Can I Run More Lights?

[Inepsa]

Hello,

 

I have a few questions about lighting and breaker boxes. My current grow room is run off a 15 amp breaker. We have 2 400w lights, 1 4' 4 bulb fluorescent and 3 pumps plugged into this one breaker. Should I upgrade this breaker? Also, we have another patient to care for and I am starting another grow room. I plan on using 600w lights, 2 of them to be exact.

 

Will I need to upgrade the breaker in that room? Or is 15 amps enough for what im doing?

[old-hobo]

NEVER PUT A LARGER AMP BREAKER IN THE PLACE OF A SMALLER AMP BREAKER , you will heat up the wiring and may cause a fire , put in another breaker and run another line to your lights

[Inepsa]

NEVER PUT A LARGER AMP BREAKER IN THE PLACE OF A SMALLER AMP BREAKER , you will heat up the wiring and may cause a fire , put in another breaker and run another line to your lights

 

Would you recommend running a separate breaker for just my lights? I have two rooms that would need that done too. I have a certified electrician I can have come out to do stuff for me, I just need to know what to tell him to do Thanks for your help.

[Dman]

Yes run a separate line to the lights. And keep your smaller equipment on another circuit. Don't forget to leave a spot for a radio those long pruning days get crazy...

[Inepsa]

Yes run a separate line to the lights. And keep your smaller equipment on another circuit. Don't forget to leave a spot for a radio those long pruning days get crazy...

 

 

I will look into the cost of running a seperate line for all my lights. Will have to be on two breakers I would assume, one for my upstairs room, and one for the downstairs room.

 

I know what you mean! Pruning takes forever, but its super fun for me and my dad to sit their and trim.

[mibrains]

your electrician will help you determine the load the lines will carry.

not to worry.

i would defiantly run a separate line if your running multiple lights. all home wires tend to heat up quickly with Hid lights and much caution and planning needs to be taken to design a safe grow space.

the math isn't complicated and any electrician should be able to add up your loads and install a circuit or 2 or 3 when necessary.

i just had to add a line to mine because i added a 400w HPS to the flower and it was 200W over. i accidentally fried my timer and almost made a huge mistake.

check your numbers

twice

then you wont have to worry.

 

 

 

 

[Jipo]

Your best bet is going to be run a small 20amp 240v breaker over to the room, install enough plugs for your HID lights and convert them all over to 240, that will cut your amperage in about half. a 20amp 240v breaker will easily handle (3) 1000w lamps at 4.5a ea and (1) 400w lamp at 2.5amps (I think a 600 may be 2.5 and 400w less too) Which would be about the max (~16amps on a 20amp 240v line)

[Inepsa]

your electrician will help you determine the load the lines will carry.

not to worry.

i would defiantly run a separate line if your running multiple lights. all home wires tend to heat up quickly with Hid lights and much caution and planning needs to be taken to design a safe grow space.

the math isn't complicated and any electrician should be able to add up your loads and install a circuit or 2 or 3 when necessary.

i just had to add a line to mine because i added a 400w HPS to the flower and it was 200W over. i accidentally fried my timer and almost made a huge mistake.

check your numbers

twice

then you wont have to worry.

 

 

 

 

 

well ive been running the 400w lights on this circuit for two entire grows now. The house was wired by the same electrician that will be coming out to help me. It was a custom built and wired house, from the ground up.

[affordablemimeds]

Your best bet is going to be run a small 20amp 240v breaker over to the room, install enough plugs for your HID lights and convert them all over to 240, that will cut your amperage in about half. a 20amp 240v breaker will easily handle (3) 1000w lamps at 4.5a ea and (1) 400w lamp at 2.5amps (I think a 600 may be 2.5 and 400w less too) Which would be about the max (~16amps on a 20amp 240v line)

This can be a little misleading. When you talk about a 20 amp 110 breaker, and a 20 amp 220 breaker. You are talking 2 differant things. You are just splitting the amps over 2 circuts instead of 1. So if you wired 2 110 circuts you can run just as many lights. And changing all the plugs and cords to 220 has a cost. Your electrian should be able to help you figure this out.

