Shiggityflip Hits The Brix - Growing Using High Brix Soil

Electricity scares the shiz out of me. I won't mess with it. But I live in a house that was built in the 40's, with some upgrades. One room in my house will shut down half the upstairs if I plug my 1500 watt space heater into any of it's plugs. So, I started worrying that I wouldn't be able to have my end goal of 2 separate gardens in one room of my house. So, I started experimenting in that room, using the plugs I plan to use for my grow. I plugged in said 1500 watt heater and started turning on all the other appliances that were on that plug including a 42" flat screen, cable box, dvd player, lamp. Then I turned on my 80 watt amp that is plugged in on the other side of the room and turned the light on. I left it all on for an hour before going around the upstairs and turning everything on. wtf?
The outlet that I plan to use is one of the upgrades rewired in when the previous owners moved the box to the basement 20 years ago.
With a 96 watt T5, a 600 watt MH, a 600 watt HPS, two 4" inline fans, and 2 oscillating fans. I am hoping this will suffice. What do you think Shiggity?

IMO, if you have a GOOD 15A circuit (correct wiring, no extension cords used, etc.) you are closed to maxed out. I try to use about 20% less than the rated capacity, so for 15A = about 12A. You've got 12A just with the two big lights. Add in the fans and T-5, and you are probably using 14 amps. If it is a 20A circuit, you are good.
 
You have to add up all the amps that will be in use on that circuit. Then you have to see if it is a 20A circuit or 15A circuit. The amps you use should be no more than 80% to be really safe. For a 15A circuit you would want to run 12A. Now some people will say more is ok but I like to err on the side of caution. A 20A circuit can handle 16A constant draw.

Edit: Major you were faster on the draw but seems like we completely agree!
 
IMO, if you have a GOOD 15A circuit (correct wiring, no extension cords used, etc.) you are closed to maxed out. I try to use about 20% less than the rated capacity, so for 15A = about 12A. You've got 12A just with the two big lights. Add in the fans and T-5, and you are probably using 14 amps. If it is a 20A circuit, you are good.

Thanks for the advice, Major. I just checked. The room that I can't plug my heater in, which is, ironically the bedroom, is on a 15 amp breaker. My grow room is on a 20 amp breaker.
 
FLIP + 37. 25-30 days to go!
The amount of sugar I am seeing is just wonderful! 1st Cat drench was 18days ago. Last cat drench finished up 10 days ago. They really responded well. I am going to let these gals go to a little amber. I didn't end up using the OG drench on my Kush plants. I wanted a baseline on how they would do without it. All the Kush plants did get 1/8 cup of bloodmeal when I flipped and top dressed with amendment. The Kushes are starting to yellow the lower fans but up top is very green. I may try a 1/2 strength OG drench next grow. My flairosol sprayers have both died so I must grab a sprayer today to Brix + wa10x. All plants got a GE drench +tea two days ago.(1.5oz GE +2.5ml tea divided among the 5 plants)
Bring at this point always makes me happy. It's the point in the grow where if I had to harvest that I feel like the buds would be young but still very presentable. That's a very relieving feeling and I sense it each grow at some point. That point came today for me and I exhaled a bit. I will get full plant pics this weekend!

Huckleberry Kush 11
Still looking awesome. She is shorter than her Chem counterpart but just a bit more trichomes.

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Huckleberry Kush 8
She keeps surprising me. She is piling on the trichs. I am eager to see what happens with her in high Brix.

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Huckleberry Kush 3 Pineberry pheno
She is catching up and her longer stems may make for a good harvest. I do love her taste and smell.

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X4
Coming along nicely. I wish I knew what this bagseed was!

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Agent Orange
I guess I am going to drop the #5 designation as I only have one pheno. She is coming along famously and sugaring earlier than last grow.

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I've got space in my panel but having room for a breaker doesn't overcome my ultimate limitation: 200A. While not likely, we have several big current draws that could cause problems when combined: swimming pool pump, well pump, arc welder, heat pump, 2 water heaters, high powered audio/home theater, etc.

