My lights have started tripping????

[Moonshineman]

Guys
I got 5 Deep Chunk under 600w. I visited the room today to find no lights on and the main switch on my fuseboard had flipped. I thought I just needed to reset it but that didn't work.
The 600w(lamp and ballast) I'm using is getting a little old so I tried a newer more sophisticated lamp and ballast but that didn't work either. This really threw me.
I have been using this room for 7 years and have run as much as 1800w along with dehumidifiers fans and whatnot with no trouble.
Anyone got any ideas what could be going on????:sweating

 

[up yours]

I take that you plugged in your equip testing it elsewhere and it came on ? Let's start there

 

[up yours]

And do you have a test light poss.

 

[Seamaiden]

Is there a chance that there's a GFCI on that line that could be tripped? That, or I'd wonder if some wiring has fried and it's tripping the breaker. First I'd take the lighting unit to a known good outlet to make sure it's working before I suspect it's the unit, especially if you've tried two lighting units on that same power supply and neither works.

 

[up yours]

What she said glad your back on today I will let you get this peace love joy

 

[sky high]

If you've used it for 7 years the wires at the outlet may have gotten hot/brittle and may be shorting out in some manner...or may have fried the outlet itself.

another idea....I've had the wires inside of the reflector (esp. on cool tubes) get brittle over time and fail to pass current.... so check there also.

^^^^^ good info above ^^^

good luck

s h

 

[Moonshineman]

I take that you plugged in your equip testing it elsewhere and it came on ? Let's start there

Yeah just ran an extension lead to the room and the light came on. Its not the light so but the electrics.
Question now is Is it something I can fix myself because I can't be bringin an electrician to the grow.

 

[FLB]

I would change out the outlet and replace the breaker in panel as well. They wear out over time especially under lots of load.

 

[dentonland]

i am an electrician.... a 20 amp circuit can hold 2400 watts max. 120v x 20 amp is 2400 watts. Add up your watts and see if your close. if you are your breaker might be weak. you never want to go the full 2400watts either. only 80% which is in the 1800 watts area,. Long cords can create problems but nothing under 50 feet should affect you
goodluck

 

[Moonshineman]

Ok. I switched the outlet I was using (I have 3 double sockets in the room) and things seem to be back on track. Should I just replace the socket that was giving me trouble? Changing the breaker sounds scary for a novice electrician.

 

[Seamaiden]

I live in a 6yo house in which we've had more electrical problems than I have encountered except in homes with those push-button light switches. It's been unbelievable the number of failures we've had. Currently, the back deck outlet and the dining room light have died (yet, the light is part of the ceiling fan unit and the fan works just fine). Flip light switches and sometimes hear a sizzling sound, our furnace wiring fried three years ago, same with the septic tank pumps. The shoddy work performed, and this is the worst part about it, inspected and PASSED, boggles my mind.

That's why I'm thinking there's a problem with a GFCI or the wiring, I've spent too many hours tracking down a problem only to discover it's the wiring in the wall. Those assholes. Sorry, gotta vent about those idiots, I could have done a better job wiring up this house. Assholes.

And you should see the drywall.

 

[tortuga1503]

Im not a electrician but I have had issues with GFI outlets. I once had a problem with one so I took it out put one of the old school cheapies in. No problems after that.

 

[Moonshineman]

I live in a 6yo house in which we've had more electrical problems than I have encountered except in homes with those push-button light switches. It's been unbelievable the number of failures we've had. Currently, the back deck outlet and the dining room light have died (yet, the light is part of the ceiling fan unit and the fan works just fine). Flip light switches and sometimes hear a sizzling sound, our furnace wiring fried three years ago, same with the septic tank pumps. The shoddy work performed, and this is the worst part about it, inspected and PASSED, boggles my mind.

That's why I'm thinking there's a problem with a GFCI or the wiring, I've spent too many hours tracking down a problem only to discover it's the wiring in the wall. Those assholes. Sorry, gotta vent about those idiots, I could have done a better job wiring up this house. Assholes.

And you should see the drywall.

Holy Moly, thats a sickener. I gotta ask though what is a "GFCI"?
Sorry but I don't live in the states and the terminology is different

 

[sky high]

I'm not a sparky....but this is my understanding:

"Ground Fault Curcuit interrupt" = GFCI

Here in the US they are outlets with a black and red reset button built in between the outlet jacks (or at the breaker itself) and are (by codes) located anywhere the outlet/curcuit is near a water source...like the kitchen or a bathroom. They are also located on most, if not all hair dryers and bathroom appliances...curling irons/etc...built into the cord/plug .

When anything electrical plugged into this curcuit shorts out it trips the "interrupt" on the spot....rather than the current going through the wiring to the breaker box/etc.

good luck

s h

 

[dentonland]

The breaker is easy to do..just flip off the main breaker and your whole panel is dead.. then unscrew the screw by the wire that goes into it and pull out the breaker. they typically pull out from the side opposite side of the wire... and reinstall new reverse order. Change any sockets that are burned, discolored etc.
good luck

 

[Spliff-killa]

Hey Moon, I'm no electrican, but I have changed out my breakers, sockets and even minor wiring. Not easy if you don't really know what you are doing, but play it safe turn EVERYTHING off(at main breaker). Like if you took apart a toy and put it back together, hard at first easier as you go. I kept tripping breakers so I had to upgrade, was nervous at first, thought I was going to eclectrocute myself. But I'm still here!

 

[TheGreenHand]

Moon looks like you have alot of friendly advice and all looks good too, but if all else fails check your breakers for that part of the house. It might be a good idea to just get an electrician out to re-wire your house. Last thing ya want is to wake up in a bed of flames.

 

[FLB]

Newer codes require GFCI on all bath, kitchen, bedroom and exterior circuits. This can be in the form of a protected outlet or a protected breaker in the panel. If you don't have hot, nuetral and a ground in your wiring you should consider rewiring the house especially where high wattage will be used. Tv's, microwaves, grow rooms, etc..

Sorry your having such problems with your electrical in your house seamaiden. It is a sign that there is probably shoddy work elsewhere. Contractor cutting corners/hiring the cheapest labor possible. Maybe you should buy a carbon monoxide tester and check all gas lines for leaks.

 

[Seamaiden]

You've got that right, FLB. Hubby's been going through all the systems, bit by bit. Fortunately, we're on propane and they used the supplier to install the lines, it's one of the few things we haven't had a problem with.

 

[up yours]

damn si sorry it is all to common in contrction to happrn it is why I rent instead of own my own house and mine was paid for