Grow Room Electrical

dorjewright · Feb 18, 2016

I think I'm begining to figure this out. In the existing sub panel the neutral and grounds are wired separate (I installed a separate ground bar). I believe this is correct for a sub panel.
When I rewire this "sub panel" with power directly from the meter the neutral and grounds will be connected - and I will remove the separate ground bar - lower left. This will then be the same configuration as the main panel in the house where the neutral and grounds are connected.

GRAPEGODaero · Feb 19, 2016

Hi i have. A question that i cant find help searching for. Is there a way to make a power box to run 2 1000 watt hps off a 20 amp circuit that can be plugged into 120v outlet thx in advance.

fishwhistle · Feb 19, 2016

GRAPEGODaero said:
Hi i have. A question that i cant find help searching for. Is there a way to make a power box to run 2 1000 watt hps off a 20 amp circuit that can be plugged into 120v outlet thx in advance.

There are not enough amps on 1 20amp circuit to safely run 2-1ks,they take a little less than 10 amps each@120v.With any circuit you should figure in a 20% safety factor so with 20 amps thats 4 amps so that leaves you only 16amps you can safely use.

GRAPEGODaero · Feb 19, 2016

fishwhistle said:
There are not enough amps on 1 20amp circuit to safely run 2-1ks,they take a little less than 10 amps each@120v.With any circuit you should figure in a 20% safety factor so with 20 amps thats 4 amps so that leaves you only 16amps you can safely use.

So u cant use a relay somehow? Im not familiar with how that all works but was just hoping there was a way.

GRAPEGODaero · Feb 19, 2016

fishwhistle said:
There are not enough amps on 1 20amp circuit to safely run 2-1ks,they take a little less than 10 amps each@120v.With any circuit you should figure in a 20% safety factor so with 20 amps thats 4 amps so that leaves you only 16amps you can safely use.

So 1600 watts will that still let them run full power and not dim out

hiboy · Feb 19, 2016

dorjewright said:
I think I'm begining to figure this out. In the existing sub panel the neutral and grounds are wired separate (I installed a separate ground bar). I believe this is correct for a sub panel.
When I rewire this "sub panel" with power directly from the meter the neutral and grounds will be connected - and I will remove the separate ground bar - lower left. This will then be the same configuration as the main panel in the house where the neutral and grounds are connected.

No all sub panels are separate like it is now only the main panel are connected

hiboy · Feb 19, 2016

GRAPEGODaero said:
Hi i have. A question that i cant find help searching for. Is there a way to make a power box to run 2 1000 watt hps off a 20 amp circuit that can be plugged into 120v outlet thx in advance.

Two 1000 watt HPS lamp will draw 16.666 amps and then if you add the ballasts of another half amp or so you are over the safety factor but it might hold but I'm supposed to tell you No
but if you're breaker trips then it trips

hiboy · Feb 19, 2016

GRAPEGODaero said:
So u cant use a relay somehow? Im not familiar with how that all works but was just hoping there was a way.

No

hiboy · Feb 19, 2016

GRAPEGODaero said:
So u cant use a relay somehow? Im not familiar with how that all works but was just hoping there was a way.

If your 120 volt outlet is a dedicated line you could switch it to a 240-volt by phasing the neutral to a hot.

GRAPEGODaero · Feb 19, 2016

hiboy said:
If your 120 volt outlet is a dedicated line you could switch it to a 240-volt by phasing the neutral to a hot.

I guess not really a dedicated line, there are other outlets but i only have the 1000 and my feed pump on the circuit. I could run an ext cord but you know how sloppy that can be.
What do u mean by phasing the neut to a hot?

hiboy · Feb 20, 2016

GRAPEGODaero said:
I guess not really a dedicated line, there are other outlets but i only have the 1000 and my feed pump on the circuit. I could run an ext cord but you know how sloppy that can be.
What do u mean by phasing the neut to a hot?