[Jipo]

This can be a little misleading. When you talk about a 20 amp 110 breaker, and a 20 amp 220 breaker. You are talking 2 differant things. You are just splitting the amps over 2 circuts instead of 1. So if you wired 2 110 circuts you can run just as many lights. And changing all the plugs and cords to 220 has a cost. Your electrian should be able to help you figure this out.

 

No I wasn't saying to replace the existing circuit. But to run a separate circuit @ 220v for just the lights. I just did the exact same thing for my room, all the existing plugs are on a 15amp 110 circuit, then I ran a 40amp circuit into my grow room into another breaker box, in that box I have 2 x 20amp 240v circuits with just the 240v plugs for the lights and nothing else. If she were to run another circuit, to run a new one at 110 would be foolish you would just be overloading 2 circuits, 220v will essential cut the amperage of the lamps in half, which will be the same load on the circuit as it would any other circuit but the circuit can handle a lot more then the old.

 

So old circuit and plugs remain untouched. You would need a 220 20amp breaker and 2 open slots in the breaker box, run the wire from that breaker into the grow room, and then wire the 220v plugs in. Leave all your 110v accessories, pumps, fans etc.. on the original circuit, and run just your lamps on the new circuit.

[The Digital Nomad]

.... I am starting another grow room. I plan on using 600w lights, 2 of them to be exact.

 

Will I need to upgrade the breaker in that room? Or is 15 amps enough for what im doing?

 

I put each 600watt light system on one circuit. A circuit is the line coming from the fuse panel, the room is fed by two circuits, or lines from the fuse panel.

Now, these lines run through the house, so I also have to consider everyday items that could be plugged into the circuit enroute to the grow room. So by only putting one 600 watt light system on one circuit, it leaves amps to work with. On 110v the Lumatek 600watt ballast is running about 5.5 - 6.2 amps (depends who you ask) - thats on the home 15amp breaker - still within the 80% limit. I can still add a fan, a small blower motor on timer, and even use a desk lamp plugged into that circuit. But, I cannot plug a vacum cleaner into the circuit - it will trip the breaker!

If you had both 600watt lamps plugged into one 15amp breaker line - thats almost 11 to 12.5 amps - too close to the 80% load limit.

 

You can swap out the 15amp breaker for a 20amp - but all the outlets and switches in the circuit would have to be upgraded to 20amp components. Common light switches and outlets are rated at 15amps, they will be the weak point in the 20amp upgrade, the wire can handle the load, but not the lower rated components - you can do this yourself..

 

The best option is to tap into the 30amp DRYER circuit with a cable and box to lead to the grow room. It is obvious - you do not run the DRYER while the grow room is operational - thats not too hard to do. The power box can then feed 20amp easily.

 

Always consult an electrican - a wrong mistake will burn your house down, the circuit will burn inside the walls - thats pretty Fuxored.. Post on www.thc4u.com - we have several cardholding, electricans who can be discreet and knowledgeable.

 

-DN

[Jipo]

I put each 600watt light system on one circuit. A circuit is the line coming from the fuse panel, the room is fed by two circuits, or lines from the fuse panel.

Now, these lines run through the house, so I also have to consider everyday items that could be plugged into the circuit enroute to the grow room. So by only putting one 600 watt light system on one circuit, it leaves amps to work with. On 110v the Lumatek 600watt ballast is running about 5.5 - 6.2 amps (depends who you ask) - thats on the home 15amp breaker - still within the 80% limit. I can still add a fan, a small blower motor on timer, and even use a desk lamp plugged into that circuit. But, I cannot plug a vacum cleaner into the circuit - it will trip the breaker!

If you had both 600watt lamps plugged into one 15amp breaker line - thats almost 11 to 12.5 amps - too close to the 80% load limit.

 

You can swap out the 15amp breaker for a 20amp - but all the outlets and switches in the circuit would have to be upgraded to 20amp components. Common light switches and outlets are rated at 15amps, they will be the weak point in the 20amp upgrade, the wire can handle the load, but not the lower rated components - you can do this yourself..

