Electricians Please Advise!!!

[Dr. Stank]

Hey Farmers,
I need some advise on my panel and upgrades I'm considering.
I just rented a 1000 sq foot shop that has a 125amp, 120v/208v AC 4wire,
3 phase panel. I'm planning on running a sentinel HPH-8 light controller rated at 50amps. My question is to be safe I'm only running the main panel at 100amps and plan to run my ballast at 240v and all the other equipment on 120v (a/c, veg tent, etc.) The hph-8 has a 50 amp breaker but If I install it on say leg "A" of my 3 phase panel is that overloading the "A" LEG? Is the panel divided into 3 legs meaning each phase is 33.3 amps each? (My GE-panel reads : Delta phase "B" power leg DO NOT INSTALL 120v or 120/240v circuit breakers in phase leg "B" 208v to ground potential circuits marked in parenthesis. Ad rating 240v 3 phase 3wire for this system neutral is not used & only breakers rated at 240v AC are to be used.) Also I had an electrician buddy of mine do a quick check on the panel and he didn't get any power reading on leg "A"? Does this mean that leg "A" is fried and needs to be replaced? I have added every piece of equipment that will be installed and my total will be 96.8 amps total setup. So I am still under the 100amp max, what is the best way to help spread out power consumption so all will be well?
Thank you GUYS I have been reading on the farm for the last 2 days before I posted so I didn't want to ask a lazy question when the answer was already out there. Thanks all.... ( Sorry I originally posted this in infirmary section then realized all electrician questions were here. Sorry mods.)

 

[green punk]

Im not even close to an electrician. But I have been around a bit. If your buddy really is an electrician he should have been able to tell you inside and out about that breaker box. Any way, he should be able to build you a timer for cheap (intermatic some j boxes and plugins etc) maybe $100 for materials and just run the 208. You'll need to get some ballasts that are multitap. For digi, i believe the NextGen is the only one that will read 208 out of the box. For magnetic, Sunlight offers some of theirs that are multitap. The magnetic ones will need to be converted to 208 by you or your electrician.
Does the plave have any 110? Otherwise its gonna cost to get that shit straight for pumps and fans.

 

[1971]

you need to make sure your ballasts can run at 208v, not 240. if you are running digital, it might be an issue, so i'd check with the manufacturer.

there are times, depending on whether it is a wye or delta configuration, that you can get 240v, but it is uncommon. so the most you are going to get is 208v. your lights won't burn bright if you tried them as currently configured.

you'll need a double pole breaker to get 50 amps rated at 208v. so not sure why you saying you'd only run it on one leg.

if one leg is not energized, then either the system is no longer 3 phase, or there are bigger problems. you might want to look at where the power is coming in to see how many connections there are.

really, you need a qualified electrician to come check things out if there are actually problems. your buddy should be able to determine your voltage phase to phase, phase to neutral, etc.

good luck!

 

[1971]

my bad, i totally missed the part where you mention it being a delta configuration.

this will help you understand things a bit better:

http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Feature_Article/840e2fe585c5a010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

so after you determine if everything is phased properly and that there are no other problems, you should be able to run your lights at 240v.

so again, you'd want a double pole breaker that would catch the AB, BC, or CA phases to give you 240v. B phase to neutral should give you 208v. you'd confirm this first by using a meter.

 

[hiboy]

For your dead A leg, check to see if there are any fuses blown out in the main electrical room that feeds your sub panel i take it you have. That panel is fed from somewhere, i dont think its direct to the service provider. Normally there will be a disc connect with a throw switch, thats where the fuses would be, or its fed with a 3 pole breaker and thats fried or needs to be reset.
Dont hook anything up to that b leg unless its a two pole breaker connected with the a or c leg.
Like 1971 suggested, make sure you can run your equipment at 208v.
h

 

[Dr. Stank]

Thanks all for taking the time. I really appreciate it..1971 good looking on the links. My buddy is working for a solar panel company and just tested each phase to see what had power.. I have phantom 600w ballasts so ill check into 208v. The sentinel hph-8 has 8-120v plugs rated at 50a its only like $180.00 THANKS AGAIN I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON THE FARM. HA.

 

[1971]

you don't have to worry about whether your lights run on 208v if you have a 3 phase delta panel.

glad to be of assistance :)

 

[Sunbiz1]

you don't have to worry about whether your lights run on 208v if you have a 3 phase delta panel.

glad to be of assistance :)

Hi!

Is there a simple means to use HPS bulbs with mogul base in a medium socket?. I need to use one or two 600W for *supplemental lighting purposes. I was just at 4 different home supply stores, and apparently I could not even fire up a 150W HPS if I were to screw it into a standard socket.

So I need the proper ballast and fixture, is there an inexpensive means to make this?.

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

 

[hiboy]

Hi!

Is there a simple means to use HPS bulbs with mogul base in a medium socket?. I need to use one or two 600W for *supplemental lighting purposes. I was just at 4 different home supply stores, and apparently I could not even fire up a 150W HPS if I were to screw it into a standard socket.

