Fire Safety: How do you prevent a disaster?

[bluter]

LEDs are the best way to grow for the "everyday Rasta". LEDs offer lower wattage individual lamps that can be easily installed on a dedicated 15A/120v circuit.

when ever possible i like to isolate my grow spaces on a dedicated circuit. my flower room runs that way.

the veg room is a disaster so i had to take measures at the room itself for safety precautions and use a fused dropbox. i'd recommend them to anyone running a tent or small space on a shared circuit.

Professionals and commercial growers get certain benefit from HID/HPS, still, even in these days of high utility costs (higher yields and potency - supposedly).

legal indoor commercial grows are all 100% led now. there are a few nearby i've been to and have friends in the industry. now that they are allowed greenhouse grows there has been movement in that direction as well.

Nothing is foolproof. I like that people are using wi-fi and internet connections with cameras to monitor their grows. That simple measure at least allows one some "peace-o-mind" when not inside the grow room.

doesn't prevent the issue but it can help.

i know someone who watched a shed go up in flames and a garden greenhouse get damaged in real time before anyone showed up to stop it. it simply happened too fast. they were lucky the shed was isolated and no other buildings caught.

it was smoldering rubble when the fire dept got there.


i had friends die in a house fire in a rural area just outside of the city. no one knew for two days until someone went to find out why their phones didn't work when called. there was nothing left.

 

[Bill284]

when ever possible i like to isolate my grow spaces on a dedicated circuit. my flower room runs that way.

the veg room is a disaster so i had to take measures at the room itself for safety precautions and use a fused dropbox. i'd recommend them to anyone running a tent or small space on a shared circuit.







legal indoor commercial grows are all 100% led now. there are a few nearby i've been to and have friends in the industry. now that they are allowed greenhouse grows there has been movement in that direction as well.







doesn't prevent the issue but it can help.

i know someone who watched a shed go up in flames and a garden greenhouse get damaged in real time before anyone showed up to stop it. it simply happened too fast. they were lucky the shed was isolated and no other buildings caught.

it was smoldering rubble when the fire dept got there.


i had friends die in a house fire in a rural area just outside of the city. no one knew for two days until someone went to find out why their phones didn't work when called. there was nothing left.

Oh no my friend @bluter Im so sorry.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Shortguy]

Oh no my friend @bluter Im so sorry.

Stay safe
Billi li

Wish it was legal to grow in my jurisdiction.

it will be in time federal is about to legalize it, I'm legal where I'm at but I grew mine with the MH HPS with a closet back in 91 , didn't worry about the humidity etc., I got some nice buds off of them back in the 90s, that's all we had back then. now you're talking humidity etc. which kind of confusing me b/c when I harvested my branches they were wet & took a very long time to dry, a friend tried to dry a piece in the microwave, lol, explain to me why so conscious on the humidity ? that's the last thing you want when harvesting is to find mold within your buds you have to throw it out.

 

[ppm Charlie]

it will be in time federal is about to legalize it, I'm legal where I'm at but I grew mine with the MH HPS with a closet back in 91 , didn't worry about the humidity etc., I got some nice buds off of them back in the 90s, that's all we had back then. now you're talking humidity etc. which kind of confusing me b/c when I harvested my branches they were wet & took a very long time to dry, a friend tried to dry a piece in the microwave, lol, explain to me why so conscious on the humidity ? that's the last thing you want when harvesting is to find mold within your buds you have to throw it out.

I think humidity is important at different stages of 420 growth. Higher RH in seed/clone(>60%), moderately high RH in veg (variable), dry RH in flower (<50%), X-dry RH in late flower (<40%). Optimum conditions of lighting, temp and humidity = very good better then average buds and grow $ well spent.

