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hey Cave..is it more electricity to start up a 1000 watt ballast then to keep it running i plan on turning off and on 1000 watt lights for SLT scattered lighting techinique....
Most ballasts run reasonably under 5 amps @ 220v and under 10 amps @ 120v. The correct answer is 8 1K's per 50 amp circuit....6 1K's per 40 amp...4 1K's per 30 amp; all of these higher amp circuits run on 2 legs of 120v i.e. 240 volts. The correct number for any 120v circuit, which only runs one hot leg of 120 volts is always 1K, whether it is a 20 amp or 15 amp there is only room for one 1k light.
So basically your answer is yes ballast take more energy to get started then to keep runninghey Cave..
Magnetics are going to have a higher root mean square (RMS) i.e. the average measure of juice to start-up @ somewhere close to 225%. Some digi's are soft start and claim to only use 50% and slowly ramp up. Some digi's are soft start and some are fast start and each one has diff specs..best to call the manufacturer if ya can not find the specs. Keep in mind that specs are written in perfect lab conditions..your rh and temp may affect that.
peace
^^^sorry just covering my ass in respect of the OP.So basically your answer is yes ballast take more energy to get started then to keep running
Thanks fishwhistle!Well said stickerdick,our resident sparky hiboy has been MIA for a minute and its kinda run amok in here.
Deniro,keep in mind that 240v can also be 3 wires hot/hot/grnd,dryer plugs and straight 240 is often run this way,i beleive the extra wire(neutral)comes into play when you have an appliance that uses both 120 and 240 like an electric oven or a lighting controller with both 120 and 240 plugs and like JK said remember the 80% rule!
first off you can get split breakers also called tangent and penut breakers, to fix the lack of room in your breaker box they have two circut slots on a normal sized breaker work great, dont use for 240vI'm looking to expand my room and I need some suggestions. Right now I have a 120v 15amp that I only run my window a/c and fans on. Then I have a 120v 20amp dedicated line that I ran myself under the guidance of an electrician who is a friend of a friend. He can't help me now because he lives up north. Anyway I'm looking to run 2x 1000w in there, and from what I've read here I don't think it would be safe on a single 20amp circuit. Believe it or not my main service is full, but I did find a 240v breaker that my outdoor sprinkler pump runs on. I've never used it since I moved in and don't plan to, so I could use that if I had to run another line. What would I need to do the job, and do I need to wire it to a receptacle or directly to a light controller? If you have any other tips or suggestions it would be much appreciated.
MG
Hello fellas! I have a project i am getting ready to start and need some advice. First I plan on running the grow room of a sub panel. I plan to start off with 3 Gavita pro 600w ballasts @ 240v. For the 120v circuits I plan to run 2 oscillating fans, 1 intake blower. I eventually want to add 2 more Gavita 600w lights and switch over to hydro in this room.
Can you recommend how I should go about this? Parts ect!
first off you can get split breakers also called tangent and penut breakers, to fix the lack of room in your breaker box they have two circut slots on a normal sized breaker work great, dont use for 240v
if your running 2 lights a dedicated 240V 20A cuirct is fine. It could probably handle 3 lights but I would put 25A breaker or it might be prone to trip. Be safe Make sure you use #12 gauge wire
12 gauge is rated for 20 Amps it can be run at any voltage but can no surpass 20AI already put in a tandem 20 amp 120v in a slot that originally just ran to a bathroom GFI. So I put a tandem 20amp breaker on it and ran 12/2 romex and put in a receptacle that I currently use to run only my lights, a 1000 and a 400. Easy peasy.
The only slot I think I have left is the one my sprinkler pump is on. I could just run my circuit and swap the wires out. I would just leave the wires to my sprinkler system disconnected and reconnect them if I ever leave or change my mind. so #12 gauge is OK to run 240v? I thought it had to be thicker for 240v.
I'm looking to expand my room and I need some suggestions. Right now I have a 120v 15amp that I only run my window a/c and fans on. Then I have a 120v 20amp dedicated line that I ran myself under the guidance of an electrician who is a friend of a friend. He can't help me now because he lives up north. Anyway I'm looking to run 2x 1000w in there, and from what I've read here I don't think it would be safe on a single 20amp circuit. Believe it or not my main service is full, but I did find a 240v breaker that my outdoor sprinkler pump runs on. I've never used it since I moved in and don't plan to, so I could use that if I had to run another line. What would I need to do the job, and do I need to wire it to a receptacle or directly to a light controller? If you have any other tips or suggestions it would be much appreciated.
MG
I would recommend finding a new electrician if ya wanna install the 220v line.
He will need to disconnect the sprinkler system circuit and if you wanted it to remain..leave the wire and label it. Run new 220v circuit using #10 AWG-CU from the existing 20 amp 220v breaker to your grow location. All new work will require 10-4 romex. It would be wise to have the run end @ a subpanel, but you can hard-wire a light controller. You will need a light controller that utilizes relays to time multiple lights.
I've read some talk about creating a subpanel earlier in this thread. I like that idea, but is there enough with 20 amps to need a subpanel? I haven't seen any light controllers that are less than 30 amps either. At the very least I would like to have a hard wired light controller.
The sub-panel would be a safety fixture in this scenario e.g. quick shut-offs, overload near water, etc; not a necessity. Have your electrician calculate your panel load..more than likely you will be able to install a double-pole 30 amp breaker in place of the 20 amp one...giving you more options. You could have a "dryer" plug receptacle installed at the end of this run, which some good light controllers use or for "a reason" for the work. You will be using 10-4 romex with the 30 amp as well, which by all accounts you could hard wire this to a controller. Wire size is determined by load, but the distance of the run is also a consideration; which will have to be determined by your guy.
As for controllers...Hiboy (thread OP) and "nowirenuts.com" are both great sources for custom controllers.
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