Morda Grown
Well-Known Member
If I had a goat eat my plant's, I would be having a Goat Roast! 
Fire Safety: How do you prevent a disaster?
- Thread starter Bill284
- Start date
Well the old house didn’t burn down last night. Whooppee. Went down to check on things this am. Girls are good. Everything is running well. The plug from the Tripp-Lite surge strip is hot on one side. Grow light was off overnight, but I had a small fan and the 6” fan/carbon filter ran as well. I could not find that model online. Another $60 model shows promise. Til one reviewer told of reading a sticker on the unit. States that the outlet this is plugged into needs to have 30’ of wire between the outlet and the breaker box. This is 7’ from breaker box. Same room. I am worried about this strip I have now. Any suggestions??
I'm so sorry to learn of your terrifying experience and hope for complete recovery and restoration soonest for you, Bill. I am thankful you've posted about it and raised the paramount issue of fire safety in indoor grows. Electrical malfunctions are the number one cause of fires in indoor gardens. Some of these fires are the result of lighting fixtures devoid of any safety features like fuses and thermal cutoffs, and I think certification agencies like UL and CE need to raise the bar and mandate these for horticultural lighting.
If you are using outlet strips, check out the Isobar 8 Ultra. Simply the best there is and available in 4 outlet and 6 outlet flavors as well. These have fuses, circuit breaker, low pass filters and more. The fuse is a pain in the a** to replace but I've done it. I have to add here if you're running over 400 watts and don't have any understanding of electricity GET AN ELECTRICIAN to make sure you're up to code.
Bill's recommendation to get a proper full size fire extinguisher can't be repeated to often; I bought one of those AFO Fire Ball extinguishers but I have mixed feelings about it after receiving it.
The instructions, apparently penned by a chimpanzee using random keystrokes on a mechanical typewriter and interpreted by a tone deaf baboon, are terrible. It tells you to be sure the blue arrow is on the lower side but there is no blue arrow on the ball. There is no UL certification on the box yet the description on Amazon says it is UL listed. There is an expiration date on it. It uses a small explosive charge to disperse the flame retardant and appears to have two fuses in grooves that wrap around each half of the Styrofoam ball so I am reasoning that these fuse & detonator materials may absorb moisture from the air, rendering the ball inert with time. Clearly that could be accelerated in a humid grow room environment so as soon as I can afford it I'll be following Bill's rec for proper alarm, professional extinguisher and a ceiling mount extinguisher as well.
I had a near miss years back when I was using a light mover with a 400W HPS lamp. A wire in the cable from the ballast to the lamp broke from being flexed and opened the fuse I had installed in the ballast. That was an eye opener for me!
It is also noteworthy that at the time my dwelling was an older mobile home that had aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring can be EXTREMELY dangerous and was outlawed a long time ago in the USA. I never had any problems with the outlet in the grow area but one in the kitchen smoked- that's when I learned outlets for Al wire are more than 10 times as expensive as copper rated ones and you have to use this funky grease to keep connections dry. If you've got aluminum wiring in your home, it is even more important you bring in an electrician specifically qualified to deal with it.
If you are using outlet strips, check out the Isobar 8 Ultra. Simply the best there is and available in 4 outlet and 6 outlet flavors as well. These have fuses, circuit breaker, low pass filters and more. The fuse is a pain in the a** to replace but I've done it. I have to add here if you're running over 400 watts and don't have any understanding of electricity GET AN ELECTRICIAN to make sure you're up to code.
Bill's recommendation to get a proper full size fire extinguisher can't be repeated to often; I bought one of those AFO Fire Ball extinguishers but I have mixed feelings about it after receiving it.
The instructions, apparently penned by a chimpanzee using random keystrokes on a mechanical typewriter and interpreted by a tone deaf baboon, are terrible. It tells you to be sure the blue arrow is on the lower side but there is no blue arrow on the ball. There is no UL certification on the box yet the description on Amazon says it is UL listed. There is an expiration date on it. It uses a small explosive charge to disperse the flame retardant and appears to have two fuses in grooves that wrap around each half of the Styrofoam ball so I am reasoning that these fuse & detonator materials may absorb moisture from the air, rendering the ball inert with time. Clearly that could be accelerated in a humid grow room environment so as soon as I can afford it I'll be following Bill's rec for proper alarm, professional extinguisher and a ceiling mount extinguisher as well.
