Fire Safety: How do you prevent a disaster?

Trump said:
When I setup indoors I generally use 1800w max on a circuit of 15amps as a rule of thumb which is what most bedroom/offices will have. That doesn't mean that I'm going to load the circuit to max. I typically top out the circuit at 20% of its max being 1440w. A typical 3 x 3 will have a light that puts out around 300w. Fans and other gear like humidifier/dehumidifier/pumps will add another few hundred watts at the most so most home setups should be ok with what they currently have. In my case I'll be setting up several tents so I upgraded the room wiring.

I just moved and the room I'm setting up to start the first grow has already been rewired from the breaker with 12 gauge along with a new 20 amp GFCI breaker. Because I don't have any motor loads on the circuit I can actually go up to 25 amps but 20 should be more than sufficient for what I need. The main box is old but still in good condition and the main breaker was replaced a few years ago. I also replaced the plugs that were in the wall with a heavier duty plug that can handle more amperage through it. I basically fortify everything along the path so that I don't get any choke points where overheating and fire can possibly happen.

I think what most people should do when setting up a grow room in their homes is to swap out the breaker they will be using with a new one at the very least unless they know for sure the breaker is in good enough shape to handle the load it was built for. Thankfully I'm handy enough that I can do the work myself but for those that can't they'll need to decide whether the wiring that they presently have is properly gauged to the amount of electricity they will be running through it and if employing an electrician is worth it. Most homes built in the last 50 years will typically have 14 gauge running through their walls. This should be able to support the 1800w the 15amp breaker will be able to provide.

After the source has been fortified to be able to take some heavy amp loads, a properly gauged extension is needed from the wall to the tent. Inside the tent I use a heavy duty multi plug extension with a 15amp breaker on it and plug everything directly to it. If I ever have to use an extension inside the tent I make sure that the extension is a grade up from what the device requires but I try and not use.

While all of that will most likely prevent any sort of electrical fire, a smoke detector or several in and outside the tent in the room the tent will be are also a must. 5lb fire extinguisher at minimum and, if you can go a step further and install an automatic fire suppression system even better.

BTW those automatic fire extinguisher balls don't work very well in a tent fire.
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Thanks Buddy :thanks:


Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Trump said:
When I setup indoors I generally use 1800w max on a circuit of 15amps as a rule of thumb which is what most bedroom/offices will have. That doesn't mean that I'm going to load the circuit to max. I typically top out the circuit at 20% of its max being 1440w. A typical 3 x 3 will have a light that puts out around 300w. Fans and other gear like humidifier/dehumidifier/pumps will add another few hundred watts at the most so most home setups should be ok with what they currently have. In my case I'll be setting up several tents so I upgraded the room wiring.

I just moved and the room I'm setting up to start the first grow has already been rewired from the breaker with 12 gauge along with a new 20 amp GFCI breaker. Because I don't have any motor loads on the circuit I can actually go up to 25 amps but 20 should be more than sufficient for what I need. The main box is old but still in good condition and the main breaker was replaced a few years ago. I also replaced the plugs that were in the wall with a heavier duty plug that can handle more amperage through it. I basically fortify everything along the path so that I don't get any choke points where overheating and fire can possibly happen.

I think what most people should do when setting up a grow room in their homes is to swap out the breaker they will be using with a new one at the very least unless they know for sure the breaker is in good enough shape to handle the load it was built for. Thankfully I'm handy enough that I can do the work myself but for those that can't they'll need to decide whether the wiring that they presently have is properly gauged to the amount of electricity they will be running through it and if employing an electrician is worth it. Most homes built in the last 50 years will typically have 14 gauge running through their walls. This should be able to support the 1800w the 15amp breaker will be able to provide.

After the source has been fortified to be able to take some heavy amp loads, a properly gauged extension is needed from the wall to the tent. Inside the tent I use a heavy duty multi plug extension with a 15amp breaker on it and plug everything directly to it. If I ever have to use an extension inside the tent I make sure that the extension is a grade up from what the device requires but I try and not use.

While all of that will most likely prevent any sort of electrical fire, a smoke detector or several in and outside the tent in the room the tent will be are also a must. 5lb fire extinguisher at minimum and, if you can go a step further and install an automatic fire suppression system even better.

BTW those automatic fire extinguisher balls don't work very well in a tent fire.
Click to expand...
When i bought this place almost 3yrs ago i did have all the circuts updated with a new box. Yep my home had 60yr old box.
 
Greengoodness said:
When i bought this place almost 3yrs ago i did have all the circuts updated with a new box. Yep my home had 60yr old box.
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Good job.
Peace of mind :thumb:


Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Trump said:
When I setup indoors I generally use 1800w max on a circuit of 15amps as a rule of thumb which is what most bedroom/offices will have. That doesn't mean that I'm going to load the circuit to max. I typically top out the circuit at 20% of its max being 1440w. A typical 3 x 3 will have a light that puts out around 300w. Fans and other gear like humidifier/dehumidifier/pumps will add another few hundred watts at the most so most home setups should be ok with what they currently have. In my case I'll be setting up several tents so I upgraded the room wiring.

