Electricity

[Elvin]

I know all about wire and breakers, in that regard Im good. Its just a question of what I need. I am beginning to think a tent is a better idea, idk.

Yes, a tent is much easier (as well as power strips with Extention cords instead of rewiring a room) and may I suggest that you get the tallest one you can. My first tent was just over 5 ft tall and it ran out of room my first grow. It is now a veg tent and I have a 7 ft. one for flower. Even then I've had colas hit my QB's (GG#4 stretches).
Mars is a 420 sponsor and one of their reps has her own thread going. She could outfit you with lights/fans/tent at whatever price point you want.
She's usually on here on her thread at night; remember our night is China's workday and she is blogging from China.

 

[CTLeotattoo420]

Yes, a tent is much easier (as well as power strips with Extention cords instead of rewiring a room) and may I suggest that you get the tallest one you can. My first tent was just over 5 ft tall and it ran out of room my first grow. It is now a veg tent and I have a 7 ft. one for flower. Even then I've had colas hit my QB's (GG#4 stretches).
Mars is a 420 sponsor and one of their reps has her own thread going. She could outfit you with lights/fans/tent at whatever price point you want.
She's usually on here on her thread at night; remember our night is China's workday and she is blogging from China.

Who? How do I find her?
in have read that duability is a concern and that zippers are a proble with tents.

 

[Carcass]

Just tag her with an @SmokeSara -she should check in with you the next time she's online...
Mars is "the good stuff"....

 

[10gal]

Who? How do I find her?
in have read that duability is a concern and that zippers are a proble with tents.

both those things are issues, you could re sow the seams quiet easily, or if you dont care about looks just staple the seams with metal.

durability is less of an issue now, but the old ones would degrade in the uv from 1k hps bulbs

really not that big of a deal

and if you sell your home down the road you dont have a weird closet that will make people weary

 

[Elvin]

I have not have had issues with zippers even on the flower tent with all the stress of an intake fan being used without an exhaust fan.
But if I did, replacement zippers that you just peel and stick are readily available if a grow tent zipper screws up. Given the availability of these grow tent replacement zippers I am actually surprised that I have not have had issues (a lot of people must be needing them) but then I've never have "forced" the zipper when it gets "caught". I kind of believe most "broken" zippers can be traced to stuck zippers and frustrated growers who force the zipper instead of fixing why the zipper is stuck as one does on an expensive jacket.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Just tag her with an @SmokeSara -she should check in with you the next time she's online...
Mars is "the good stuff"....

Thanks for tag me in carcass Trying our best not letting you down

 

[JC Grow]

Electricity rates | Ontario Energy Board

As part of our mandate, we set the rates that your utility charges for the electricity you use in your home or small business. These rates appear on the Electricity line of your bill. We also set the Delivery rates that cover the cost to deliver electricity to most residential and small business...

www.oeb.ca

Off peak>7pm to 7am is the lowest rate in Ontario
For flowering.
These are winter rates.

 

[JamesBong502]

I have what I believe is a 15 amp circuit in my garage where I grow in a 4x4. I have aluminum wiring. I ran a 600watt MH/HPS last winter and melted my extension cord to the outlet. After repairing it I ran my light at 400watt and no more issues. But I want to run a 220 circuit into there so I can eventually flower under 2 1000watt MH/HPS. I guess my question is can I run new copper into my main panel or should I use a sub-panel for the garage.
sorry if this is classified thread jacking

Cheers,

 

[013]

Aluminum wiring is serious shit... but let’s qualify what counts as dangerous aluminim wiring. Any trade size of aluminum smaller than a #6 or possibly a #8. For example if you have branch circuits of 10, 12 or 14 gauge aluminum wire then heck yes it’s a serious problem.

Some aluminum wiring was installed in stick built homes but the majority was used in mobile homes. The problem is the heating and cooling of the conductors cause expansion and contraction end result is all the terminations to come loose especially because the industry took a paradigm shift and went with quick wiring aka backstabbing. With quick wiring the electrician simply strips the insulation off and presses the wire into a connector slot without means of a set screw to hold the wire in place.

Turn power off and see if you can determine if the outlets are indeed aluminum and whether or not they are quick wired or backstabbed. In branch circuits wiring the wire should be mechanically screwed to the receptacle or switch. If it’s quick wired then replace with a switch or outlet that has a screw terminal device

But with larger size aluminum wire say to feed a sub panel yeah that’s ok. Its in the smaller branch circuits that’s the problem. It’s important to have a stinking cord (extension cord) that’s rated for the device load and yup most don’t give a rats ass just plug it all in together.

 

[JamesBong502]

Aluminum wiring is serious shit... but let’s qualify what counts as dangerous aluminim wiring. Any trade size of aluminum smaller than a #6 or possibly a #8. For example if you have branch circuits of 10, 12 or 14 gauge aluminum wire then heck yes it’s a serious problem.

