I have a 400w hps bulb connected to a ballast i assume is also 400w ima have to check up on that.. Could I just plug this into the socket in my wall? Im kind of afraid perhaps the current isnt enough and my house will explode lemme know guys! thanks in advancve
A ballast with a plug should have instructions on what voltage it runs off of. A wire-in ballast should provide the same, but often has multiple taps that each run off a different voltage. Which is which would be shown in the ballast's wiring diagram. Most US outlets are 120v and a few are 240v. 240v residential outlets are for appliances and other major equipment and should be labeled as 240v when the other household outlets are 120v.
kcsov6 no I dident I got it off a friend of mine actually. I suppose I should ask him the details of the ballast before I use it ha.
The average household breaker holds 15 amps. My lighting setup runs at 9.3 amps...so I can only have one light per breaker (Plus fans and what not..try to leave a couple amps open just so it doesn't risk flipping the breaker). Now if you use a 240v power cord for your ballast and wire a 240 volt socket (More than likely the only ones in your house are for major appliances..). This will let you run lights at lower amps, more close to 5.5 amps...so more lights on one breaker. Electricity kills, consult an electrician for any wiring...
[quote name='"BudMASTAH"']I have a 400w hps bulb connected to a ballast i assume is also 400w ima have to check up on that.. Could I just plug this into the socket in my wall? Im kind of afraid perhaps the current isnt enough and my house will explode lemme know guys! thanks in advancve [/quote] According to the national electric code you only want to draw 80% of the breaker rating which would be 12 amps on a 15 amp breaker. Your 400 watt light fixture at 120V. your only using 3.3 amps. So you have no problems with that one light. What you do need to do is make sure you have a dedicated circuit for you setup so it won't trip and leave your girls hot and in the dark. Good luck bro.
This..... ^^^ The breaker will pop at 80% load, to stop it from reaching 15 amps. I was using around 12 amps, and my breaker to my entire upstairs blew. I had to move half of my grow to another circuit. I also use a lot more than a single 400 as well.
I figured you would use more than just the 400 watt light fixture. You have to include fans, pumps, ac's, chillers, etc. Unfortunately a lot of homes are wired to where you share one circuit with other rooms and even your lighting system. The best way to find out what goes to what if you dont have an amp meter is turn off breakers and find out what feeds what. When you do, try to single out at least one plug and put 50% of you load on it and find another and do the same to another plug. Or to make it even easier replace your breaker with a 20 or even a 30 amp breaker (that is what I did, a 30amp). Hope this helps you out. Good luck bro.