I put the 2nd LED light in the tent today. Also up potted the girls as well. One is drooping but waiting for her to perk up. Temp increased to 79 from 75 with the addition of the 2nd light. Hmmm. Maybe the duct from the furnace won’t be needed after all. One thing I didn’t do was break up the soil below girls when up potting. It was loose to begin with. Here’s a picture from today. So 4 items are plugged in now.
Fire Safety: How do you prevent a disaster?
- Thread starter Bill284
- Start date
copper and aluminum are dissimilar metals and when joined together they will eat each other with corrosion. No amount of Noalock joint compound will fix this. The only SAFE methods used to join a copper wire with an aluminum wire is via an approved split bolt or a lug terminal like a bus bar. The reason a split bolt works is there is an alloy divider which prevents the wires from directly touching each other. All split bolts and termination points should have an AL/CU mark stamped on them that indicates its made for both metals, generally speaking if there is no AL/CU stamp then it’s not rated for both metals and intended for copper wire use only.
same thing happens in plumbing if you use metallic straps to hold copper pipes then the metals will quickly go to battle, corrosion wins every time - this is why the straps for copper pipe are made from copper. The roll of galvanized holey plumbing straps that you field cut to length are intended for plastic PEX supply lines or pvc/abs drain lines… there are not intended for copper pipe
older mobile homes used aluminum wiring for branch circuits meaning specifically 12 and 14 guage wires. The problem is/was the heating and cooling of the conductor caused the conductor to expand and contract thereby causing the termination points to work loose. Aluminum wiring was discontinued for small branch circuits more specifically for 14 gauge, 12 gauge and 10 gauge - but for larger trade sizes like 6-6-6 triplex thru 4 ought it is still available for purchase or use. They are often found in USE or underground service entrance formats, for example running a line to an outbuilding would cost a fortune using copper wire but the underground rated version of aluminum is safe and and budget friendly provided that 1) the wire is properly rated for the load it is expected to carry and 2) that the terminations points have been properly tightened and 3) the lugs or terminals are AL/CU rated
same thing happens in plumbing if you use metallic straps to hold copper pipes then the metals will quickly go to battle, corrosion wins every time - this is why the straps for copper pipe are made from copper. The roll of galvanized holey plumbing straps that you field cut to length are intended for plastic PEX supply lines or pvc/abs drain lines… there are not intended for copper pipe
older mobile homes used aluminum wiring for branch circuits meaning specifically 12 and 14 guage wires. The problem is/was the heating and cooling of the conductor caused the conductor to expand and contract thereby causing the termination points to work loose. Aluminum wiring was discontinued for small branch circuits more specifically for 14 gauge, 12 gauge and 10 gauge - but for larger trade sizes like 6-6-6 triplex thru 4 ought it is still available for purchase or use. They are often found in USE or underground service entrance formats, for example running a line to an outbuilding would cost a fortune using copper wire but the underground rated version of aluminum is safe and and budget friendly provided that 1) the wire is properly rated for the load it is expected to carry and 2) that the terminations points have been properly tightened and 3) the lugs or terminals are AL/CU rated
sneekymofo
Well-Known Member
Thanks @Bill284 for the cautionary tale. Sorry I missed the original post. I was traveling away from my own babies. I went through my own safety stuff to confirm. Thanks much!!!
I will chime in here due to my electrical background. Please note that this is only a recommendation based on my opinion, experience and preferences.
Make sure any product you use is listed by a 3rd party NRTL - Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. For example, many are familiar with the UL label. There are many variations for example cULus is UL certified for the US and Canada. For Canada there is CSA (Similar to UL).
Example:
I have also seen products certified cETLus, this is also a NRTL. The difference between UL and ETL is UL creates the standards products are tested to, ETL uses the standards created by UL to certify products. They are both NTRL's.
In the event of a disaster, the proper use of products CERTIFIED by a NRTL will give you a leg up when it comes to any litigation that may arise.
I am only familiar with the US and Canada. Other countries have their own standards that may or may not include UL. You can find the certification in the user manuals or specification sheets of the products you wish to use. Many will also have the certification logo's on their website in the product description.
Finally, as stated above, make sure you have adequate fire protection devices and ensure you do not overload your circuits (ask for help if you need it from a qualified professional).
