120 or 240

[BiggieBud]

I am running 4 1000 watts lights, with swithable ballests. Is it cheaper to set them up to run on 240 or 120.

 

[rvd]

neither kilawatts is kilawatts.everybody wishes one was cheaper.rvd

 

[ttystikk]

If you run the ballasts on 240, you will run at half the amps as you did at 120. Power consumption is theoretically the same. There is a * slight* difference in efficency with your ballast, however; the ballast's job is to run your bulb at 250V. The less it has to step up the input power the more efficiently it will run. I have no idea how to quantify this, but I wouldn't expect this effect to be worth more than a couple percentage points, for sure less than 25 watts on a 1000w setup.

The reason to run 240 is for your breakers. Higher voltage at less amps tends to be easier on the house's electrical system. Another reason to run 240 is load balancing; 240 is basically two lines of 120 running out of phase with one another on a common ground. If you load up one leg with ballasts etc, you run the risk of overloading just one side.

Clearly, you're not going to be running all 4 ballasts on one 20amp 120v circuit- it can handle one easily, but will be right at max with two. With 240v, all 4 of your ballasts together will pull just over half the max load on a 30 amp breaker and that's much less strain on the system.

 

[tattoojim]

ive seen a 100$ drop in my bill since i switched to 240..

 

[ttystikk]

ive seen a 100$ drop in my bill since i switched to 240..

You're positive nothing else changed? Weather, maybe?

 

[hiboy]

ive seen a 100$ drop in my bill since i switched to 240..

You cant save money this way, you pay by the watt, no matter how u run it
hb

 

[hiboy]

The main benefit to run 240v is to have more ballasts on one controller and less material to install it.
hb

 

[tattoojim]

my average bill is 300$. my highest bill 375$.my bill i just got 180$
so then you guys are right about temps outside, but my lights have been on and running since last year at this time. and i have a good idea what my bill should b.
im no electritian, just a painter. but i thought less amps means less draw = more effecincy.
still learning guys..sry if i was passn out bad info

 

[hiboy]

No worries bro,
i at one time thought the same,
i was taught back in the day that its cheaper to run 240, and what was meant was installation.
You have a kewl signature
hb

 

[Prime C]

my average bill is 300$. my highest bill 375$.my bill i just got 180$
so then you guys are right about temps outside, but my lights have been on and running since last year at this time. and i have a good idea what my bill should b.
im no electritian, just a painter. but i thought less amps means less draw = more effecincy.
still learning guys..sry if i was passn out bad info

Also watch the power co. for pro rating your bill. My friend is runnung 4k and his last 2 bills are under $100. There's no way his bill is that low. Im sure he's going to get that $1500 bill soon!

 

[ttystikk]

Also watch the power co. for pro rating your bill. My friend is runnung 4k and his last 2 bills are under $100. There's no way his bill is that low. Im sure he's going to get that $1500 bill soon!

Prorating is a service many utilities offer, both for electric and gas. The idea originally was to spread the cost of winter heating around so the bill wasn't such a shock. Unless tattoojim asked for this service, I doubt that's the cause.

Another thing to consider is that the meter readers don't show up at the same time every month. If you got a low bill, check to see how many days of service that covers... which also means a long gap might be the culprit for a nasty 'spike' in an upcoming electric bill!

 

[SAMCRO]

Saw a huge drop in my electricity bill way back when we switched from Residential to Industrial. HUGE drop in the Electrical bill. We run as much 240 as possible. 4 Lights is one thing. Its all the other little shit that adds up. Your AC, Your Chillers, your veg lights, your scrubbers, your dehumidifier, pumps, all that other 3 amps, 4 amps, shit adds up quick with your local electric company. To me the 240 is a savings and to me its safer.

 

[ttystikk]

Saw a huge drop in my electricity bill way back when we switched from Residential to Industrial. HUGE drop in the Electrical bill. We run as much 240 as possible. 4 Lights is one thing. Its all the other little shit that adds up. Your AC, Your Chillers, your veg lights, your scrubbers, your dehumidifier, pumps, all that other 3 amps, 4 amps, shit adds up quick with your local electric company. To me the 240 is a savings and to me its safer.