Some aluminum wiring was installed in stick built homes but the majority was used in mobile homes. The problem is the heating and cooling of the conductors cause expansion and contraction end result is all the terminations to come loose especially because the industry took a paradigm shift and went with quick wiring aka backstabbing. With quick wiring the electrician simply strips the insulation off and presses the wire into a connector slot without means of a set screw to hold the wire in place.

Turn power off and see if you can determine if the outlets are indeed aluminum and whether or not they are quick wired or backstabbed. In branch circuits wiring the wire should be mechanically screwed to the receptacle or switch. If it’s quick wired then replace with a switch or outlet that has a screw terminal device

But with larger size aluminum wire say to feed a sub panel yeah that’s ok. Its in the smaller branch circuits that’s the problem. It’s important to have a stinking cord (extension cord) that’s rated for the device load and yup most don’t give a rats ass just plug it all in together.

Yeah man... I got two 600 hps, 3 fans, a dehuey, boom box, and a mini fridge all on 1 circuit it’s keeps tripping out and I just reset it - what could go wrong? I’m kidding of course but yes this stuff happens

I’ve heard a few mixed answers on the topic, which makes me even more weary. I just prefer my results from HPS vs LED and want to make sure I’m efficient but more importantly safe. Don’t want to BBQ my toys or family

 

[andIhalped]

Zero is the electrical cost of my grows.

Here's my lighting set up:

elsol.jpeg

• andIhalped
• Jul 27, 2019

 

[SmokingWings]

Aluminum wiring is serious shit... but let’s qualify what counts as dangerous aluminim wiring. Any trade size of aluminum smaller than a #6 or possibly a #8. For example if you have branch circuits of 10, 12 or 14 gauge aluminum wire then heck yes it’s a serious problem.

Some aluminum wiring was installed in stick built homes but the majority was used in mobile homes. The problem is the heating and cooling of the conductors cause expansion and contraction end result is all the terminations to come loose especially because the industry took a paradigm shift and went with quick wiring aka backstabbing. With quick wiring the electrician simply strips the insulation off and presses the wire into a connector slot without means of a set screw to hold the wire in place.

Turn power off and see if you can determine if the outlets are indeed aluminum and whether or not they are quick wired or backstabbed. In branch circuits wiring the wire should be mechanically screwed to the receptacle or switch. If it’s quick wired then replace with a switch or outlet that has a screw terminal device

But with larger size aluminum wire say to feed a sub panel yeah that’s ok. Its in the smaller branch circuits that’s the problem. It’s important to have a stinking cord (extension cord) that’s rated for the device load and yup most don’t give a rats ass just plug it all in together.

Still not sure how or why @JameBong502 melted an extension cord. Would it be because the cord was wired with aluminum? Or because the garage wiring was aluminum.

And, shouldn't JameBong be able to tell what circuit he has by looking at the breaker? My breakers have the 15 or 20 marked right on the switch.

 

[013]

I’d turn the power off and get to the bottom of this aluminum wiring thing. turn Turn the juice off, double check to verify it’s really off..... plug in lamp or radio that you know is working to confirm power is out. Now remove the faceplate and unscrew the outlet. You need to see what kind of wire it is and how it’s connected,

take a few good pics of that and post them up here, let’s see what you’ve got

 

[Elvin]

Still not sure how or why @JameBong502 melted an extension cord. Would it be because the cord was wired with aluminum? Or because the garage wiring was aluminum.

And, shouldn't JameBong be able to tell what circuit he has by looking at the breaker? My breakers have the 15 or 20 marked right on the switch.

Likely it was a 16 gauge cord. A nice (and expensive) 10 gauge cord would not have melted.

 

[Elvin]

I used 4 gauge (it was excess wire originally to make extention cords for 3 phase standby generators) to run service to a garage years ago (at least 100 feet).
I buried it just enough to keep the lawnmower from hitting it and my parents are still using it 20 years later.
I used it inside the garage for 25 foot extention cord for a Millermatic mig welder, a 3 cylinder compressor, air conditioning plus lights; you really can get a cord heavy enough so it won't melt. ;-)

 

[JamesBong502]

this is what the wires look like hopefully this helps.

 

[Elvin]

If that is what melted get some copper and replace it to whatever gauge your local code says to.

 

[JamesBong502]

It wasn’t the plug itself, but the coating on the extension cords plug that was melted to the face of the outlet. I’m guessing from the heat of the wires.

 

[Elvin]

Extention cord was too light. My electricity went out and I used a 14 gauge to run power to my tents for a few days from a generator and that cord got hot. Get a nice heavy 10 gauge cord used for RV's and it won't melt like a light one will.

 

[013]

Bad lighting / not enough detail for me. Can’t see the color of the bare conductor tho... is it copper or aluminum? Loosen the screw and pop the wire out and let’s see