30 amp dryer circuit. Best way to use?

[mrbong73]

I have a 30 amp 240v dryer circuit that I am not using.
What would be the best way to use it for running a 1k ballast?
I would prefer not to tear into the wall at the panel if possible.

I was thinking I could get a replacement cord for a dryer and put the non plug end into a junction box and then run conduit or mc over to my grow area. (about 30') and mount another junction box with the recp. for the ballast.

Questions:
what size wire would I need?
what is the recp for a 1k ballast on 240v?

 

[mrbong73]

Something like this. the 3 pronged one.

 

[mrbong73]

Bump for electrical department.

I'm pretty sure its a #10 wire. 10/3 for the 240v most likely.
question:
can I come off one leg to have a 120v outlet also. 30A would be enough for 1k plus a few other things for sure.

 

[guilty]

I'm not a electrician but i think you might find this helpful,

http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/grow-light-controller.asp

 

[tokinupon1]

I am no electrician but I just went to home depot bought a pool 240v timer and wired up 4 240v plug outlets most I ran was 4 600s ran two 6s and a 1k off it no prob all last year I asked my electrician at work and he said that it shouldn't be an issue. The timer was like 50-75 dollars and I used it for 2 and a half years no prob upgraded to a power box all though people seem to be haters of the box I really like it I did tho just because of new code ran a second neutral just in case. Again I'm a stoner no electrician

 

[guilty]

I know my 1k's only draw 5 amps, that info should be on the back of your ballasts, he said hes only running 1k so he would have a lot of room to expand with 30amps.

Some of the hydro stores around norcal try to sell those boxes similar to the one in that link for 300.

 

[mrbong73]

Thanks for the replies and the link. I would only need one 240v outlet for the 1k ballast. I would need to run it through a timer also, of course.
So I could run the power into a j box and come out with either a hard wired timer with recp for ballast or get a 240 v timer with plug for ballast built in(?)
Also I would like to have a quad outlet 120v coming off as well.
Sound doable?

 

[GreenThumbBill]

I'm not a electrician but i think you might find this helpful,

http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/grow-light-controller.asp

LOL there is a guy who sells these exact units on eBay for $250 a pop.

 

[GreenThumbBill]

I'm not in any way affiliated with this company and I have never bought any of their products. I just thought this was an interesting read:

 

[1971]

is there a neutral for the dryer? if not, you wouldn't be able to pull a 120v circuit.

http://www.ehydroponics.com/?action=product_list&cid=292 use one of these inexpensive 240v timers and you are set. you could easily run #14 wire... it would handle the load of the light at 240v no problem

 

[1971]

I'm not a electrician but i think you might find this helpful,

http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/grow-light-controller.asp

this works better when you have multiple lights to switch. i build a variation of this that is a little bit cleaner looking and cheaper.

looked at your pic again and you do have a neutral, so yes, you can run 120v off that circuit. i'd just be careful about running your dryer while lights are running. to be safe, since i don't know how much of a 120v load you are going to pull, run 12's.

 

[mrbong73]

I'm not in any way affiliated with this company and I have never bought any of their products. I just thought this was an interesting read:

Thanks. i'll dig through the link in a min.

is there a neutral for the dryer? if not, you wouldn't be able to pull a 120v circuit.

http://www.ehydroponics.com/?action=product_list&cid=292 use one of these inexpensive 240v timers and you are set. you could easily run #14 wire... it would handle the load of the light at 240v no problem

Yes. red, black, white and green. I think you can see in first post.
Thanks I'll look into that timer as well.

So, dryer plug into j box, then 14/3 (or 12/3) over to grow area and into another jbox, then out with 240v 6-15 ballast recp and out with 120v regular quad outlet in seperate j box.
does that sound right?

 

[mrbong73]

this works better when you have multiple lights to switch. i build a variation of this that is a little bit cleaner looking and cheaper.

looked at your pic again and you do have a neutral, so yes, you can run 120v off that circuit. i'd just be careful about running your dryer while lights are running. to be safe, since i don't know how much of a 120v load you are going to pull, run 12's.

the washer and dryer 120v is on a seperate circuit.
12/3 sounds good.

 

[hiboy]

I would run your light 120v, using the black hot leg. i would then use the red hot leg for a dedicated 120v circuit for other appliances. this works well for a single light set up. change ur breaker to 20 amps (2 not bridged together)
h

 

[mrbong73]

I would run your light 120v, using the black hot leg. i would then use the red hot leg for a dedicated 120v circuit for other appliances. this works well for a single light set up. change ur breaker to 20 amps (2 not bridged together)
h

So I could run the 12/3 over to a j box above my tent, in that j box I could have the ballast recp on the black leg then run the red leg down to the tent?

If I ran the light off the 240 could I also pig tail a 120v off one leg?

Do I need a relay or can I hook it up straight?

 

[mrbong73]

you can run 6 1k's on a 30 amp circuit with a Powerbox 7500, 240 unit.

I like the 7500 combo unit but it's a little pricey for me right now. Also the dryer plug is too far away. I would have to run power over to plug it in. It is badass though.

 

[hiboy]

You can run a 120v leg off the 240v 2 pole breaker for your lights. Yes. Your unbalancing your load off the 2 pole breaker, but it will work. I would however instead run two separate 120v circuits. One dedicated for your light, the other dedicated for your equipment.
Yes run the 12/3 to the top of the tent, plug in your ballast 120v, the black wire, the other leg (red) to the inside of your tent.Key thing is both are dedicated 120v circuits,
You can just plug in a simple timer for your light right into the outlet above the tent.
h

 

[mrbong73]

sweet, thanks for the help.
Now all of this can come off the dryer plug still? I'm just spliting it up down the line?

and I still need to change out the 30 amp 2 pole to single pole 20s?

 

[hiboy]

sweet, thanks for the help.
Now all of this can come off the dryer plug still? I'm just spliting it up down the line?

and I still need to change out the 30 amp 2 pole to single pole 20s?

Yep,
turn off the main, kill it and your panel is alot safer to work on. Make sure your neutral wire is hooked up in the main panel to the long buss bar.. that outlet you showed was a 240v outlet with ground, no neutral, so either the neutral was used as a ground or was just tucked back in the box..
h

 

[mrbong73]

The outlet has red, black and white landed on it and a green attached to the metal box.

Is there a way to tell which side of the replacement cord is the neutral?
I am planning on stripping the ends of the cord and making it up with the 12/3 in the first j box.
Then run the 12/3 to the second j box above the tent and make up the black to the ballast recp and the red I was thinking about using a heavy duty extension cord that I could drop into the tent and use a power strip.
So I would cut the male end off and make it up to the red in the jbox.
All the white tie together and the ground goes on the green screw on the box.
Sound right?

The j box above the tent I could do a quad industrial cover with half 120v ballast recp on black and half 120v regular outlet on red?