Safety should always be your top priority.
Make sure any product you use is listed by a 3rd party NRTL - Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. For example, many are familiar with the UL label. There are many variations for example cULus is UL certified for the US and Canada. For Canada there is CSA (Similar to UL).
Example:
UL Empowering Trust®
UL is a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions.
www.ul.com
I have also seen products certified cETLus, this is also a NRTL. The difference between UL and ETL is UL creates the standards products are tested to, ETL uses the standards created by UL to certify products. They are both NTRL's.
In the event of a disaster, the proper use of products CERTIFIED by a NRTL will give you a leg up when it comes to any litigation that may arise.
I am only familiar with the US and Canada. Other countries have their own standards that may or may not include UL. You can find the certification in the user manuals or specification sheets of the products you wish to use. Many will also have the certification logo's on their website in the product description.
Finally, as stated above, make sure you have adequate fire protection devices and ensure you do not overload your circuits (ask for help if you need it from a qualified professional).
Safety should always be your top priority.
Smokey0418
Well-Known Member
I will chime in here due to my electrical background. Please note that this is only a recommendation based on my opinion, experience and preferences.
Make sure any product you use is listed by a 3rd party NRTL - Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. For example, many are familiar with the UL label. There are many variations for example cULus is UL certified for the US and Canada. For Canada there is CSA (Similar to UL).
Example:
UL Empowering Trust®
UL is a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions.www.ul.com
I have also seen products certified cETLus, this is also a NRTL. The difference between UL and ETL is UL creates the standards products are tested to, ETL uses the standards created by UL to certify products. They are both NTRL's.
In the event of a disaster, the proper use of products CERTIFIED by a NRTL will give you a leg up when it comes to any litigation that may arise.
I am only familiar with the US and Canada. Other countries have their own standards that may or may not include UL. You can find the certification in the user manuals or specification sheets of the products you wish to use. Many will also have the certification logo's on their website in the product description.
Finally, as stated above, make sure you have adequate fire protection devices and ensure you do not overload your circuits (ask for help if you need it from a qualified professional).
Safety should always be your top priority.
I would like to see more , but I have only found one CSA fixture so far.
Grandaddypurps
420 Member
Hi, How was it preventable? Were you running leds?
SmokeyB
Well-Known Member
Read above my friend
- Thread starter
- #89
Hey Grandaddy hope you are well.
Yes the Led blew up.
It caught the wood ceiling on fire.
Then the panda film.
I tried to put it out with 2 small fire extinguishers.
The smoke and flames were really bad.
If I had used dry wall on ceiling and walls plus had a full size extinguisher the outcome would have been so different.
It’s been hell.
They ripped out everything and the house still hasn’t sold.
It’s put us in a real bad spot.
Regardless drywall smoke detectors and big fire extinguisher are a good idea for any grow room.
Stay safe my friend.
Bill
Yes the Led blew up.
It caught the wood ceiling on fire.
Then the panda film.
I tried to put it out with 2 small fire extinguishers.
The smoke and flames were really bad.
If I had used dry wall on ceiling and walls plus had a full size extinguisher the outcome would have been so different.
It’s been hell.
They ripped out everything and the house still hasn’t sold.
It’s put us in a real bad spot.
Regardless drywall smoke detectors and big fire extinguisher are a good idea for any grow room.
Stay safe my friend.
Bill
Grandaddypurps
420 Member
Wow how horrible. Ive never heard of led lights blowing up. Wonder what brand it was? Im using cob lights but have been thinking of switching to a QB.
Anyway glad no one was hurt. Are you still growing indoors?
Hey Bill, good to hear from you
Glad things are settling now
+ 
Glad things are settling now
+ - Thread starter
- #93
Well with out being to obvious here is what the
Official WeeGrow veg room looks like today.
BTW that room above with the walls and floor ripped out was my bedroom.
So it could have been much worse if it happened in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately I'm not settling up a room inside my new house.
I just can't risk putting my wife through this again.
I still haven't recovered from being in there trying to put it out either.
Its been a major setback for us.
To top it off its actually going to cost us money to sell our house.
Its the never ending nightmare.
I do have a 40' shipping container down south still.
If I can get it moved up here somehow ill start from scratch and grow again.
I need the therapy it provides.