I run my ballasts and my chiller on 240- or is it 220? How would I know? And, if the utility is providing the lower figure, how do I know I'm not getting screwed out of power I'm paying for?

I run everything on 240 I can plug into 240. Unfortunately, most pumps, timers, fans, controllers, sensors, etc run 120.

So how can I switch to an industrial power account? Obviously, the first answer is to move, because I'm 99% sure they wouldn't do it to my house, no matter what lol. What other hoops are there to jump through?

 

[hiboy]

THe old school meters read like this..... they have miniature clocks with arms on them, when the meter reader comes by and reads it, its to his discretion if its at 2 or 230 for example. ITs a big deal for the cost per month, but it will catch up to you when next time it reads to the opposite number.
It all equals out in the end
Once again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, theres no savings per month from 120v to 240v

hb

 

[ttystikk]

THe old school meters read like this..... they have miniature clocks with arms on them, when the meter reader comes by and reads it, its to his discretion if its at 2 or 230 for example. ITs a big deal for the cost per month, but it will catch up to you when next time it reads to the opposite number.
It all equals out in the end
Once again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, theres no savings per month from 120v to 240v

hb

First, I have a 'smart meter.' Digital, so the meter reader just has to read, not think.

Second, I was referring to running my house undervoltage. I've been told that when they do 'brownouts', that is, reduce voltage by up to 8% in order to stretch available capacity to marginally excessive demand, that a lot of equipment in a customer's house ends up pulling more amps to compensate. Power supplies in computers, for example, compensate for high and low voltage in order to supply a constant source of 'clean' power to the sensitive circuitry inside. This then reflects in them being in effect charged more for the same amount of power because the meter doesn't read watts; it reads amps. How would I know if something similar to that was going on at my house?

 

[recreationaluse]

The main benefit to run 240v is to have more ballasts on one controller and less material to install it.
hb

also another benefit is when wiring for your ballasts. you get away with smaller wire going 240 vs 120. Save money there.

 

[hiboy]

First, I have a 'smart meter.' Digital, so the meter reader just has to read, not think.

Second, I was referring to running my house undervoltage. I've been told that when they do 'brownouts', that is, reduce voltage by up to 8% in order to stretch available capacity to marginally excessive demand, that a lot of equipment in a customer's house ends up pulling more amps to compensate. Power supplies in computers, for example, compensate for high and low voltage in order to supply a constant source of 'clean' power to the sensitive circuitry inside. This then reflects in them being in effect charged more for the same amount of power because the meter doesn't read watts; it reads amps. How would I know if something similar to that was going on at my house?

Either reading watts or amps, its still ur bill and one makes the other greater, more watts more amps. I think they do rate watts, read ur bill it will say kilowatt hrs used

Some counties have off hour deals, normally at night.
hb

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

Running ballasts on 240v might not save you money on your electric bill but your ballast life should significantly increase! Its working half as hard to make the same light... @120 i could bearly touch my 1000w galaxy while it was on. @ 240 i could rest my dong on it, no prob!!!!

 

[ttystikk]

Running ballasts on 240v might not save you money on your electric bill but your ballast life should significantly increase! Its working half as hard to make the same light... @120 i could bearly touch my 1000w galaxy while it was on. @ 240 i could rest my dong on it, no prob!!!!

This is NOT the weenie roast I had in mind! lol

 

[tattoojim]

Running ballasts on 240v might not save you money on your electric bill but your ballast life should significantly increase! Its working half as hard to make the same light... @120 i could bearly touch my 1000w galaxy while it was on. @ 240 i could rest my dong on it, no prob!!!!

i did notice the big temp change when i switched over to 240..just checked with my hand though, dong wouldnt reach 6 foot up a wall. shoulda hung them a lil lower