Electricity usage, wiring, saftey, and YOU!

[BuzzLightOne]

Thank you for starting this thread! We were discussing this very issue this evening. I said, "I bet I can find the answers in the GrassCity forums", and I did.
It has answered my wattage and safety questions. Now I can proceed with confidence. + rep.

Thank you to the other contributers in this thread for thier valuble input as well.

[bakedchef]

I'm looking into getting a new lighting system preferably a 600w or 400w e-ballast for a 3x3 space. I keep reading that e-ballast save electricity and save money with soft start technology, and it using less power. Does this mean that a 600w ballast uses 600w of power or that it produces 600w of power and uses less? I'm trying to figure the most economical set-up. I would like the 600w because i would like larger plants with heavy dense flowers, but $120+ a month for power is truly more than i feel comfortable paying, but will for a better final product. Also I have a plug that an old electic stove pluged in is there any way i can use that for my lights? the plug is nothing like i've seen before.

Thanks for the help!

[greaterthings]

The cost of this light WILL NOT BE $120. To find out what you get charges per kWH look at YOUR bill. My electricity costs 3.7 cents a kWH.

COST FOR VEG...18 Hrs X 600 Watts = 10.8 kWH's a day X 3.7 cents = 40 cents a day X 30 days a month = $12.00 NOT $120.00

Also, ballasts have efficiency ratings. You cannot get more then 600 watts of power off 600 watts of power. It actually takes MORE then 600 watts to run a 600 watt bulb. The ballast uses power, too. It is safe to say that 600 w ballast you have uses around 650-700 actual watts.

Lighting doesn't really use THAT MUCH power. Look at the Water heater label in your house... its around 4,000 Watts isn't it?

[greaterthings]

Originally Posted by RedSoxToker420

Hey Sci-Fi! you said you have a 48v and .42amp cmf fan that would give you 20.2 watts, but you would have to divide that by 1000 because of the Kwh (Killowatts per hour) and that would give you 2.2Kwh so now you multiply that by the price per killowatt which I did 12 cents because of what 13ronin said so your fan uses up $26.40 a month. = )

DUDE I don't know how you are doing your math... but.... 48V x .42 Amp = 20.2 watts

20.2 Watts X 24 Hrs a day = 484.8 WAtts = .4848 kWHs a day X 30 days = 14.54 kWH's a month X 12 cents a kWH = $1.75 A MONTH to run this fan.


ALSO------- 12 cents a kWH is VEERRRRY expensive. I pay only 3.7 cents per kWH in the NORTH WEST. USA

I have 200 Watts of CFL, 250 watts of HPS ........ I live in a 2 bedroom apt....... my elecricity through the Winter (for whole house) was no more then $70 a month. My bill for March was $41.26.

STOP BEING AFRAID!!!!!!!AND GROW!!!!!!! FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!!!!!!! The only way you have to worry is if you are growing with multiple 1,000 Watters.... and an HVAC system.

The largest fear factor should be the smell. I switched to budding and after 3 weeks the whole apartment RANKED OF WEED. invest in a carbon filter.... or if you are a broke student like me, Rig an "AIR NEUTRALIZER BUCKET"

[bakedchef]

Originally Posted by greaterthings

The cost of this light WILL NOT BE $120. To find out what you get charges per kWH look at YOUR bill. My electricity costs 3.7 cents a kWH.

COST FOR VEG...18 Hrs X 600 Watts = 10.8 kWH's a day X 3.7 cents = 40 cents a day X 30 days a month = $12.00 NOT $120.00

Also, ballasts have efficiency ratings. You cannot get more then 600 watts of power off 600 watts of power. It actually takes MORE then 600 watts to run a 600 watt bulb. The ballast uses power, too. It is safe to say that 600 w ballast you have uses around 650-700 actual watts.

Lighting doesn't really use THAT MUCH power. Look at the Water heater label in your house... its around 4,000 Watts isn't it?