Bill
- Thread starter
- #94
Hey Growings my friend hope you are well.Hey Bill, good to hear from you
Glad things are settling now
We are getting by in our new place.
Unfortunately the power went out for a couple days last week and we lost what we did have in the fridge and freezer.
You got to laugh brother, its just a feken ball of misery if you don't.
Stay safe.
Bill
I'm so sorry you are going through this. What a fkin nightmare. Growing, Its good healthy therapy. Best of luck to you and your wife.
Brother, Maybe you could build you a grow shed once you're back on your feet. Sure hope you find a way to grow again even if it's outdoor grows. Best of Luck !Well with out being to obvious here is what the
Official WeeGrow veg room looks like today.
BTW that room above with the walls and floor ripped out was my bedroom.
So it could have been much worse if it happened in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately I'm not settling up a room inside my new house.
I just can't risk putting my wife through this again.
I still haven't recovered from being in there trying to put it out either.
Its been a major setback for us.
To top it off its actually going to cost us money to sell our house.
Its the never ending nightmare.
I do have a 40' shipping container down south still.
If I can get it moved up here somehow ill start from scratch and grow again.
I need the therapy it provides.
Bill
If you're talking about the ones produced from approximately 1870 to 1940, get rid of them (and not by simply throwing them in the trash can). Many of them used carbon tetrachloride - which is unhealthy if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through your skin. Even worse, when heated, that stuff produces phosgene gas, which can kill you quicker than the fire can (it was used during WWI as a chemical weapon!).
I understand the point of that; if the primary one is defective, and fails, the secondary is there to prevent disaster. However, if the weight is near or at the rated load capacity when the primary fails, won't the initial load on the backup then be greater than the force it's rated to handle (even if only by a small amount)? Due to the slack, I mean. In other words, it requires less strength to hold up a 150-pound person than it does to catch one if they get dropped on you, lol.
I always thought Orca Film was a much better product, anyway.
I have seen enough sketchy grow setups where the person used staples/etc. to hold up reflective material, or used an adhesive that failed, that I've stopped recommending these kinds of products. A properly prepped and primed surface that is painted with bright white paint is quite reflective. If the person chooses an eggshell finish instead of flat, it can even be cleaned, and the decrease in light reflectivity is insignificant (IMHO).
A lot of people run the things at their 1,500-watt setting (or the thing may not have multiple wattage options) - and that load, by itself, is greater than the 80% load that is recommended as a maximum. All by itself. Add to that the fact that the average user probably does not make certain that the heater is the only device on the circuit (let alone check to see whether a long wire run / etc. means that they don't actually have 120 volts at the receptacle)... and they're probably even more unsafe than those old unvented radiant gas stoves that used to kill people who were dumb enough to close the room's door and not open a window slightly for ventilation.
I untie mine, reloop them & make a hangsman's noose knot on both ends of my hangers. I don't trust the way they tie them because I had one come apart & ruin my Nextlight Mega. Had a ratchet stay open once & wouldn't click to stay in position. I too use 2 hangers in each spot I'd normally use 1 when hanging heavy stuff. I don't leave any slack though. My Light must be 40-lbs. so I've also added a bunch of extra hanging bars which has this tent solid as a rock.
Electrical is my worst fear of growing since I live in a Mobile Home. It's scary, so I try to take every precaution I can think of. One reason I'm reading this, is to see if I've missed anything.
I think Bill had the same issue I had with the cheapo knock off LED's I used when I 1st started growing. One day one of the lights wouldn't work. The power switch would not click on. I took it down & opened it up. The entire plastic housing on the switch was melted & a wire was hanging lose. So I checked my other 2 lights & sure enough they were doing the same thing. Now if that wire that was lose grounded out & caused a spark I'd of probably had a fire too. I was lucky.
So watch the light you buy. Cheapo knock offs are dangerous. The ones I bought were $59 each, blurple 300 watters.
Wish I still had the pics but they were on a different computer that went out on me. It would make anyone think twice about cheapo lights.
So watch the light you buy. Cheapo knock offs are dangerous. The ones I bought were $59 each, blurple 300 watters.
Wish I still had the pics but they were on a different computer that went out on me. It would make anyone think twice about cheapo lights.
phosgene, you say?