I had a near miss years back when I was using a light mover with a 400W HPS lamp. A wire in the cable from the ballast to the lamp broke from being flexed and opened the fuse I had installed in the ballast. That was an eye opener for me!
It is also noteworthy that at the time my dwelling was an older mobile home that had aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring can be EXTREMELY dangerous and was outlawed a long time ago in the USA. I never had any problems with the outlet in the grow area but one in the kitchen smoked- that's when I learned outlets for Al wire are more than 10 times as expensive as copper rated ones and you have to use this funky grease to keep connections dry. If you've got aluminum wiring in your home, it is even more important you bring in an electrician specifically qualified to deal with it.
Sativa1970
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear bought your loss Bill, but at least it was only the grow room. Right? Good to here you are safe and sharing the lessons learned. I barely survived a house fire in the 80s. Screw clowns, fire is fucking terrifying!
Add up everything you have pugged in.
Running too many amps through a wire in the wall or extension cord is a accidental space heater.
Wats/volts=amps
18 gauged wire is for less than 10 amps = 1100wats
16 gauged wire is for less than 13 amps = 1430wats
14 gauged wire is for less than 15 amps = 1650wats
12 gauged wire is for less than 20 amps = 2200wats
Old wires are even less efficient.
I find the remains of small electrical fires that burn themselves out at least once a month in clients houses. They have no idea it ever happened but " Now that you mention it I did smell something."
Add up everything you have pugged in.
Running too many amps through a wire in the wall or extension cord is a accidental space heater.
Wats/volts=amps
18 gauged wire is for less than 10 amps = 1100wats
16 gauged wire is for less than 13 amps = 1430wats
14 gauged wire is for less than 15 amps = 1650wats
12 gauged wire is for less than 20 amps = 2200wats
Old wires are even less efficient.
I find the remains of small electrical fires that burn themselves out at least once a month in clients houses. They have no idea it ever happened but " Now that you mention it I did smell something."
Electric Oil Heated Radiator for winter heat. No red light from them like with a space heater & much safer.
That Sucks ! I was thinking I was OK with my 2 mid sized ones.
Well I was wondering where you've been lately. Now I know. Sorry to hear about this. Do you know how it started ?
That is the $64M question
If you read back through the thread, Bill has told us what he can
Love & Peace BB
- Thread starter
- #72
Directly above the light.
The underside of the wood floor of my bedroom.
Stay safe my friend.
Bill
Doctor Trevor
Well-Known Member
I wish I could've chimed in of these fire suppression balls before everyone started ordering them. I would've told you to save your money. Every couple of years, someone comes out with a new fire fighting toy... and they are just that: toys.
These balls have an NFPA 10 fire rating of 1A 5B.
A 2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher has a fire rating of 2A.
A 2.5 pound ABC extinguisher has a fire rating of 1A 10BC.
Type A fires are normal combustables that leave ash (ie: wood, paper, etc);
Type B fires are burning liquids (gasoline, oils, etc);
Type C fires are electrical fires.
These balls will (supposedly) put out as much burning wood, paper as five quarts of water. Or as much burning liquid as a pint of dry ABC extinguishing agent.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICAL FIRES!!!!!
I'll repeat myself:
THEY ARE COMPLETELY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICAL FIRES!!!!!
I watched three youtube videos, today, where these things were tested. It put out the fire in two of them. I don't like those odds. Do you?
They do have a positive side in that they are automatic. But they go off everywhere. They are not focused on the fire. So, unless it's within, maybe, fire feet of the fire when it starts, it won't put the flames out. If you hung one on the ceiling, over your sofa, and the sofa caught fire, one of those wouldn't put the flames out. Neither would two of them. Or three. The videos I saw earlier showed the balls mounted a few feet directly above where the fire started. Not five or ten feet away. Can you predict exactly where the fire would start? No? Then you may want to consider buying twenty of these balls and place the every few feet.
Gardinhackle showed his ceiling mounted extinguisher. I'm guessing it's a halon extinguisher as he mentioned it doesn't leave a mess and doesn't hurt electrical equipment. This is a much better unit.
The best way to protect your home and family is to have at least one smoke/co detector on each floor. And at least one fire extinguisher on each floor. Real extinguishers! And it should be a 5# ABC dry chemical extinguisher or bigger. The basement should have at least one 10# ABC dry chemical extinguisher. And buy the all metal ones with gauges. If you have a fire extinguisher with a pin that you push down to test for pressure, toss it out and curse yourself for buying it in the first place.