 

[bluter]

the number one reason for fires in grow spaces is incorrect / poor wiring. older wiring is especially prone.

there is a lot more things pulling power in a modern home. older wiring standards and equipment themselves were also very poor compared to what we use now.

older hid lighting also gained a poor reputation for fire issues. most of the time the true issue was the wiring.

the second most often reason a fire occurred was due to light movers.

light movers have all but been banned now. i had a rig go up because of the light mover. the cords would fray and make contact with a track or other metal component and you get an instant shower of sparks everywhere. light movers used be the number one way to save on power in a grow. it was cheaper to move the light across the canopy than add more lights.

the third most often reason a fire occurred is overloaded circuitry which goes right back to wiring. usually this occurred on homes with a mix of old and newer wiring. many times when a home is renovated or updated the contractor does not remove the older wiring and will simply add in new. this puts a strain on the older system creating fail points.


one of the problems with an electrical fire is extinguishers are mostly useless and may only buy time. but that time may be crucial to your survival. most electrical fires begin in walls and other hidden spaces. most times they are going for a while before they are noticed. by then it's mostly an escape plan.


@Bill284 's fire happened because of an insanely poor mfgr marketing an unsafe product. an extinguisher is great for that, but it is a scenario which really should not have been in the cards in the very first place.



edit : the farm house fire was thought to be caused by a space heater that overloaded a poor circuit in one of the rooms. it either started in the wall at the outlet, or started at the heater cord, or both. as per the fire dept findings.

i dunno how they figure that out as there was nothing but a foundation and char. i'm told they could see the bones plain as daylight.

a similar situation could occur in a grow space. fire alarms, a better circuit, fewer things on the existing circuit, or a better product design, could have all in tandem or in single made a different outcome.





two other of my closest friends were supposed to have stayed there that night, but made a last minute decision that saved their lives.

 

[Gammagoat]

use a fused dropbox. i'd recommend them to anyone running a tent or small space on a shared circuit.

Hey bluter can you link some examples fused dropbox your talking about?

I've already added AFCI/GFCI receptacles which my grow spaces pull their power from. One is dedicated, while the other runs with a PC on same circuit.

 

[bluter]

Hey bluter can you link some examples fused dropbox your talking about

mine are just from cdn tire. make sure you get the fused ones. they have cheaper look a likes too. it's a work site or carpenter's drop box. normally painted a high vis colour. a lot of work place drop boxes are fused.

there are also fused computer power bars. the computer bars actually have an internal breaker which can be even safer too. individual outlets snap down just like a gfci.

if a fused only drop box snaps everything crashes and you have to go buy a fuse.

I've already added AFCI/GFCI receptacles which my grow spaces pull their power from. One is dedicated, while the other runs with a PC on same circuit.

it you are running those at the wall it is about the same layer of protection. i wouldn't worry. you could add it, but i doubt it gets you more.

the dedicated circuit is the best thing you could have done. you'll be safe.

 

[Bill284]

the number one reason for fires in grow spaces is incorrect / poor wiring. older wiring is especially prone.

there is a lot more things pulling power in a modern home. older wiring standards and equipment themselves were also very poor compared to what we use now.

older hid lighting also gained a poor reputation for fire issues. most of the time the true issue was the wiring.

the second most often reason a fire occurred was due to light movers.

light movers have all but been banned now. i had a rig go up because of the light mover. the cords would fray and make contact with a track or other metal component and you get an instant shower of sparks everywhere. light movers used be the number one way to save on power in a grow. it was cheaper to move the light across the canopy than add more lights.

the third most often reason a fire occurred is overloaded circuitry which goes right back to wiring. usually this occurred on homes with a mix of old and newer wiring. many times when a home is renovated or updated the contractor does not remove the older wiring and will simply add in new. this puts a strain on the older system creating fail points.


one of the problems with an electrical fire is extinguishers are mostly useless and may only buy time. but that time may be crucial to your survival. most electrical fires begin in walls and other hidden spaces. most times they are going for a while before they are noticed. by then it's mostly an escape plan.


@Bill284 's fire happened because of an insanely poor mfgr marketing an unsafe product. an extinguisher is great for that, but it is a scenario which really should not have been in the cards in the very first place.



edit : the farm house fire was thought to be caused by a space heater that overloaded a poor circuit in one of the rooms. it either started in the wall at the outlet, or started at the heater cord, or both. as per the fire dept findings.

i dunno how they figure that out as there was nothing but a foundation and char. i'm told they could see the bones plain as daylight.

a similar situation could occur in a grow space. fire alarms, a better circuit, fewer things on the existing circuit, or a better product design, could have all in tandem or in single made a different outcome.





two other of my closest friends were supposed to have stayed there that night, but made a last minute decision that saved their lives.

