Wattage Question For The Electricians

[butchandscooter]

Hi,

I have a 600 watt digital ballast and light setup. 

I am confused about amps

 

I know the amps on the ballast is about 5 but do I add an additional 5 to the total amps for the light too making it a total of 10 amps used or is it just the 5 amps pulled through the ballast.

 

I need to know a total for my breakers.

 

thank-you !

[trichcycler]

no additional amps added for lightbulb

[Chauncy Gardner]

Just the 5 amps that the ballast draws.

[trichcycler]

doubled, at least, though, I think, for the ballast size selections?

[t-pain]

does anyone test their circuit breaker to see if it trips with too many amps?

[trichcycler]

they trip from too much heat actually. my electrician did perform some type of test on each breaker after installed. He didn't connect wires to short it, maybe a tool ?

 

I understood that if I'm using a 4 amp device to make sure that my breaker is at least double that size I think. Amperage usage is cut in half when using 220, as opposed to 110, but there is no power savings, only less generated heat with cooler running ballasts, cords etc.

[trichcycler]

fire scared me, so when I built the steel building with the rooms inside I called a master electrician. he charged me a thousand dollars ttl, included boxes, and all materials/labor. he pulled 200 amps from another building on the property and wired the whole building with special attention to the rooms. He also wired in a generator backup system for both my house and the grow building, each has separate generators, and separate meters. It was inspected and approved when he was finished. Doing it again I would have had conduit on the outside of the walls, instead of wiring inside, for the easier install of walls insulation. Lights are roughly a fourth of the usage here, with dehumid/ac/baseboard heat being the remainder of the suckers.

[outsideinthecold]

Not and electrician but often watched while the plant 'sparkies' tested individual circuits for loads.

 

They use an inductive coil to measure the AC current (amperage-or amps) in an electrical line.

 

The power equation P=IxE or Power in watts equals current times voltage works.

 

In this instance 600 watts = 5 amps times 110 Vac.

 

A 1000 watt light would draw roughly 9 amps in a 110 Vac circuit.

Edited October 30, 2013 by outsideinthecold

[garyfisher]

The easy way to tell if there are too many amps on a circuit is to touch the Wire. If its HOT, thats bad.  If it's warm, thats okay.

[butchandscooter]

Thank-you so much everyone for the input. Almost everyone I have asked agrees that its just the pull from the ballast and no additional for the bulb. Funny thing was calling the phillips lighting company and asking there technical staff that question and the guy put me on hold and never came back because he did not know. 

It was also recommended that I only use 80% of the breaker capacity which I will be at the limit of but still there.

bummer...only on 600 watt light instead of two but I still think I can get a good crop out of it. I am only doing 4 plants cause 

thats all the stuff I have.

You guys are great and thank-you so much. Will try to get pics up when i get started. Gotta get the new garage space cleaned out (you should see how much crap i hoard) and my tent set up first. I cant wait to stop running out of my meds.

[trichcycler]

I was able to get 2oz dried bud from 12 plants in a 2x4 flood drain tray, 600 watt hps. flowered for 60 days, but vegged for 70, topped too a couple times. you'll be impressed by that 600 watter, I was. I'd still use them but I move 1000 waters above so the 600 watters sit cold screwed to the wall, waiting for laws to change.