I just moved and the room I'm setting up to start the first grow has already been rewired from the breaker with 12 gauge along with a new 20 amp GFCI breaker. Because I don't have any motor loads on the circuit I can actually go up to 25 amps but 20 should be more than sufficient for what I need. The main box is old but still in good condition and the main breaker was replaced a few years ago. I also replaced the plugs that were in the wall with a heavier duty plug that can handle more amperage through it. I basically fortify everything along the path so that I don't get any choke points where overheating and fire can possibly happen.

I think what most people should do when setting up a grow room in their homes is to swap out the breaker they will be using with a new one at the very least unless they know for sure the breaker is in good enough shape to handle the load it was built for. Thankfully I'm handy enough that I can do the work myself but for those that can't they'll need to decide whether the wiring that they presently have is properly gauged to the amount of electricity they will be running through it and if employing an electrician is worth it. Most homes built in the last 50 years will typically have 14 gauge running through their walls. This should be able to support the 1800w the 15amp breaker will be able to provide.

After the source has been fortified to be able to take some heavy amp loads, a properly gauged extension is needed from the wall to the tent. Inside the tent I use a heavy duty multi plug extension with a 15amp breaker on it and plug everything directly to it. If I ever have to use an extension inside the tent I make sure that the extension is a grade up from what the device requires but I try and not use.

While all of that will most likely prevent any sort of electrical fire, a smoke detector or several in and outside the tent in the room the tent will be are also a must. 5lb fire extinguisher at minimum and, if you can go a step further and install an automatic fire suppression system even better.

BTW those automatic fire extinguisher balls don't work very well in a tent fire.
Click to expand...
Why do you say those automatic fire balls dont work very well? I thought they would be great for a small tent grow.
 
Grandaddypurps said:
Why do you say those automatic fire balls dont work very well? I thought they would be great for a small tent grow.
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They are untestable like a proper fire extinguisher or system.
Apparently there have been bad reviews aswell.
But there are fire extinguishers that can be mounted in a similar way.
Give me a minute I’ll find it.

Edit: I found 2

2C8CBDAF-C10C-40AB-B285-9F17E05344E3.png


FCFDE395-A2C8-4D56-9083-3D1002356244.png
 
The70’s said:
do they ship to the US, those european powder ceiling extinguishers ??? I think a 1 or 2kg would work quite well in my 4x4
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Google 'fire extinguisher service.' It'll give you a list of local places that will sell/order them for you. Just make sure they have NFPA ratings and are UL approved.
 
The70’s said:
do they ship to the US, those european powder ceiling extinguishers ??? I think a 1 or 2kg would work quite well in my 4x4
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Doctor Trevor said:
Google 'fire extinguisher service.' It'll give you a list of local places that will sell/order them for you. Just make sure they have NFPA ratings and are UL approved.
Click to expand...
Hey @The70’s :ciao:
I'm so glad you had a chance to check out this thread. :thumb:
Did you find something that will work for you?
Thanks @Doctor Trevor , appreciate your help. :thanks:



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
:thumb:
 
Trump said:
I'm not currently growing as the last harvest was enough for a while but when I do get another one up I'm going to go to my local fire extinguisher refiller and have him remove the spray nozzle and replace it with a sprinkler head and hang the whole thing in the tent.
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Good thinking my friend. :thumb:
You can keep inspecting that extinguisher.
What temp sprinkler head are you going to use?



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Bill284 said:
Good thinking my friend. :thumb:
You can keep inspecting that extinguisher.
What temp sprinkler head are you going to use?



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
Click to expand...
I'm thinking a 150° - 170° head should suffice. I don't want it to go off prematurely, but I want it to go off quickly to mitigate as much damage as possible. Say one day my HVAC decides to stop working and my lights are on. I can see the tent getting very hot. Sprinkler heads go down as low as 135°. I don't want to cut it that close so I would say 170° is a good compromise.

The one thing I'm still not sure of is the size of the tank. 5lb tank should suffice and is compact enough to hang off the roof but a 10lb tank would be way more preferable mostly to make sure it puts out the fire completely but a 10lb tank will be a bit unwieldly in the tent.

I also thought about using a 10lb tank but have it on the floor with a hose going up to the sprinkler head.
 
How big is your tent? More importantly, how tall is it? A ten pound bottle is pretty big. And heavy.
 
Trump said:
I'm thinking a 150° - 170° head should suffice. I don't want it to go off prematurely, but I want it to go off quickly to mitigate as much damage as possible. Say one day my HVAC decides to stop working and my lights are on. I can see the tent getting very hot. Sprinkler heads go down as low as 135°. I don't want to cut it that close so I would say 170° is a good compromise.

The one thing I'm still not sure of is the size of the tank. 5lb tank should suffice and is compact enough to hang off the roof but a 10lb tank would be way more preferable mostly to make sure it puts out the fire completely but a 10lb tank will be a bit unwieldly in the tent.

