DIY Electrical Outlets for grow room

reloader · Jan 12, 2014

LegalGrow said:
@reloader cool, how many lights and what wattage are you running to have the 19 amps? Anyone know about how many amps a typical 1000 w uses?

Here is updated pic of ammeter. About 29 amps, that is pulling (1) 400 mh (veg) (3) 8" inline fans. (3) smaller fans. (1) 1000 digital ballast (on 220v) (3) digital 600's on 110v. I have (1) 15 amp plug of constant pwr. I plugged a powerstrip into it for all my fans and veg lights.

A 1000 will use roughly 9.5 amps on 110v. Or 4.5 amps on 220v. One nice thing about the ammeter, I know exactly how many amps something new is. So when I plug something in, I can watch the amp increase on the screen. The ammeter is always fluctuating a little bit.

CelticEBE · Jan 12, 2014

I don't understand why you are using two pieces of romex and then splicing them together in a junction box. Why didn't you just jump from one outlet to the next? That's why the extra screws are there.

I could understand if you wanted each outlet to be on a separate circuit, but then there would be no splice in the junction box. I'm pretty confused. :confused:

Cherrorist · Jan 12, 2014

Watts divided by volts equals amps, well roughly i won't go into power factor firstly as its very dull secondly as I've smoked a fair bit since I was at college all them years ago.

LegalGrow · Jan 12, 2014

@CelticEBE , you and me both... :) I got it right by the end of the project..

Jalisco Kid · Jan 13, 2014

Yeah drop the j box,just use a jumper for those 2 outlets. I use waterproof tape (few extra pennies for a lot more protection,I like to use wire nuts with silicon same reason) but one thing you forgot I would use is gaskets for the face plates. I use these steps on all installs. Humidity sucks with electricity. I would also secure that run to the 2 x4's. Also if you did not use them strike plates where the wire in running thru the wood. conduit clampps at least,I know the wire is not moving,but a few pennies to protect from sharp edges.JK
Nolox on the breaker connection.

Roskito · Jan 13, 2014

This is my sub panel. I'm running #10 wire to this panel and those are rated for 30 amps. the panel is rated for 100 amps and should always be rated higher than what your running to it. I have 3 breakers on this panel, each 20 amps. Those are a little to big considering I'm only running 30 amps to box, and that means if I pull over 30 amps through 2 breakers I can trip the whole box, killing power to all 3. They just didn't have smaller ones where I shopped. I'm only running a single 1000w bulb (pulling about 9 amps) through one 20 amp breaker. Then my fans (one inline pulling 1 amp, two small desk fans pulling under 1 amp each) on one 20 amp breaker. And my air/water pumps on the 3rd breaker. I haven't done the math on those yet but it's not pulling the 19 amps needed to trip my box, more like 1 or 2 amps max. So everything is safe and running without problems. Also, using the 100 amp rated box gives me lots of room to add breakers, if I increase the size of the wire feeding my sub panel.

reloader · Jan 14, 2014

I should clarify, that I did have installed a 100 amp subpanel, next to my main elec box. I put a 60 amp breaker in there, then we ran the wire (painfully) through the attic and to the grow room, where I have another 50 amp breaker on the box.

Now that the box lets me run 240v, I am slowly switching all my ballast over, I was just running 29 amps, then switched one 600 watt ballast over to 240v & ammeter dropped to about 26.5 amps. It is my understanding that ballast run cooler and more optimum on 240v, & use slightly less total electricity.

PButter · Jan 14, 2014

You really should run with the 240v option. The amp draw is substantially less, power bill...

I don't know if they run cooler.

LegalGrow · Jan 14, 2014

@reloader - your power box is $611 on amazon! dang. was thinking of getting one.. :) http://www.amazon.com/Powerbox-DPC-15000-50A-702955/dp/B00AE12DNM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389710497&sr=8-1&keywords=dpc 15000

Might be cheaper to just put a 100 AMP box with 10 - 15 amp breakers...

LegalGrow · Jan 14, 2014

24 space box: $80...
http://www.amazon.com/Square-Schnei...-24-Circuit/dp/B00CONI3VE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_2

sixstring · Jan 14, 2014

I like the brand but go big on this part.get a 200 amp panel and run everything in 12/2 wire and 20 amp breakers.if you need 10 breakers buy a 20 space box, it's just a few bucks more to upgrade the whole deal.even your overhead lights should be in heavy wire, never know when your gonna swap a light mover for a 220 ballasts lol.

LegalGrow · Jan 14, 2014

Good advice sixstring, and most likely what I will do (if I don't find a box like reloaders.. that is really cool).. :)
My room is a bit away from my main panel box, so was thinking of perhaps putting a 100 amp there and running a big gauge wire to my new box.
We used 8-3 wire for the hot tub.. so I am guessing that is about the right size wire. Shit is expensive though.. but much easier to run 1 line, then try to fun 20 - 14 gauge breakers to the outlets!! :)

reloader · Jan 14, 2014

Legal--- If you look for a box and want to pay a little less, look on E-bay, and then look at "used" items. I bought mine for $200 used from an elec recycling company(they had 4) and all sold in a couple of days.

However, I like this thing so much I would have paid $600 for it.
I have never seen another set-up with an ammeter built in.
Some people don't like used stuff, but mine has performed perfectly, and looks like new.

reloader · Jan 14, 2014

LegalGrow said:
Good advice sixstring, and most likely what I will do (if I don't find a box like reloaders.. that is really cool).. :)
. Shit is expensive though.. but much easier to run 1 line, then try to fun 20 - 14 gauge breakers to the outlets!! :)

God, I always leave out details. I did have to pay another $250 for about 80 ft of 4 gauge wire to run from subpanel to pwrbox. So that was another expense.

CelticEBE · Jan 14, 2014

LegalGrow said:
Good advice sixstring, and most likely what I will do (if I don't find a box like reloaders.. that is really cool).. :)
My room is a bit away from my main panel box, so was thinking of perhaps putting a 100 amp there and running a big gauge wire to my new box.
We used 8-3 wire for the hot tub.. so I am guessing that is about the right size wire. Shit is expensive though.. but much easier to run 1 line, then try to fun 20 - 14 gauge breakers to the outlets!! :)

Large gauge wire may be expensive......but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than having a fire. Check out the link below.

http://www.armstrongssupply.com/wire_chart.htm

reloader · Jan 14, 2014

PButter said:
You really should run with the 240v option. The amp draw is substantially less, power bill...

I don't know if they run cooler.

The reason 240v runs cooler is because the current is split between 2 wires, where as 110v is a single wire and would generate more heat.

PButter · Jan 14, 2014

I'll go for that.

Greenthumbnewb · Feb 6, 2014

nice build legal grow! dig the warehouse set up. Your make up is ugly though, im guessing your not an electrician lol.

Beans · Feb 6, 2014

PButter said:
You really should run with the 240v option. The amp draw is substantially less, power bill...

I don't know if they run cooler.

power bill is the same....you don't get something for nothing...higher voltage but less amperage allows you to run smaller gauge wire to light which is cheaper...efficiency on running lights on higher voltage is almost negligible but wire stays cooler if it isn't size right to begin with

PButter · Feb 7, 2014

Beans is, of course, correct. Amps is the savings.

DIY Electrical Outlets for grow room

DIY Electrical Outlets for grow room

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DIY Electrical Outlets for grow room

DIY Electrical Outlets for grow room

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