Grow Room Electrical

[hiboy]

@hiboy I had a quick question, how much would it cost me to upgrade a 100amp panel to 200 amp panel?
Been looking at houses to buy and all I've seen is 100 ampers and I need 50 amps just for my lights.:speechless:

Depending if its surface mount or flush mount I normally charge about 2 grand without stucco repair

 

[hiboy]

Is there any safety reason that you shouldnt do it that way hiboy?just curious,mine works fine that way.

You're supposed to have a ground through the panel if it's PvC that means there's no ground old school was using rigid for the ground

 

[hiboy]

Another question for Hiboy; doesn't a main panel need to be grounded to a rod in the ground as well as have a ground wire running back to the meter? So if I replace the ground in the cable from the meter to a grounded rod at the main panel should the ground bar be bonded to the box or not?

Yes you have to have a ground rod or a upher ground. You also need a wire bonded to your cold water pipe coming into the house normally within 5 feet of service entrance. Also in some counties you are supposed to bond the cold water pipe to the gas pipe and also to the hot water pipe at the hot water heater

 

[hiboy]

Whole new problem. I could've sworn I had a full size ground with the leg of the cable that runs under the road. But it only a twisted copper #10. I was going to use it as the neutral.
So here's where I need advise.
The total run meter to panel is 150'.
About 50 ' goes under the road. I'm going to dig it up. My grow room is small I figure tops it'll draw 30 amps. (2 1000w lights plus fans etc). I'm using #6 wire to the road.
#8 wire runs the last 50' under the road. It would simplify things and save some money if I could use #8 wire for that 50'. Or do I really need to get some #6 wire?

Is that wire you were talking about connected the whole way because if you run most everything at 240v you could derate the neutral to number 10

 

[dorjewright]

Is that wire you were talking about connected the whole way because if you run most everything at 240v you could derate the neutral to number 10

Only the lights are 240v; but good news I only have to buy 100' of #6 wire for the 2 hots because I can use the existing # 8s for the neutral and ground, panel to meter.

 

[usstoner]

Don't use a ground wire as a neutral...you'll get someone killed!!!

 

[dorjewright]

Don't use a ground wire as a neutral...you'll get someone killed!!!

Not what I ment. 1 wire for neutral another for the ground.

 

[hiboy]

Only the lights are 240v; but good news I only have to buy 100' of #6 wire for the 2 hots because I can use the existing # 8s for the neutral and ground, panel to meter.

#6 rated to 50 amps

 

[dorjewright]

#6 rated to 50 amps

Is it acceptable to use #8 wire for the last 50' of the run or will I get too much voltage drop?

 

[superskunk4u]

Hi all, Just wanting to know how many car batteries would I need to produce 1000w for 12 hr ( 2x300w light and a basic fan system and a lil bit of juice left over) and how big of a panel would you need to re-charge the system or yet again instead of using a solar panel have running water through a pump that the system powers and use a paddle and alternator to charge the whole thing thought i would put it out there see if its worth doing on a "micro-grow" scale..... is this possible ( its amazing the things you think about when blazed lol )

 

[Basic Buds]

Hi all, Just wanting to know how many car batteries would I need to produce 1000w for 12 hr ( 2x300w light and a basic fan system and a lil bit of juice left over) and how big of a panel would you need to re-charge the system or yet again instead of using a solar panel have running water through a pump that the system powers and use a paddle and alternator to charge the whole thing thought i would put it out there see if its worth doing on a "micro-grow" scale..... is this possible ( its amazing the things you think about when blazed lol )

Shop for a Capacitor. That will also help

 

[hiboy]

Is it acceptable to use #8 wire for the last 50' of the run or will I get too much voltage drop?

You are only supposed to derate the wire within 3 feet of termination.
If you are only on 40 amp then you're okay 50 amp by code your not

 

[hiboy]

Hi all, Just wanting to know how many car batteries would I need to produce 1000w for 12 hr ( 2x300w light and a basic fan system and a lil bit of juice left over) and how big of a panel would you need to re-charge the system or yet again instead of using a solar panel have running water through a pump that the system powers and use a paddle and alternator to charge the whole thing thought i would put it out there see if its worth doing on a "micro-grow" scale..... is this possible ( its amazing the things you think about when blazed lol )

That's not my specialty car batteries I can't comment on you maybe someone else can

 

[MSH]

I'm building out a basement room that'll be running up to 10kw (lights, fans etc). The main panel is on the third floor of my house and my plan is to run wires down to the basement and install a sub panel inside the bloom room with a built in timer for 12/12 (should a skip the built in timer and just get a light controller?). How big do the wires and breakers need to be? Is there anything else I need to take care of? Is there something else you would do @hiboy? I know little about electricity and want to know what to tell my electrician to do, thanks!

