Hello, GC! Just wondering what my options were regarding the use of my range receptacle for lights or such. My grow room is adjacent to my kitchen and the receptacle is three feet from the doorway to the room. My apartment is a deteriorating piece of crap and i dont trust the current 120v wiring to handle lights and fans and stuff, as well as an a/c at the same time. Since digital ballasts can operate on 240v, i figured a couple of 400w hps would be better ran on a 240v circuit. I also run my lights at night. Is there any kind of product i can buy or something i can make like a power strip with a range plug on it or something? Im fairly handy and enjoy making stuff. Thanks in advance! Be well!
If you are in the USA, here's the adaptor for $30: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/gas-range-adaptor/905477 and here http://www.lowes.ca/electrical-plugs-connectors/woods-gas-range-adapter_g1591919.html
I don't see why there would be a problem with the wires themselves in your house. It's just copper (or maybe aluminum) wrapped in coating/sheath. I've worked on century old houses with knob and tube, where the wiring is still doing it's intended job. If you're trying to run your AC, lights, fans, etc... off 1 circuit then that's an issue with you, but if you run proper <80% amp loads on each circuit I don't see any reason the wiring should be an issue. That contraption posted above, I don't think really accomplishes much. Looks like it has a 15amp fuse in it, so it's basically just a regular 120v circuit at that point, just like the other 120v circuits already in your house. I don't really know the best plan of attack without seeing the equipment, and taking a look around to figure out options. I imagine if I was hell bent on using the stove plug, I'd be trying to actually utilize the ~10,000 watts there instead of taking it down to only ~1500 watts like the product above would do. That would probably involve determining how many items I have that can run off 240v, finding the proper male/female ends to make it work, then taking apart the old stove plug and re-wiring a series of plugs that would work. This all seems like overkill though if you're just running a couple 400w ballasts imo. No need to get into the 240v for that. I'd just try and distribute the load over a few circuits if you can. Ummm, off the top of my head since you said you're around the kitchen, microwaves tend to get their own 15 amp dedicated circuit so that could be useful. Depending on how much freedom you have to operate, and your electrical skill level (I do not recommend if you don't know what you're doing), you could always run new circuits from the electrical panel to where ever you need to, if there is currently insufficient amprage flowing to the area you're at.