Thank you @bluter very good information.
We need everyone to know these details.

Small miracle about your two friends.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[FeloniousPunk]

Hello everyone.
Here is my question.

How do you prevent a grow room fire?

Do not let this happen to you.

For those of you who don't know I had a horrendous fire in my grow room.
For those that do know, Thank you for all your love and support.
Everyone here has been a godsend of love and positivity.

My recommendation for everyone is as follows.

1- put drywall on the ceiling and walls of your grow room.
Any fire retarded material is recommended.

2- install atleast 2 smoke detectors in your grow room.
Install one directly above your light.
And one at the opening that can easily hear.
And a CO,2 Detector at the opening.

3- do not put panda film near any heat source or possible source of ignition
panda film is flammable and produces toxic smoke it will spread the fire everywhere.

4- do not use wood or any other flammable material to hang or brace anything in your room.

5- install a full size fire extinguisher at the entrance to your room.
Make sure its easily accessible.
Small fire extinguishers are not sufficient.
They discharge in seconds and do not do the job you are expecting.

I CAN NOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. GET A FULL SIZE EXTINGUISHER!!!!!

6- do not use thin or cheep extention cords.
Get minimum #14 guage extension cords #12 would be better.
Don't cheep out here.

7- if you use a power bar make sure it has a GFI breaker on it.
Don't use cheep or dollar store power bars.
Spend the extra 20 bucks and get a good one.

8- keep your room tidy.
Do not store anything in your that is not needed.
Especially if it is flammable

9- do not overload any circuits.
Make sure you are plugged into a 15 amp breaker.
Do not change breakers to 20 amp.
If you need more power run another dedicated circuit to your room.

Please do not let this happen to you.
**********************
Also everyone in Canada.
**********************
Since growing is legal here you Must inform your insurance company that you have a grow.
Just because its legal doesn't mean your covered.
You must inform them and fill out a small questionnaire.
There won't be a problem you just have to let them know ahead of time.

Please everyone head my warnings.
Don't let something like this happen to you and destroy your life.
These small measures can mean the difference between cleaning up a mess and loosing your home or worse.

Please be careful and weary of possible problems.
Thank you for reading this and doing what I recommend.
Small measures can mean the difference between life and death.

If anyone has any other recommendations as I am not an expert please share them with us.

Bill

Hi Bill,

This response is a little late, but your post took the long way round to find me. I'm glad you are safe and the damage was limited.
I'm not sure if you know the cause of the fire, but a GFCI (#7) only protects people from a ground fault. They are mandatory around water in building codes. My understanding is that a GFCI will detect a fault where the tool or machine you are working with becomes the ground. When you make contact, you become the ground. I believe such a circuit can function without causing a fire.

I'm looking at AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters), either installed in the electrical panel, or as replacement outlets. AFCI's detect arcing and reduce the chance of wiring sparking a fire. Both AFCI and GFCI can be used together to provide more safety.

Here is a link:

What is an AFCI | AFCI Safety

www.afcisafety.org

Stay safe,

 

[Bill284]

Hi Bill,

This response is a little late, but your post took the long way round to find me. I'm glad you are safe and the damage was limited.
I'm not sure if you know the cause of the fire, but a GFCI (#7) only protects people from a ground fault. They are mandatory around water in building codes. My understanding is that a GFCI will detect a fault where the tool or machine you are working with becomes the ground. When you make contact, you become the ground. I believe such a circuit can function without causing a fire.

I'm looking at AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters), either installed in the electrical panel, or as replacement outlets. AFCI's detect arcing and reduce the chance of wiring sparking a fire. Both AFCI and GFCI can be used together to provide more safety.

Here is a link:

What is an AFCI | AFCI Safety

www.afcisafety.org

Stay safe,

Good morning @FeloniousPunk hope you are having a good day my friend.
Thank you for your post.
More good info.