Just #2
#4 will get u 90 amp
13000 watts / 230v= 56 amps
You would save a little $ with #4 wire.
Hb

What up @hiboy, thanks for all your help on my previous questions, I hope you can help me with this one:

The main panel on the third floor is 63 amps (3x 10 amps, 1 for each floor, 1x 25 amps for oven, 1x 20 amps for the washing machine) and then I found out there's a small sub panel in the basement (just next to the bloom room) which has 3 breakers (washing maching and some other stuff) - Like I said in my post above I wanted to install a sub panel for the bloom room in the basement - Can I somehow use this already existing sub panel to do so?

 

[hiboy]

What up @hiboy, thanks for all your help on my previous questions, I hope you can help me with this one:

The main panel on the third floor is 63 amps (3x 10 amps, 1 for each floor, 1x 25 amps for oven, 1x 20 amps for the washing machine) and then I found out there's a small sub panel in the basement (just next to the bloom room) which has 3 breakers (washing maching and some other stuff) - Like I said in my post above I wanted to install a sub panel for the bloom room in the basement - Can I somehow use this already existing sub panel to do so?

What size breaker controls the sub panel I've never heard of a 63 amp breaker before

 

[MSH]

What size breaker controls the sub panel I've never heard of a 63 amp breaker before

I took pictures of the sub panel and of the main 63A breaker.

Sub panel is on a 20 amp breaker.

 

[MSH]

Looks like only one breaker is in use on the sub panel, right?

First one says: washing machine
second: dryer
third: electric socket

 

[Smokey503ski]

@hiboy or anyone that has done this...
I recently acquired a new spot to grow in.
12'x22' garage/shop.
The homeowner gave me the ok to do whatever I want with the place.
It currently has a subpanel with two 15 amp 120v circuits.
The garage is about 15'-20' from the house.
I'm in need of 100 amps. The house only has 100 amps.
My options are to upgrade the panel to 200 amps and run a sub panel to the garage.
Or a separate meter ran to the shop with my own service.
We called the electric company and they will call us in a couple days to setup a appointment to come out.
Which option would be cheaper?
Rough estimate on the Electric company doing there work? It has overhead power lines. Not sure if that matters or not.
If you can help me with some insight on making this work, it will help me ease my mind.
Thank you.

Edit:
18 600 watt lights
5 tons A/C minisplit or the whole house type.
Other random 120v equipment also.

 

[hiboy]

Looks like only one breaker is in use on the sub panel, right?

First one says: washing machine
second: dryer
third: electric socket

Honestly all of that is Braille to me I'm in the United States and that's all I know and I know that very well but the picture you're showing me are nothing like it is over here plus you can't even see what's going on inside the panel I'm sorry I can't help you on that one

 

[hiboy]

@hiboy or anyone that has done this...
I recently acquired a new spot to grow in.
12'x22' garage/shop.
The homeowner gave me the ok to do whatever I want with the place.
It currently has a subpanel with two 15 amp 120v circuits.
The garage is about 15'-20' from the house.
I'm in need of 100 amps. The house only has 100 amps.
My options are to upgrade the panel to 200 amps and run a sub panel to the garage.
Or a separate meter ran to the shop with my own service.
We called the electric company and they will call us in a couple days to setup a appointment to come out.
Which option would be cheaper?
Rough estimate on the Electric company doing there work? It has overhead power lines. Not sure if that matters or not.
If you can help me with some insight on making this work, it will help me ease my mind.
Thank you.

Edit:
18 600 watt lights
5 tons A/C minisplit or the whole house type.
Other random 120v equipment also.

Getting another meter at the same residence is not easy even if it's a building I would probably do a 200 amp upgrade and refeed the grow area with number 2 wire which would give you 125 amps.