So I need the proper ballast and fixture, is there an inexpensive means to make this?.

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

There is an adapter that screws into a medium base and coverts to mogul
check out westinghouse electrical on google. its there i just confirmed with my supply house
h

 

[Sunbiz1]

There is an adapter that screws into a medium base and coverts to mogul
check out westinghouse electrical on google. its there i just confirmed with my supply house
h

Can you fire up an HP bulb on a standard lamp(medium base)without a ballast etc?.

Without that, the adapter is useless.

 

[hiboy]

Can you fire up an HP bulb on a standard lamp(medium base)without a ballast etc?.

Without that, the adapter is useless.

no dude
its called a h.i.d. light for a reason. you need a ballast fo sho
h

 

[Sunbiz1]

no dude
its called a h.i.d. light for a reason. you need a ballast fo sho
h

Thanks, that tells me nothing.

I'll do it myself as usual...

 

[hiboy]

Ok sunbiz
how can i help you if you would like me too
you asked earlier if you can screw a mogul base into a medium base socket. yes you can i answered, with an adapter.
You see there are many types of bulbs that are h.i.d.= high intensity discharge
that are medium and mogul style sockets. So i assumed you had a h.i.d. lamp that needed to be converted to a different style socket.
yes you need a ballast for hps lamps and mh lamps. Theres no way around that
What are you trying to do?
h

 

[Sunbiz1]

Ok sunbiz
how can i help you if you would like me too
you asked earlier if you can screw a mogul base into a medium base socket. yes you can i answered, with an adapter.
You see there are many types of bulbs that are h.i.d.= high intensity discharge
that are medium and mogul style sockets. So i assumed you had a h.i.d. lamp that needed to be converted to a different style socket.
yes you need a ballast for hps lamps and mh lamps. Theres no way around that
What are you trying to do?
h

Sorry, I ran out of patience yesterday with this project after visiting 4 home improvement stores...lol. Actually, what I'm trying to do is fairly simple. The adapter you mentioned I have seen online, Home Depot etc don't carry a medium to mogul screw adapter. I don't believe I want that anyways b/c HPS bulbs only go up to 150W(I believe)with your standard medium base. That leaves me with no choice but to use a mogul fixture with the appropriate corresponding ballast for my 600W bulb....is this correct?

Any help is greatly appreciated,

J

 

[homebrew420]

For a mogul base lamp, you don't want to change anything. They are sized that way for a reason. Yes you will need a ballast as the HPS you are attempting to use requires higher voltage than what is available, as well as a capcitor for the striking/igiting. For suplimental lighting why not use some fluoros or cfls, both are cheap and easy to get a hold of. Hope this helps in some way

Peace

 

[Sunbiz1]

For a mogul base lamp, you don't want to change anything. They are sized that way for a reason. Yes you will need a ballast as the HPS you are attempting to use requires higher voltage than what is available, as well as a capcitor for the striking/igiting. For suplimental lighting why not use some fluoros or cfls, both are cheap and easy to get a hold of. Hope this helps in some way

Peace

Thanks,

However I've decided to utilize LED red spectrum to supplement natural sunlight during the Winter solstice period.

HPS...what to say about that?. 90% of the energy from an HPS bulb is wasted via heat production. Ballasts are expensive, and unless you are a commercial grower...HPS is a PIA. Sodium lighting wasn't even invented for growing, it's industrial/security lighting.

Again, thanks!

 

[hiboy]

yes technology is changing all the times so hopefully your l.e.d.will work for you. Alot less heat. I've always had great success with my hps lamps. Might be going vertical in the future so my plans are unknown at the time.
h

 

[Sunbiz1]

yes technology is changing all the times so hopefully your l.e.d.will work for you. Alot less heat. I've always had great success with my hps lamps. Might be going vertical in the future so my plans are unknown at the time.
h

High!...lol

Yep. I did a bit of homework and all I should need is to *supplement my natural south and east facing windows during the Winter solstice period(December/Jan).

The light emitting diode is fascinating. While HPS etc work, they are as inefficient in many respects as they are productive. For one, ballasts are not cheap and that is simply for starters. Heat is our enemy when it comes to artificial lighting b/c heat production is wasted energy.

Efficiency is maximization of our necessary photosynthesizing rays.

Although time will tell b/c I am also reading LED's do not penetrate from lamp distance to lower branches etc.

LOL, let the debate continue I guess.

 

[click80]

my bad, i totally missed the part where you mention it being a delta configuration.

this will help you understand things a bit better:

http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Feature_Article/840e2fe585c5a010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

so after you determine if everything is phased properly and that there are no other problems, you should be able to run your lights at 240v.

so again, you'd want a double pole breaker that would catch the AB, BC, or CA phases to give you 240v. B phase to neutral should give you 208v. you'd confirm this first by using a meter.

i am an electrician and I gotta give ya props for explaining this so good...i damn sure couldn't...very cool.

 

[1971]

thank you click :) it makes it easier for me to understand if i try to explain it to someone else.... practice is key. i also like how Hiboy explains things :)

it does help that i do commercial electrical :)