I set up all our circuits for 20A from the get-go. All circuits are wired with one step heavier gauge than code for 20A. My easy solution is still to run all my grow light stuff on 230V. They all switch automatically. The real kicker is the sub-panel in the area where my grow is (not the house). It is only a 60A panel and it is full (a couple are half-width breakers).

Honestly, I grow more than I can consume already. I just gave away 8 oz. to stay legal and once my Tigers finish I'll probably have to trash another 8 zips.

Gotcha good now, sorry didn't see how your set up was other than wanting to run on 220/240.

I guess the only other thing I'm missing is what size wire are ou running to your sub panel now? And since you have filled your sub panel and are using the narrow breakers as well, sounds like a new sub panel is needed as well, (I know, always something). I did buy a 120 amp sub panel with 12 slots for my shed for like less than $50 @ one of the chain home stores and the box included 6 20 amp breakers with it. I ran 40 amp breaker to it with 8ga, Shiggs looks like ran 50 amp with 6 gauge which sounds like what you may need to sub panel. Couple choices there again depending on distance and location of sub panel

Sounds like you have an easy fix to replace the sub panel with larger one, and hopefully you already have a 6 or 8 gauge 3 strand wire already feeding sub panel?

Sounds like a resort you got going there dude with all the goodies, but seriously I don't see a problem overloading anything on your 200 amp incoming service, there are houses running on 100 amp old wiring running way too much stuff like hot tubs and welders. I have welder on it's on 240v 50 amp breaker and only turn on breaker when I use welder, which isn't often but never have problems, I run my well on 30 amp breaker could get by with 20, hot water heater and heat pump are a draw, but not killers on 200 amps of incoming service, though I do run a timer on my hot water heater, just because I have a bad habit of always turning it on in the kitchen instead of cold which is a waste more often than not.

Keep us updated and hope you get it sorted like you want.

Shiggs is absolutely correct a cheap non contact circuit tester is your best friend, but sounds like you have experience with electricity.
 
knowing basic electrical wiring, i did a similar project.
200 amp main panel in the house, ran 130 feet of 6/2 through the attic then down an exterior wall and into a outdoor J-box where i slip bolted my connection with single strand 6 gauge wire that went in the grey pipe in underground trench I dug to 18". I then ran that into the shop panel that i installed with a 50 amp breaker and ran 12 gauge wires for all my 20 amp outlets.

Pretty simple to do, I bought a book and read on how it's done and watched some vids on youtube. Just remember to only touch one wire at a time when handling live wire. You touch two, complete the circuit and get shocked. Another good tool is a sharpie for labeling what wire goes were in the panel. Also a circuit detector if you have mess of a panel, one piece plugs into an outlet and the other you scan down the breakers until it beeps and that's the breaker for the outlet. :thumb:

All good advice, but there is NEVER any need to touch ANY live wire, sorry but that's BAD advice there, you have no need to touch any live wire! PERIOD! Sorry if I sound like an arse not intentional.
 
The good news is I got everything installed, I had a nice spot for that 50amp breaker and ran 6/2 NM-R wire along the floor joists and mounted the light controller on the grow room ceiling. Now all mu lights are plugged into it and an additional accessory fan. All together my lights right now are about 19 amps in flower so I am good to go for a long while even with a few expansions. Maybe next winter I will run some 1000s.

And I must say, a non contact voltage detector is a man's best friend when going into a circuit panel!

Pretty work, good to know how you're hooked in especially with a run like you have. Awesome looking flowers glad you reached the confident moment.

:yahoo:
 
Trich farmer Shiggs back in action. Just incredible production bud.


I think she is a great choice. The smell of her is unreal and she gives a great head buzz that doesn't make you stupid.

That sounds terrible, thanks for the warning.

:rofl:
 
I'll catch up later man... Returning the favour....
 
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