Stay safe everyone
Bill

 

[Shortguy]

that was my worst fears, everybody's actually , drawing too much power & a breaker doesn't flip it can cause a fire, right after I seen that I had an extra light to add to the grow room on a 20 amp breaker running 1 light , the carbon filter , & the fans it flipped the breaker in the other circuit using another circuit, it's dangerous trying to grow anything indoors, I constantly running into them in those high times magazines back in the 80s & 90s , i'm an old mofo been around many many years seen some some things in my time, a fire is my burden

 

[Bill284]

that was my worst fears, everybody's actually , drawing too much power & a breaker doesn't flip it can cause a fire, right after I seen that I had an extra light to add to the grow room on a 20 amp breaker running 1 light , the carbon filter , & the fans it flipped the breaker in the other circuit using another circuit, it's dangerous trying to grow anything indoors, I constantly running into them in those high times magazines back in the 80s & 90s , i'm an old mofo been around many many years seen some some things in my time, a fire is my burden

Hey @sshortguy1 hope you are well my friend.
Please do everything you can to prevent this happening to you.
It's a big burden.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Shortguy]

Hey @sshortguy1 hope you are well my friend.
Please do everything you can to prevent this happening to you.
It's a big burden.

Stay safe
Bill

will do, so far as my plants are growing but ran into heat issues from the light but it's fixed now from the month lapse

 

[Bill284]

will do, so far as my plants are growing but ran into heat issues from the light but it's fixed now from the month lapse

It does look like heat stress.
Are they OK now?

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Shortguy]

I fixed it Ty,, I hope you don't try that again but it was a cheap light , which I'm not in the slightest familiar with , I told my spouse to see if I can switch she said that I have to see how they turn out , I'm using remo's fertilizers if your familiar with him? I can tell you something is off with them, I remember about 8- 10 weeks in under a MH which was a lot bigger & stockier branches, she tells me they are smaller now that you don't have to force to flower 16 hrs on 8 hrs off then flip to 12 to 12 which back then in a apt with a cop downstairs, too risky which I kind of liked having a nice tree without the smell , since I'm legal now I'm waiting for them to flower

 

[Bill284]

Well it's officially over.
Insurance paid off the people who bought the house.
With minor fire damage still not repaired.
They signed off on everything so we are done.
She has been driving us crazy for 6 months almost.
Get this, she got a cheque Friday for another $98.000.00 after we gave them $25.000.00 at closing just to get rid of the house.
But I just want this behind me.
And Stacey and I are so so happy here.
We are settled in nicely now and Winter Princess is still kicking
All is good.
Happy growing everyone.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Amazing news mate. We are buzzing for the two of you.. yous stayed strong and now your future awaits.

Sending our love

Paul and Andi

 

[ppm Charlie]

Well it's officially over.
Insurance paid off the people who bought the house.
With minor fire damage still not repaired.
They signed off on everything so we are done.
She has been driving us crazy for 6 months almost.
Get this, she got a cheque Friday for another $98.000.00 after we gave them $25.000.00 at closing just to get rid of the house.
But I just want this behind me.
And Stacey and I are so so happy here.
We are settled in nicely now and Winter Princess is still kicking
All is good.
Happy growing everyone.

Stay safe
Bill

Finally, closure to the whole messy chaos.

 

[Bill284]

Amazing news mate. We are buzzing for the two of you.. yous stayed strong and now your future awaits.

Sending our love

Paul and Andi

Thanks Mucker.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Rexer]

Well it's officially over.
Insurance paid off the people who bought the house.
With minor fire damage still not repaired.
They signed off on everything so we are done.
She has been driving us crazy for 6 months almost.
Get this, she got a cheque Friday for another $98.000.00 after we gave them $25.000.00 at closing just to get rid of the house.
But I just want this behind me.
And Stacey and I are so so happy here.
We are settled in nicely now and Winter Princess is still kicking
All is good.
Happy growing everyone.

Stay safe
Bill

Best news I could read this morning.
We're so happy for you. Mrs Rex let out a soon as I gave her the news.
Hope you two have a great weekend,