You take the neutral wire out of the neutral bar and put it in a breaker which will create your second line of 120 volt
But you cannot do that since you have multiple outlets on it

GrowGod · Feb 28, 2016

hiboy said:
Sorry I just got back from Vegas today
The 50 amp 240 breaker has nothing to do with the 120 volt outlet I believe it goes straight from the panel to the light controller and then you have a cord hanging out of the light controller that is plugged into a timer and then into the outlet correct
Find a hot outlet that is working for sure and plug your lighting cord into it your lights should turn on. You are probably going to need to buy an electrical tester which is a handheld unit with 2 cords on it that you will touch to the neutral and the hot or the hot & the ground.
You can also test it at the breaker but I don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with for safety reasons
Hb

So I have power going into the 100 amp breaker box, but when I touch the 50 amp breaker I got no juice. So is there something that can fail in the inside the panel to cause no juice to one side of the panel?

hiboy · Feb 28, 2016

GrowGod said:
So I have power going into the 100 amp breaker box, but when I touch the 50 amp breaker I got no juice. So is there something that can fail in the inside the panel to cause no juice to one side of the panel?

Possibly the breaker feeding ur sub is partially tripped. Reset off then on. I love Vegas

fishwhistle · Feb 28, 2016

Hiboy,How important is balancing a sub panel?I have a 30A 240 for lights,is it okay to have the 20A 240 for A/C on the same side or is there a reason to put it on the other side opposite?125A sub,Im not using the room and ac on the other side of the panel right now so the draws all from 1 side for the most part,easy switch if i have to,thanks.

GrowGod · Feb 28, 2016

hiboy said:
Possibly the breaker feeding ur sub is partially tripped. Reset off then on. I love Vegas

Yes I tried that, I even pulled the feed breaker off reinstalled. There is two 20 amp breakers working on the panel, but the rest are not. I even tried a different slot for the 50amp breaker and nothing.
Is it possible something broke or came loose on the sub panel? And also keep in mind all the breakers worked when I first started growing in there, after it was getting to cold though I plugged in a heater and the next day everything was off.

GrowGod · Mar 1, 2016

Will try to reset the 100 amp breaker in the main box tomorrow, but if all else fails can i wire my 50amp cord to the 100amp feed wire? :opps:

Natural · Mar 1, 2016

GrowGod said:
Will try to reset the 100 amp breaker in the main box tomorrow, but if all else fails can i wire my 50amp cord to the 100amp feed wire? :opps:

sounds like Hiboy is busy with the one armed bandit..lol
I feel for ya bro..you've got to test each leg coming into your main and each leg coming into your sub. If half the main is working it could be that you blew a disconnect (these are those big fuses that are commonly used on hvac systems but sometimes can be found for main service too) in between your main and meter. Or your Sub feeder breaker is partially tripped. Is it possible that a breaker is bad..well not all of them are created equally. I wouldn't rule it out. Main thing is to reset your main and reset your subpanel feeder breaker. and test test test each feeder wire should tell you the story..be prudent and careful

GrowGod · Mar 2, 2016

Natural said:
sounds like Hiboy is busy with the one armed bandit..lol
I feel for ya bro..you've got to test each leg coming into your main and each leg coming into your sub. If half the main is working it could be that you blew a disconnect (these are those big fuses that are commonly used on hvac systems but sometimes can be found for main service too) in between your main and meter. Or your Sub feeder breaker is partially tripped. Is it possible that a breaker is bad..well not all of them are created equally. I wouldn't rule it out. Main thing is to reset your main and reset your subpanel feeder breaker. and test test test each feeder wire should tell you the story..be prudent and careful

I have not tried resetting the subpanel breaker from the main box but I will do tomorrow. Theres a good chance that is the problem.will report back

DjangoNugs · Mar 3, 2016

So I hope I'm not repeating this question but I couldn't find anything on this ginormous 43 page thread or ,anywhere else for that matter, on these 240v duplex receptacles. When wiring them do they have one hot to the top receptacle and one to the bottom; or both hots going to the top(or bottom) receptacle screws? They're aren't any other loads before or after this single duplex receptacle.
Thanks in advance, and for all the good info thus far hiboy and friends.

GrowGod · Mar 3, 2016

@Natural @hiboy
Think I figured it out.
That's the breaker that feeds the subpanel. I can't find a 100amp breaker anywhere on the main panel. So a 50 amp breaker was feeding the 100 amp breaker panel. That's some scary shit right? The wire also looks like 50 amp and not 100amp:opps:

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