Grow Room Electrical

Rcubed · Oct 19, 2017

I've got a question. I'm setting up an 8X4 tent with 3 315 cmh fixtures. If I daisy chain these fixtures can I run them off of one Titan 734135 relay, or should I separate the lights and use one relay for each light? It says it's made to run 1 1000 watt ballast. I will be running them on 120v on a 20 amp circuit.

DemonTrich · Oct 19, 2017

Looks like its a light controller made to handle 1x 1k ballast with built in timer. What's the max amp load for that unit? If it were me personally, for peace of mind, id just score a normal 4 light controller and use that.

Rcubed · Oct 19, 2017

Not sure of the max amp load. I was just assuming it would be 8.3 (1,000/120v). You're probably right about the 4 light controllers, but I was trying to avoid hard wiring one of those. Also, one of those inline controllers goes for $38. Even with three I would only be at about $115 for the relays. I was planning on setting up a peg board inside the tent with the controller or controllers.

DemonTrich · Oct 19, 2017

You don't technically have to hard wire it. Can wire a plug to it, then into a receptacle as long as the amp draw is not over 80%. I have my light controller set up this way for my a.c. use plugged to my master green house controller.

Rcubed · Oct 19, 2017

Cool, I didn't know that. I was reading the manuals on those titan controllers and they all had them hard wired into the sub panel. I'm not too savvy on the electrical end. I think I can run up to 15 amps safely on a 20 amp circuit? What wire and plug do I need to pull it off?

Rcubed · Oct 19, 2017

Also, do I need the 4 light controller to be on a 40 amp circuit, or is that just the max load the controller can handle? My available circuit is a 20 amp.

DemonTrich · Oct 19, 2017

All depends on how much amps you plan on pulling. I have my flower room light controller on a 20 amp, running 4x315. My veg room runs another light controller off another 20 amp outlet for 3x315 cmh. My a.c. runs in another light controller on another 20 amp circuit. For the light controller for the ac setup, I swapped out the 30amp contact for a 40 amp contact for peace of mind from it switching on and off somewhat frequently.
All lower than the recommended 80% draw on a circuit.

Rcubed · Oct 19, 2017

First off, thanks a ton for your knowledge. As of now I plan to run 3 315 and maybe a 150w HPS (for heat in the winter) in one tent for both veg and flower. Also, I have 2 6" Hurricane fans. I'm not sure if I'll need the AC this fall and winter so I don't have that yet but I guess that might draw 8-10 amps. Maybe I can run all this with 2 20amp circuits? I know the sub panel to the garage is fed by a 60 amp breaker from the main panel but I also have a Washer and a gas dryer on one 20 amp circuit so I have about 40 amps to work with when the washer and dryer are in use.

DemonTrich · Oct 19, 2017

Np
Ive gotten a lot of electrical help myself and dont mind passing it forward. My 315 ballasts pull 2.89a @110 or 1.4a (i think) @240. Those # should represent most 315 cmh ballasts. Something to go by. If you have an 20a breaker, try to max out at only 16 amps. And most dryers are on a 30 amp 220 line, yours is 110?

Rcubed · Oct 20, 2017

.Yeah it's a gas dryer but it draws 6 amps @120

Great, that means I'll put the 3 315 and the 1 HPS on one controller for about 12.4 amps. Then I'll put the fans and the AC unit on the on the other 20 amp breaker. Those shouldn't be more than 11 or 12 amps I think. Maybe I'll have room for pumps on that one if I decide to try rdwc instead of soil.

Rcubed · Oct 20, 2017

Here's the sub panel. The two breakers on the bottom are spare 15 amp breakers not hooked to anything. I guess I can put 2 20 amp breakers there instead and run two circuits for the lights on one and the AC on the other?

DemonTrich · Oct 20, 2017

I was thinking you had a electric dryer. I used my old dryer plug to power my 220v 2 stage 65gal air compressor. I would piggyback off the dryer plug

Dan789 · Oct 20, 2017

Rcubed said:
Here's the sub panel. The two breakers on the bottom are spare 15 amp breakers not hooked to anything. I guess I can put 2 20 amp breakers there instead and run two circuits for the lights on one and the AC on the other?
View attachment 751404

You know that your panel will accept breakers opposite the sites where you’ve installed what you have? That way all those “Hot” tabs get covered up before you put the “dead front” , and cover for the panel back on.

Freshone · Oct 20, 2017

Dan789 said:
You know that your panel will accept breakers opposite the sites where you’ve installed what you have? That way all those “Hot” tabs get covered up before you put the “dead front” , and cover for the panel back on.

Not only that but you need to balance the panel so all draw is not coming off one hot leg and not the other,needs to be as close to 50/50 as possible,Easy to do in your case.

Rcubed · Oct 20, 2017

Dan789 said:
You know that your panel will accept breakers opposite the sites where you’ve installed what you have? That way all those “Hot” tabs get covered up before you put the “dead front” , and cover for the panel back on.

Freshone said:
Not only that but you need to balance the panel so all draw is not coming off one hot leg and not the other,needs to be as close to 50/50 as possible,Easy to do in your case.

Thanks, I guess I'll start by putting the 2 new 20 amp breakers on that side.

Dan789 · Oct 20, 2017

Rcubed said:
Thanks, I guess I'll start by putting the 2 new 20 amp breakers on that side.

Not to worry, loads are drawn off load centers “phases” as follows: where each of the breaker positions is indicated by the capital letters below. First level, all phase A, second level all phase B. Where two pole breakers are used it’s impossible this way not to have both phases.
A A
B B
A A
B B

Freshone · Oct 20, 2017

Dan is right i can see the legs in your panel now that I look.

Rcubed · Oct 20, 2017

Freshone said:
Dan is right i can see the legs in your panel now that I look.

I appreciate learning from all you guys. I'll post pics when I get this set up. Best to run 12/2 MC ?

Dan789 · Oct 21, 2017

12/2 for 20/1 circuits, 14/2 for 15/1 circuits. The term “MC” is for metal clad, which if your running exposed would be OK as long as it fits the NEC’s (National Electrical Code) permitted uses, which I think does. {my preference for surface or exposed installs would be in EMT/conduit}
Make sure you get the boxes and connectors right as you’ll have a better, safer install using all the right parts.
Note: the guy working the electrical department at HD isn’t the best reference in many cases where there are questions on Electrical installs, get a DIY or reference book where someone has gone on record with that install advice.
Either that or obtain the services of one of the many skilled Electricians across the country. Good luck.

Rcubed · Nov 12, 2017

Ok after some reading and youtube videos I got to work. I put in a tandem 20 amp breaker and ran 12 mc to outlet boxes. Here's a pic.

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