I also thought about using a 10lb tank but have it on the floor with a hose going up to the sprinkler head.
Click to expand...
150 degrees sounds good, 135 seems low.:thumb:
Couple things come to mind.
First is the actual heads.
I wonder if they have a different dispersment pattern or size?
There must be different size coverage depending on the ring?
Would you put a wider spraying head on a 10 pound bottle than you would a 5 pound?
Also porting or size of actual holes in the head.
Would a powder sprayer need larger holes than a liquid?
A DIY remote extinguisher is also a good idea.
Copper pipe with a sprinkler head screwed into a f.i.p. adapter in the ceiling is fairly easy to rig.
Gets the actual unit out of the way.
I recommend a caged head just in case. ;)
Wouldn't want to bang it and set it off by mistake.
More to this than first thought. :Namaste:





Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Doctor Trevor said:
How big is your tent? More importantly, how tall is it? A ten pound bottle is pretty big. And heavy.
Click to expand...
Yes. That's why I was thinking of I go with the 10 lb I can sit it on the floor outside the tent and run a hose up to the sprinkler head.
Bill284 said:
150 degrees sounds good, 135 seems low.:thumb:
Couple things come to mind.
First is the actual heads.
I wonder if they have a different dispersment pattern or size?
There must be different size coverage depending on the ring?
Would you put a wider spraying head on a 10 pound bottle than you would a 5 pound?
Also porting or size of actual holes in the head.
Would a powder sprayer need larger holes than a liquid?
A DIY remote extinguisher is also a good idea.
Copper pipe with a sprinkler head screwed into a f.i.p. adapter in the ceiling is fairly easy to rig.
Gets the actual unit out of the way.
I recommend a caged head just in case. ;)
Wouldn't want to bang it and set it off by mistake.
More to this than first thought. :Namaste:





Stay safe
Bill284 😎
Click to expand...
You think 150° would be high enough to not go off prematurely?

AFAIU, the dispersal design is the same as they usually are dispersing water but its the placement that is different. They disperse in an umbrella form depending on the heads on each side to disperse into the area the umbrella pattern doesn't reach under the head itself.

I want to see if they make a head specific to dry chemical discharge along with one that has a pattern that would cover the entire footprint of the tent rather than the standard umbrella pattern.
 
Trump said:
Yes. That's why I was thinking of I go with the 10 lb I can sit it on the floor outside the tent and run a hose up to the sprinkler head.

You think 150° would be high enough to not go off prematurely?

AFAIU, the dispersal design is the same as they usually are dispersing water but its the placement that is different. They disperse in an umbrella form depending on the heads on each side to disperse into the area the umbrella pattern doesn't reach under the head itself.

I want to see if they make a head specific to dry chemical discharge along with one that has a pattern that would cover the entire footprint of the tent rather than the standard umbrella pattern.
Click to expand...
I thought it would have to be a specific head.
Let me know what model number you come up with.
Another thought.
You’re going to need a union and a valve at the tank.
When you hook it up you’re going to have to discharge the extinguisher into the system to activate it as a fully wet system.
You should pressure test it first.
Prior to filling ;)



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
I'd go a little higher, if it were me. And, unless you have a huuuuge tent, a five pound bottle would be fine. Get a good surge guard, too. It might trip if the light short circuited. The light is where the fire will start.
 
Doctor Trevor said:
I'd go a little higher, if it were me. And, unless you have a huuuuge tent, a five pound bottle would be fine. Get a good surge guard, too. It might trip if the light short circuited. The light is where the fire will start.
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Thanks Doc. :thanks:
That's exactly where mine started.
I unfortunately had panda film on the walls.
Very flammable.
Drywall & tile now.;)
A extinguisher system is still a good idea.
I still have work to do on the VIVOHUT and it's on the list.
Hope your weekend is going well Amigo. :passitleft:




Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Bill284 said:
I thought it would have to be a specific head.
Let me know what model number you come up with.
Another thought.
You’re going to need a union and a valve at the tank.
When you hook it up you’re going to have to discharge the extinguisher into the system to activate it as a fully wet system.
You should pressure test it first.
Prior to filling ;)



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
Click to expand...
I'm sure they make heads specific to a dry chemical discharge. Maybe a Halon head? Not sure yet but when I find out I'll post up the type of head I used.
I think a shower style discharge would be best rather than an umbrella pattern. The umbrella pattern is to cover large areas like warehouses and such. I'm thinking the best would probably be a head from a chemical discharge unit for an electrical closet where they have to use dry chemical rather than water to put out the fire.
Doctor Trevor said:
I'd go a little higher, if it were me. And, unless you have a huuuuge tent, a five pound bottle would be fine. Get a good surge guard, too. It might trip if the light short circuited. The light is where the fire will start.
Click to expand...
I currently have a 5 x 5 so as long as the dispersal pattern covers the footprint I think I should be good.

I agree that higher might be better but then again, even with no a/c and lights on, I can't see how it would get any higher than 150°. Maybe if I was using HID's in the tent but I'm with you on the higher temp rating and erring on the side of caution. Besides, if the tent ever got that hot I don't think the flowers would survive.
 
A five pound extinguisher is more than enough for that small space.
 
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