So I guess I went overboard. With my math I calculated about $25 a month for a 400w HPS cooltube and digi ballast. 12/12 7 days a week. Well I forgot to add in the 6" fan 24/7and 4 x 4w air pumps. lol tons of bubbles shoulda seem them grow an inch a day at least. Also forgot to add in my 125w CFL veg light and it's little fan. Also, the house AC had to be run more to keep my 400HPS cool in the tent. So the bill came and It's up $120 from last month. It's quickly becoming apparent that I may not be able to afford to cool a 400w HPS light. Let alone run quite as big of a setup as I thought I could get away with. I had to pull my plants in flower and turn the light off. They were looking pretty nice and hairy too peoples. I'm sad! What do you guys suggest I do? I have $600 in tent/fans/400w digi HPS equipment sitting here with 1 month of time on it all pretty much in new in box condition. I managed to save some little guys under my veg CFL since it's only 125w but now I'll have nowhere to flower them! What should I do? Get a 2700K 125w CFL to flower them or is that just a waste of time compared to what my 400w HPS would have done? I don't want to waste my time growing fluffy nugs on CFLs really. Is it worth it if I have a few little ones on a 125w 2700k 12/12 in bubble buckets? What do I do with all the stuff I bought that is just outside the 30 day return slot? Prolly feel funny returning it anyways.. I always hate returning stuff. Looks like I have no use for it for now! Maybe if we have a really cold winter! Sincerely, screwed and PO'd I had to pull my flowering buddies.
Just from reading your post, i get the feeling you have a pretty good idea of the in's&out's of indoor growing. So you've probably heard of a device called the "Kill-a-Watt". If you haven't heard of it:http:http://http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html It would really sadden me to see you shut down the entire plan before attempting to troubleshoot around some and see exactly whats going on with your power (bill). I could be wrong, but with the setup you described, the $ increase of $120 dollars seems a bit more than normal.
okay wtf. well, for some reason, that link isn't working right. I found a site that sells them new for just $14. qualcollmore4u.com
Are you exhausting air conditioned house air directly outside by any chance? That WILL do it. You need to recirculate the air from the house, back into the house. Exhausting to the outside is like leaving the door open all the time. If not...you've got an equipment problem. 400W a fan and a few bubblers shouldn't add more than $40-50...tops. My 400W alone only adds $20-25.
No exhaust on anything outside. It must be the air conditioner. It's on automatic for 24hours a day set to 83* I'm working with a room that reaches 86* without any lights on currently if I dont use the AC. Plants start curling up under a CFL let alone an HPS with no AC at these base temps. Got rid of the mildew with fans, but fans don't cure the heat! Ps the AC unit is attached to the house via ducting. (central AC?) I am not tapped in to my AC ducting at all.
not to be off topic but in California (as your profile states) energy bills are higher than other states. so if i added a refrigerator and it made a bill in say, south carolina, go up $30 a month it might be $50 in California or something of that sort, correct? So his bill going up $120 in California might be comparable to $80 in another state. sorry if this is off topic or if i am way off on the energy cost difference, I am just trying to help better gauge your problem. red
Yeah I think I'm looking at a major reduction. lol bummer. Time to face the music. I thought I had a pretty minor thing going on too. Maybe a CFL hydro computer case grow lol Wonder if it will stay cool enough. I'll have to figure out a way to order those little dwarf plants and try that route under my 150w cfl/hood. Oh well. Here's my first female from bagseed getting yanked. Maybe one day I'll get to smoke something I grow. lol
Another thing to consider, my power company charges more per kilowatt hour as you go over certain limits, your's might be doing the same, explaining the big leap. You might be able to solve your problem by taking a look at everything else in the house to see where you can save some electricity. Check all your bulbs to make sure they are CFLs, preferably of as low a wattage as you actually need. Make sure your air conditioner is well maintained, check and make sure other appliances aren't burning unneeded power. I helped a friend of mine completely offset the cost of his lights and fans just by making sure the rest of the house was as energy efficient as possible, you might be able to do the same.
Fuck it...get rid of the AC and let them deal with just ventilation. I've routinely seen plants growing in a 100+ shed with temps higher than that at the canopy...way higher. They're not the best, but they do get you high! Don't yank them...at least give it a try.
Well it looks like I have no problems with my 125w CFL I use for vegging. I am going to have to rid of the 400w HPS most definitely. Major bummer. Anyone interested feel free to pyapal me $220 for a digi nextgen 400w, cooltube and bulb! I'll ship it right out to ya. Too much juice to cool for me. Also, I was told the sound from the 6" fan was too loud, even though I was already designing/building a bucket muffler. They won't get all burned up at 100*? I think I'll pick up a 150w HPS to go with my 125w 6400k veg CFL and be happy I can use any lights at all. No more AC though so if the plants get hot their gonna have to deal with it. At least I can still get away with one little plant or a couple lowryders maybe if I can get some of those seeds. Ah well thanks for he help guys. I'm pretty sure I offset about as much power as I could already by installing CFL's and turning off a computer for a month and less lights everywhere in the house but in the grow room. 400w just too much to have in my room in the open and too much to cool in a tent in my house when it's 99* outside already. 150 hps and one plant at a time.. here I come. Hopefully I can grow something worth my while like that.