 

The best option is to tap into the 30amp DRYER circuit with a cable and box to lead to the grow room. It is obvious - you do not run the DRYER while the grow room is operational - thats not too hard to do. The power box can then feed 20amp easily.

 

Always consult an electrican - a wrong mistake will burn your house down, the circuit will burn inside the walls - thats pretty Fuxored.. Post on www.thc4u.com - we have several cardholding, electricans who can be discreet and knowledgeable.

 

-DN

 

Switching a 15amp circuit to 20 amp requires you change all the wiring on that circuit unless the 15amp was wired with 14ga wire. 20amps require 12ga wire. To gut old wire and run new is going to be way more work then all the other options.

[Inepsa]

Switching a 15amp circuit to 20 amp requires you change all the wiring on that circuit unless the 15amp was wired with 14ga wire. 20amps require 12ga wire. To gut old wire and run new is going to be way more work then all the other options.

 

Thanks. No way im gutting wire, all the bedrooms in my house were run with 12ga wire. I wont have to change the breaker tho, Im just going to have him run separate wires to my lights.

[The Digital Nomad]

Thanks. No way im gutting wire, all the bedrooms in my house were run with 12ga wire. I wont have to change the breaker tho, Im just going to have him run separate wires to my lights.

 

BTW, opening an outlet (not a light switch) and read the label on the wiring. In most cases, OUTLET wiring is 12ga - while LIGHT wiring is 14ga. They figured lights will not need the extra gauge wiring for heavy loads - as often as devices PLUGGED into outlets could cause - ie - your high amp vacum cleaner. If the circuit is wired for lights, you could find 14ga wiring, and thus the upgrade to 20amps is a no-no. But - check your OUTLETS, they may be wired with 12ga.

 

That should clear that issue up.

 

-DN

[affordablemimeds]

Another 110 line is the easist and cheapest way to go. Even the 1000 watters come ready for 110. When I set up a friends room I ran a 50 amp #6 wire to a 12 place subpanel. You can wire what you want from there. And being a finished basement it would be useless to have a 220 circut in the walls when you resale. If all your ballest are in the same spot than 220 is the way. But in this case pulling a #12 wire for 2 new plugs, less than 100$

[affordablemimeds]

Thanks. No way im gutting wire, all the bedrooms in my house were run with 12ga wire. I wont have to change the breaker tho, Im just going to have him run separate wires to my lights.

After you get this done let us know which way your guy does it. Stay safe

[grewett]

Keep the electrician involved. Give him the facts, your needs, and let him give you all your safe options with advantages/disadvantages. I have known several former growers who researched and then rewired on their own. A couple of them had the ultimate humiliation of their grow and house burning down around them.

[Inepsa]

BTW, opening an outlet (not a light switch) and read the label on the wiring. In most cases, OUTLET wiring is 12ga - while LIGHT wiring is 14ga. They figured lights will not need the extra gauge wiring for heavy loads - as often as devices PLUGGED into outlets could cause - ie - your high amp vacum cleaner. If the circuit is wired for lights, you could find 14ga wiring, and thus the upgrade to 20amps is a no-no. But - check your OUTLETS, they may be wired with 12ga.

 

That should clear that issue up.

 

-DN

 

The house was run with 12ga wire. The fire alarms are run with 14ga and are on a circuit together. The only thing in the house with 14ga is the fire alarms.

[The Digital Nomad]

The house was run with 12ga wire. The fire alarms are run with 14ga and are on a circuit together. The only thing in the house with 14ga is the fire alarms.

 

so in short (yes a pun!)

12gauge wire = ok for 20amps eh?

 

-DN

[Inepsa]

Another 110 line is the easist and cheapest way to go. Even the 1000 watters come ready for 110. When I set up a friends room I ran a 50 amp #6 wire to a 12 place subpanel. You can wire what you want from there. And being a finished basement it would be useless to have a 220 circut in the walls when you resale. If all your ballest are in the same spot than 220 is the way. But in this case pulling a #12 wire for 2 new plugs, less than 100$

 

Thanks for the info!