lazystonerguy
New Member
How noticable will my 600 watt HPS be to the electric company or even a chopper with thermal vision?? This is something that has been haunting my mind any information on this will be a great help. Thank you 
How detectable is a 600 watt hps?
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DaveyBoy
New Member
Re electric co, keep paying your bill and prob fine.
Or change supplier.
Re chopper would imagine if in the roof space and poor venting might be suspicious. Some people with converted attics may have warmer roofs, but usually there would be insulation to prevent heat loss.
If inside a vented room or in tent/cabinet with ventilation should be a lot safer.
Or change supplier.
Re chopper would imagine if in the roof space and poor venting might be suspicious. Some people with converted attics may have warmer roofs, but usually there would be insulation to prevent heat loss.
If inside a vented room or in tent/cabinet with ventilation should be a lot safer.
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lazystonerguy
New Member
It is in a cellar under ground... with a closed wooden door then a very thick and heavy metal cellar door. I had a scare with my last grow... a chopper hovered above my house for a minute but that was when i was running the light at night. This go round the light will def. be running during the day. Ill only have it running for a bout six weeks 12 hours a day. I have a 8 light florecent fixture for my veg. Thankx for the reply Daveyboy 
DaveyBoy
New Member
It is in a cellar under ground... with a closed wooden door then a very thick and heavy metal cellar door. I had a scare with my last grow... a chopper hovered above my house for a minute but that was when i was running the light at night. This go round the light will def. be running during the day. Ill only have it running for a bout six weeks 12 hours a day. I have a 8 light florecent fixture for my veg. Thankx for the reply Daveyboy
Would suggest that's a lot safer than most people... Light during the day is the best bet, I think, or tape up the inside of the doors etc so not light escapes.
Also are you in close proximity to the street or to other people?
Over here in the UK I hear they catch people with UV meters, but would imagine that would only work in densely populated "rougher" areas, not sure how that translates in the US, but you seem to have bigger pads and more space in urban areas potentially reducing risk too.
Anyway, high and going for a shower
DB
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lazystonerguy
New Member
Just open a flap at least for 15 minutes a day make sure to have a fan or two going. My hood has a intake and a outtake for my blower so im pulling cold air from under my house across my light then out the other end of room under my house it a nice little set-up
Bud stankalot
New Member
They can't search your home because of a thermal image. Growing is legal. There are people that use HID lamps to grow vegetables in their house. My sister does. It's what you grow that's illegal for some. I've got high powered lights in my workshop that probably look no different than HID on heat signature, but they're not going to swoop down on fast ropes and kick my door in. Don't worry, bro. Don't tell anybody about your grow, and keep the smell at bay and you'll be fine. Peace and Happy Growing!!
Chopper
New Member
They don't really thermal image very often. Too many variables and it won't get 'em a warrant to search...so they don't just randomly image random rooftops. Keep your mouth shut about what you're doing and you'll be fine. How many people have reptiles as pets, or built in sauna or steamroom or whatever. See my point? I don't know how it's done in Europe...but I really gotta believe they are plenty busy just trying to keep people from blowing each other up....they aren't looking for you and your six or seven plants. Don't give 'em a reason to come looking, and they won't. Angry wives or lovers are the #1 reason for trouble
DaveyBoy
New Member
Happy days. was going to day best securiry measure is being tight lipped.
Only my brother knows about my grow, and my wife, and that's the way it'll stay!
We have problems hear in UK when police copters chasing down car thieves or burglars use thermal imaging, but your grow sounds v low risk.
Growing is not illegal here either but very few chavs on Council estates will be growing peppers indoors....
Only my brother knows about my grow, and my wife, and that's the way it'll stay!
We have problems hear in UK when police copters chasing down car thieves or burglars use thermal imaging, but your grow sounds v low risk.
Growing is not illegal here either but very few chavs on Council estates will be growing peppers indoors....
DaveyBoy
New Member
And Omg. typo much? "smart" phones and fat fingers don't mix..
buckethead
New Member
I think that 1 600 watt light is nothing to worry about .If your still worried run the light during the day and also make sure you have a good ventilation system As for the increase in power usage I honestly think it is completely unnoticeable.My old garden ran two one thousand hps, One 400 watt mh and multiple florescents.the average temp was in the high eighties and the electric was split right down the middle as I lived in a duplex with my growing partner.It is only natural to be worried but I think the best advice is to keep the grow to yourself and you will have zero problems.The only problem I ran into after a successful 3 years was a falling out with my growing partner.
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lazystonerguy
New Member
thank you everybody for the responses. Iv started to get everything ready for my next grow. Ill have my tech light going 24 hours for probably 6 weeks then the 600 but as far as who knows about my grow Me, My Wife. Thats it i would never in a million years tell someone about this thing. Way too many people around here that would love to just break into my home for 6 damn plants. So no worries in that area. Thankx agaon fellas 
Bud stankalot
New Member
No problem, Bro. Good luck on your venture, and Happy Growing!!
DaveyBoy
New Member
Just as an update I googled and there are sadly very many UK incidents of heat giving the game away.
The other things the police tell people to watch for are blacked out windows, no occupants of the property, but people coming and going, unusual amounts of heat coming through the walls or the sounds of extractors.
This is one example... should used odour control
A strong smell of cannabis near homes in Northampton town centre led police to send up the force helicopter which spotted the heat bloom rising from the lights of a drugs factory.
Two Vietnamese-born men, who admitted running the £14,000 cannabis production plant from a property in The Mounts, were each jailed for two years.
Northampton Crown Court heard how Man Bao Sam, aged 40, and 33-year-old San Khong were arrested when the heat generated by the lights used to nurture their lucrative plants was spotted by the helicopter's thermal imaging camera.
The other things the police tell people to watch for are blacked out windows, no occupants of the property, but people coming and going, unusual amounts of heat coming through the walls or the sounds of extractors.
This is one example... should used odour control
A strong smell of cannabis near homes in Northampton town centre led police to send up the force helicopter which spotted the heat bloom rising from the lights of a drugs factory.
Two Vietnamese-born men, who admitted running the £14,000 cannabis production plant from a property in The Mounts, were each jailed for two years.
Northampton Crown Court heard how Man Bao Sam, aged 40, and 33-year-old San Khong were arrested when the heat generated by the lights used to nurture their lucrative plants was spotted by the helicopter's thermal imaging camera.
Running 12 hours a day it'll be less than a 1500-watt heater that is actively running 6 hours a day.
Or, roughly the same as a new loaded PC that runs for 12 hours a day.
If you're REALLY paranoid, don't run it for ten weeks, shut it off for a couple of months, run it for ten weeks, shut it off for a couple of months... Instead, go perpetual.
If you live in an "all electric" home, 600 watts is nothing. How much electricity do you think an electric range, electric clothes dryer, electric water heater, and electric furnace uses in a month's time? If you have an electric dryer, a wife, and a couple of kids and unplug the dryer & exclusively dry (and wash) your clothes at a laundromat when you fire up the HPS, your electric bill might go down, lol. Of course your laundry budget will go through the roof on its way to orbit.
If you don't already use CFL/LED lights for lighting in your home, switch out all of your old-fashioned bulbs when you turn on your garden lights.
iwltfum
New Member
Not to be an ass, but did you even read this thread? It's only one page and answers your question completely.
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