For me it does we have i light going already and 5 people living in our house. because of my location i pay .41 a kWH. So thats 10.8 x .41 = $4.43 x 30 = $132. My power bill is regularly $250 a month, my one flatmate pays $80 a month for his 400w. My water heater is gas so it doesn't have a wattage. so when i calculate my 600 w light system i should do the math for like 650w to pay my share?

[13ronin]

Originally Posted by bakedchef

For me it does we have i light going already and 5 people living in our house. because of my location i pay .41 a kWH. So thats 10.8 x .41 = $4.43 x 30 = $132. My power bill is regularly $250 a month, my one flatmate pays $80 a month for his 400w. My water heater is gas so it doesn't have a wattage. so when i calculate my 600 w light system i should do the math for like 650w to pay my share?

that's right. The info for actual used watts will be printed on the ballast. Damn bro .41 a Kwh? Ouch... Here in my neck of the woods it like .09...

[bakedchef]

Yeah it hurts and it makes me wonder if its worth while sometimes... then i spark up some home grown and i remember why its worth it But I'm still curious if i should get a 400 or 600 w for my 3x3 I'm going to go with a SOG but i want some quality dense nugs on some 3 ft plants so i'm thinking 600 for the penetration purposes. Does anyone agree or do you think a 400 would provide the similar results (obviously not the same but respectably close)

[sci-fi-dude]

Originally Posted by bakedchef

Yeah it hurts and it makes me wonder if its worth while sometimes... then i spark up some home grown and i remember why its worth it But I'm still curious if i should get a 400 or 600 w for my 3x3 I'm going to go with a SOG but i want some quality dense nugs on some 3 ft plants so i'm thinking 600 for the penetration purposes. Does anyone agree or do you think a 400 would provide the similar results (obviously not the same but respectably close)

Speaking as someone who has a 400 watt system who really wishes he had gotten a 600 watter, I can say you should definitely go for the 600 watt system. The 400 works well but especially for a SOG a 600 watter would be nice. Still reasonable in terms of power draw but you get more bang for your buck.

[klint]

could any one take a look at my post u all seem no ur stuff lol would be a big help cheers.. love this post.. keep it going

[bakedchef]

Originally Posted by klint

could any one take a look at my post u all seem no ur stuff lol would be a big help cheers.. love this post.. keep it going

It would be helpful if you said what post

also sci-fi i know what you mean that's why I'm looking more seriously into the 600 system but i was recently looking through a hydro farm catalog and came across a 400w e-ballast interchangeable system that produce more lumens but i gotta get the article for more info but i think its like 10,000 more lumens.

[harleyowner]

so,, if i have a small fan for ventalation and a 400w metal hylide runing 18 hours a day... if i turn down some appliances and keep them off when not in use.,.. will this alert that power company of over usage or somthing?

[13ronin]

Originally Posted by harleyowner

so,, if i have a small fan for ventalation and a 400w metal hylide runing 18 hours a day... if i turn down some appliances and keep them off when not in use.,.. will this alert that power company of over usage or somthing?

Even if you didn't conserve power elsewhere you prolly wouldn't alert anyone with that little power usage. A computer alone uses around 600 watts... I wouldn't be worried if I were you, but conserving power elsewhere is great idea if for no other reason than for your wallet!

[the b-str]

so i'm getting ready to order a mh/hps system, and the website tells me i can switch the 110 volt power cord out for a 240 volt cord. what difference does the cord make, if any?

[13ronin]

Originally Posted by the b-str

so i'm getting ready to order a mh/hps system, and the website tells me i can switch the 110 volt power cord out for a 240 volt cord. what difference does the cord make, if any?

the big difference is going to be the plug on the cord. A 240 v cord has a totally different plug. Its the type that you hook an electric dryer up to. Its a lot more hardcore.

[kerv]

I wired a 12v computer fan to a 5.2v 400mA. Its running kind of slow and want to change it.

I have another plug i can use thats 5v and 2A would it run faster on this?