]

Electrical Question
I am rewiring my small room directly to a pge meter (legally). With fans, 2 1000w lights, and a dehuy I figure 32 +/- amps total draw max. Right now there is a sub panel connected to the mail house panel. That will be changed out to become a separate main panel powered directly to its own meter.
Here's the first problem, the underground power line I want to use contains only 3 wires. A black hot, a white hot and covered ground. It ran a 240v submersable. That will be disconnected.

I understand I need 3 wires and a ground; two hots and a neutral plus ground from the meter to the grow room panel. I could replace the 2+ wire with the correct 3 + ground but; second problem. About 10' feet of that 2+ground wire with out a neutral is 2 feet under a rock hard paved road. Don't particularly want to dig it up.
I could reconnect the covered ground making a neutral leaving me with no ground going all the way back to the meter panel.
Is there a way to ground at the grow room panel to substitute for no ground on the incoming cable that goes to the meter?
Hope this clear enough to make sense.

Fish said it correctly. Code is a ground thru the conduit.... But who's looking.
Hb

 

[fishwhistle]

Is there any safety reason that you shouldnt do it that way hiboy?just curious,mine works fine that way.

 

[GrowGod]

@hiboy I had a quick question, how much would it cost me to upgrade a 100amp panel to 200 amp panel?
Been looking at houses to buy and all I've seen is 100 ampers and I need 50 amps just for my lights.:speechless:

 

[dorjewright]

Is there any safety reason that you shouldnt do it that way hiboy?just curious,mine works fine that way.

 

[dorjewright]

It's the safety issue that's my concern.

 

[fishwhistle]

Dorje ive never had 1 issue in the years since ive done it but if you plan on having it inspected they may call you on it.

 

[usstoner]

@hiboy I had a quick question, how much would it cost me to upgrade a 100amp panel to 200 amp panel?
Been looking at houses to buy and all I've seen is 100 ampers and I need 50 amps just for my lights.:speechless:

Depending on what part of the country you live in your looking at $1500 to $2500....

 

[GrowGod]

Depending on what part of the country you live in your looking at $1500 to $2500....

That's not bad at all. 3000sqf houses and only a 100 amps just sucks!

 

[usstoner]

Yea that's the norm. For older houses...100 amp. and 60 amp...call a local union contractor they will give you a good price ..it's usually around a 6 hour job depending...

 

[dorjewright]

Another question for Hiboy; doesn't a main panel need to be grounded to a rod in the ground as well as have a ground wire running back to the meter? So if I replace the ground in the cable from the meter to a grounded rod at the main panel should the ground bar be bonded to the box or not?

 

[dorjewright]

Whole new problem. I could've sworn I had a full size ground with the leg of the cable that runs under the road. But it only a twisted copper #10. I was going to use it as the neutral.
So here's where I need advise.
The total run meter to panel is 150'.
About 50 ' goes under the road. I'm going to dig it up. My grow room is small I figure tops it'll draw 30 amps. (2 1000w lights plus fans etc). I'm using #6 wire to the road.
#8 wire runs the last 50' under the road. It would simplify things and save some money if I could use #8 wire for that 50'. Or do I really need to get some #6 wire?