Electricity usage, wiring, saftey, and YOU!

[Gallo Verde]

word.

[Iggy 507 Panama]

awsome sticky dude!!!!

wow so growing indoors is quite expensive!

[Gallo Verde]

depends on what you call expensive. if you are like me and have more time than money and you are creative, you can grow indside for next to nothing. we have axed the window unit (it was a free-bee and we now know why) and are getting plenty of cool via the classic box fan ($10-$20). it draws plenty of cool air from the apartment, although its a little harder to hide. NEVER GIVE UP! its lots of fun to grow.

[Lilpilgrim]

Hello lotsoffun, depending on the lights/cycle/fans/intake/exhaust and so on, it can be expensive.. My electric bill has gone up ten dollars a month, so lets say I'm going to grow for 5-6 months =$50-$60.00, and my smoke from the harvest will last 4-5 months.. How much do you spend on a fat sack of nugs??
You can use the link below to calculate your expense, Happy Growing man..

Super-Grow Electricity Costs Calculator

Pilgrim

[Gallo Verde]

with the technology we have available you can do even better, although you will have to spend a little up front. Flourescent lighting is extremely cost effective. look around on line and you can find sweet deals on lights. we have a box fan, an oscillating fan, three 500w flrscnt lights, one 7" exhaust fan, and two 35w flrscnts (nursery light). All of this draws a mere 1.3 amps (hardly noticable). all that aside, lilpilgrim is so right. think of the payoff. you wont have to deal with the dishonesty and paranoia that is often associated with scoring your own reefer. YES! did i mention its fun as hell, too!

[bankia]

whats up 13ronin,quick question, what about power companies and what will send flags?

[13ronin]

Good question... I honestly have no idea what it is that sets off red flags for power companies. I would say (in my own opinion) to make sure your power usage doesn't go up more than say 15-20% of your current usage and pay your shit on time. That's my opinion, but I could be wrong...

[ImTheJoker4u2]

Originally Posted by lizzardGizzard

Excellent info, bro. Sometimes people (myself included) don't realize they need to know something, until they read about it. Right now, I'm kicking myself for never having learned about electricity, when it's probably the most important part of indoor grows. Bravo, sir! Let me just add, that since were also talking about fire danger, everyone in our growing family here at GC needs to have a smoke detector near their grow for safety reasons. If you do have a fire, it's more important that everyone gets out safe, than saving the garden.

Id like to add to this. A fire extinuisher wont put out the fire - if you dont shut down the power.

Fire Triangle:
Heat -
Fuel -
O2 -

A fire will continue to grow if you do not eliminate one side of the triangle. In an electrical fire, heat is what you want to eliminate, by killing the power (arching wires create heat, which starts the fire). Same with a stovetop fire. If you leave the heat on (the burner on), it will continue to flame up. Its difficult to keep an even head in an emergency, (expecially when you see your house and crop burning before your eyes) but remember to do this simple step, and it may save you a lot of headaches. I recently saw on the news where a grow house caught on fire, and a fireman died in the resulting blaze. The homeowner was charged with murder, as it was reasoned that if the house wasn't converted to a grow op. the fire woulden't have started in the first place. This a a horrible outcome to what should be a harmless hobby. Please guys - SAFETY FIRST!!

[ricard0]

^^Very well put^^ +rep for thinking about the safety of others

[CrazyChronic]

hey - this message is addressed to anyone who could help me, I recently bought a S&P TD100x ventalation fan, it didnt come with a power cord and I know NOTHING about electricity but I was able to follow some instructions I found online. I used a computer power supply cable and stripped one end, I hooked up the wires and plugged it in, the outlet immediately tripped, not the breaker but the outlet itsself...I did a little research and found out it was a GFS (Ground Fault Switch) they are in outlets that could possibly gey wet so i tried it in another outlet without the GFS and it worked fine, the problem is all the outlets near my growroom have the GFS's PLEASE HELP I dont know how to fix this! thanks

[PotPower]

I just installed a 80 AMP breaker in the Main Panel and ran 4ga4wire to the sub panel I built in the room. The sub panel I put 3 x 20 AMP breakers for 3 plugs to run 6 1000w lamps on 220v power. from sub to plug fixtures I am still figuring out which GA to use any suggestions?

Oh and I also used the proper insulated conduit to run the wires through so no worries.

Thank You

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by PotPower

I just installed a 80 AMP breaker in the Main Panel and ran 4ga4wire to the sub panel I built in the room. The sub panel I put 3 x 20 AMP breakers for 3 plugs to run 6 1000w lamps on 220v power. from sub to plug fixtures I am still figuring out which GA to use any suggestions?

Oh and I also used the proper insulated conduit to run the wires through so no worries.

Thank You

12-2or3 is good for 20amps or 1,800watts

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by CrazyChronic

hey - this message is addressed to anyone who could help me, I recently bought a S&P TD100x ventalation fan, it didnt come with a power cord and I know NOTHING about electricity but I was able to follow some instructions I found online. I used a computer power supply cable and stripped one end, I hooked up the wires and plugged it in, the outlet immediately tripped, not the breaker but the outlet itsself...I did a little research and found out it was a GFS (Ground Fault Switch) they are in outlets that could possibly gey wet so i tried it in another outlet without the GFS and it worked fine, the problem is all the outlets near my growroom have the GFS's PLEASE HELP I dont know how to fix this! thanks

Change the plug/s out or have someone else do it. GFI plugs can be picky about what kind of load they'll run. Motors can be an issue.

[patriot 420]

Originally Posted by ricard0

Change the plug/s out or have someone else do it. GFI plugs can be picky about what kind of load they'll run. Motors can be an issue.

I dont think you should change the gfi's your grow room probably has water some where in it. I assume your fan can probably be hardwired some way If you look at it it may have a knockout where you can pass wire through the enclosre where you sholud find a black , white , and a green or bare wire just make sure your power to the receptacle you jump off of is disconnected.