Talk to your local fire department if you have any questions. 'How do I use a fire extinguisher?' is a good question.
And now...
to finish this post on a happy note:
DRUNK ME: You know, they should put glitter in fire extinguishers. So, like, when you put out a fire, it seems magical. Like you're fighting a dragon...
This has been my TED talk.
These balls have an NFPA 10 fire rating of 1A 5B.
A 2.5 gallon pressurized water extinguisher has a fire rating of 2A.
A 2.5 pound ABC extinguisher has a fire rating of 1A 10BC.
Type A fires are normal combustables that leave ash (ie: wood, paper, etc);
Type B fires are burning liquids (gasoline, oils, etc);
Type C fires are electrical fires.
These balls will (supposedly) put out as much burning wood, paper as five quarts of water. Or as much burning liquid as a pint of dry ABC extinguishing agent.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICAL FIRES!!!!!
I'll repeat myself:
THEY ARE COMPLETELY USELESS WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRICAL FIRES!!!!!
I watched three youtube videos, today, where these things were tested. It put out the fire in two of them. I don't like those odds. Do you?
They do have a positive side in that they are automatic. But they go off everywhere. They are not focused on the fire. So, unless it's within, maybe, fire feet of the fire when it starts, it won't put the flames out. If you hung one on the ceiling, over your sofa, and the sofa caught fire, one of those wouldn't put the flames out. Neither would two of them. Or three. The videos I saw earlier showed the balls mounted a few feet directly above where the fire started. Not five or ten feet away. Can you predict exactly where the fire would start? No? Then you may want to consider buying twenty of these balls and place the every few feet.
Gardinhackle showed his ceiling mounted extinguisher. I'm guessing it's a halon extinguisher as he mentioned it doesn't leave a mess and doesn't hurt electrical equipment. This is a much better unit.
The best way to protect your home and family is to have at least one smoke/co detector on each floor. And at least one fire extinguisher on each floor. Real extinguishers! And it should be a 5# ABC dry chemical extinguisher or bigger. The basement should have at least one 10# ABC dry chemical extinguisher. And buy the all metal ones with gauges. If you have a fire extinguisher with a pin that you push down to test for pressure, toss it out and curse yourself for buying it in the first place.
Talk to your local fire department if you have any questions. 'How do I use a fire extinguisher?' is a good question.
And now...
to finish this post on a happy note:
DRUNK ME: You know, they should put glitter in fire extinguishers. So, like, when you put out a fire, it seems magical. Like you're fighting a dragon...
This has been my TED talk.
mk2SMOKEY
Well-Known Member
Hello Bill,im so sorry to hear you had this devestation happen to you,i don't know what to say to you that could help but i would like to thank you for the text above regarding fire safety.I am very wary about leaving home die to this exact fact,i hope you get sorted out sooner rather than later,feel free to message me but i don't know what i can offer as i'm all new to this.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
from my side- Thread starter
- #75
Thank you my friend @mk2SMOKEY
I appreciate the kind words.
All I need is for you to make sure this never happens to you.
I encourage everyone to take this seriously.
Immediately don’t put it off.
Stay safe Amigo.
Bill
I appreciate the kind words.
All I need is for you to make sure this never happens to you.
I encourage everyone to take this seriously.
Immediately don’t put it off.
Stay safe Amigo.
Bill
What happens is the aluminum oxidizes from the copper contacts on the switches or receptacles. This makes for poor connections and eventually the wires break.
A good sign is flickering lights when walking across the floor.
The paste isn't for moisture. It is used any time copper and aluminum mate, as it prevents oxidization. Instead of buying expensive AL/CU receptacles, buy regular ones. Run copper wire from the switches, or receptacles, and pigtail them to the aluminum wires. This is where the paste gets used. Tie the wires together using a wire nut, prefilled with the paste.
I have already cut into the ductwork to run a 6” line to the grow room. May or may not grow over the winter. Don’t remember the temp in the tent over the winter. Without that electrical heater running. Right now just three electrical items being used in tent. Humidifier has been outlawed. Using the small fan to buffert the plants AND to evap moisture from a pan with a humidifier filter sitting in water. Still small plants. Maybe that won’t work when they hit puberty.
Doctor Trevor
Well-Known Member
'Humidifier has been outlawed?'
May have to add the second LED after the last pot up. Then they will be bushier. Crazy wide for the height they are at now. Twice as wide as they are tall. Wide spread hiding lower leaves. May have to go to LST after all. Thought I could skip that step