up my electrical capacity?

[greenguy]

So I would like to add a 600 watt grow tent to one of the rooms in my house with proper, fans, pumps ect...but I am worried that the rooms electrical capacity won't be able to handle the load as this room already trips the breaker on rare occasions. This is the only room available for the grow...

what steps should I take to up the electrical capacity of this room safely? I assume I will need an electrician as well, what would you speculate will be the end cost?

 

[osidecannabis]

you can get a sub-panel installed, i my old dual 600 room, i had a 70amp sub-panel for everything. had a friend/electrician install it, cost about 300, think that was a friend price.

 

[greenguy]

Can you please elaberate a bit? I am a total newb when it comes to electrical...not certain I know exactly what a sub is and the benefits of putting one in?

Additionally I should not that I would like to make this upgrade so that no one will notice...I simply want to make whatever standard home upgrade that I can to improve electrical capacity to this room

 

[UCtestn]

Buy a couple extension cord and run them in from other rooms?

Is that an option?

 

[hiboy]

Have an electrician add an outlet in the room. Wire to run from new outlet to the main panel. The outlet added will be 20 amp 120 volt. Tell him if (you dont want him knowing what your purpose is) your installing an excersing machine. You then can run your lights safely from that outlet.
hiboy

 

[ctrain2]

Finding a pot head master electrician is always hard but worth it. I pay my electrician in bud.

 

[mrbong73]

Check your panel for open spaces (where there are no circuit breakers). If it is full you may not be able to add a dedicated circuit without combining circuits on a split type breaker. You will need to be able to run a conduit from the panel to your grow room and either get it down inside the wall or surface mount a conduit and box on the wall. The usual route is through the attic.

or if you have a junction box in the attic that has a circuit that has less of a load you could come off that and down into your room. either way.

 

[greenguy]

Thank you for your advice fellaz, greatly appreciated!!!

There are open spaces for circuits and I suppose I can have an outlet put in fairly easily, will it be a problem if the room is no connected to the main house? its a detached garage...How much do you suppose it would cost to have this done?

Thank you again for you help

 

[mrbong73]

There are open spaces for circuits and I suppose I can have an outlet put in fairly easily, will it be a problem if the room is no connected to the main house? its a detached garage...How much do you suppose it would cost to have this done?

See if you can tell how the existing electrical is ran out there. It could be underground if you don't see anything overhead. If it's underground hopefully they put in a spare conduit for future use.
How far is the main panel from your garage? That will make a difference in the price.
If you can, have two (min.) dedicated circuits ran out there. One for lights and one for A/C. You could also have a sub panel installed out there and have plenty of power. Depending on service and existing consumption etc.

 

[hiboy]

Your prob up shitzzz creek now. Power needed in detached dwelling no sub panel and existing is individually fed from breakers. Grab a paddle , ur gona sink.
Gona be a headache i can feel ya now\\
hiboy

 

[mc_lazy_is]

My opinion is to just install a sub panel in your garage. Theres obviously power being ran in there if your already running things in there. So you need to get an electrician to install a sub panel and run lines from your main panel to your sub. Once you have done that thats when your electrician can install extra circuits. Depending on how much power you have on your main panel.

For my recent set up i had to upgrade to a 200 amp service from a 50 amp service. Then we ran 60 amps to my flower room to a sub panel and then ran 240/120v plugs around the room.

Panel upgrade cost me about 1500 but the sub panel installation should only cost you about 300-500. So if you already have enough power in your main panel just get a sub panel for 300-500 it would solve all your problems.

 

[hiboy]

My opinion is to just install a sub panel in your garage. Theres obviously power being ran in there if your already running things in there. So you need to get an electrician to install a sub panel and run lines from your main panel to your sub. Once you have done that thats when your electrician can install extra circuits. Depending on how much power you have on your main panel.

For my recent set up i had to upgrade to a 200 amp service from a 50 amp service. Then we ran 60 amps to my flower room to a sub panel and then ran 240/120v plugs around the room.

Panel upgrade cost me about 1500 but the sub panel installation should only cost you about 300-500. So if you already have enough power in your main panel just get a sub panel for 300-500 it would solve all your problems.

Good luck on repulling larger wires in the existing underground conduits for a sub panel.. Plan on digging a new trench with new power in it.
hiboy

 

[mc_lazy_is]

Re pulling underground conduit? most likely his garage is detached from the house which means electrical lines are running over the top. Im just saying if you could get an electrician to run a sub panel in there from your main you should be fine. Im no electrician but my buddy has a garage in his backyard he grows in and thats what his electrician did for him.

 

[greenguy]

does it help that there is a utility poll right next to the detached room???

 

[mrbong73]

does it help that there is a utility poll right next to the detached room???

The service needs to go through your meter first. Did you find out how the power is getting to the room now?

 

[greenguy]

comes into the room from the ground...

Problem with installing a sub panel is that I don't own the house I rent, a new outlet would likely go unnoticed but not a sub panel

Am I shit out of luck??? or is there anything I can do??? I really dont feel like I need that much more juice

 

[hiboy]

comes into the room from the ground...

Problem with installing a sub panel is that I don't own the house I rent, a new outlet would likely go unnoticed but not a sub panel

Am I shit out of luck??? or is there anything I can do??? I really dont feel like I need that much more juice

Thats what i meant about underground conduit, and repulling larger wires. Normally the shitz so old or too small u have to trench. You could run a cord from your house to the garage. Gfci protected and that would give u some more power.
hiboy

 

[greenguy]

This is what I will do thank you Hiboy!

 

[hiboy]

Sure bro,
but of course cords arent the safest (meaning the wire is just laying there) but if its plugged in to a gfci outlet your safety increases. Just make sure the gardner dont mow it over.
hiboy