earlystart35
New Member
Hey all. Right now I have a 600 watt light, 400 some cfm fan, tv, a desktop, and I would like to add a 1000 watt also. Will this be an overload for the circuits?
Too much electric in one bedroom apartment
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You'll have to look at how many circuits you will be using, how many amps those circuits are rated for, and figure out everything else that is drawing from those circuits and how much those things draw. Then it will be easy to answer the question after that.
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earlystart35
New Member
This help?
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earlystart35
New Member
Maybe test out and see if there are different plug ins for both those 15 amp things? Try and plug one light on one 15 and the other light on the other 15? But what if all the plug ins are on the same 15 amp?
OK, I can help some. It looks like you have two circuits in the kitchen, which is standard. Your fridge will be on one of them and the other plugs should be on the other circuit. Both of those circuits are 20 amps, and you can use up to 60% of that for a continuous load like grow lights, so that's about 1500 watts each. But ... kitchen equipment draws big watts - 1000 watt microwaves, toasters and toaster ovens, etc. You have some extra power in the fridge circuit you can use. Find out how much the fridge draws.
You have three more circuits (Lights&plugs), each 15 amps which gives you about 1100 watts each. It's tight, but if you put the 1000 watt hps on one circuit all by itself, you can probably make it work.
But do NOT f*ck with large wattage over a long period of time. Be sure you're thinking very clearly. Heavy loads don't just blow a breaker, they also fatigue the wiring over time, which can make big trouble in your walls and a hell of a problem to explain after they put the fire out.
You have three more circuits (Lights&plugs), each 15 amps which gives you about 1100 watts each. It's tight, but if you put the 1000 watt hps on one circuit all by itself, you can probably make it work.
But do NOT f*ck with large wattage over a long period of time. Be sure you're thinking very clearly. Heavy loads don't just blow a breaker, they also fatigue the wiring over time, which can make big trouble in your walls and a hell of a problem to explain after they put the fire out.
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earlystart35
New Member
Thanks for the info Graytail. I am on my first grow and took some clones and also planted 2 seeds in case clones don't make it. I am about ready to flower 4 plants in a 3 x 3 tent with a 600 watt and so If I want a veg and a flower area I need another light. I was gonna go with an 8 bulb t 5 set up or led/hid in comparable size, but then thought that if I got a 1000 watt a have a closet that is about 5 x 5 and then I would flower in that and use my 3 x 3 tent and my 600 watt for veg. Then I started thinking about electric and running the stuff. So I only have a few days to get the light I need. Hmm, what to do? Smart thing would be not make it so big since It is being grown in my one bedroom apartment, and get a smaller light for veg, and flower the 600 watt. The greedy me says get all I can get and If I can do the 1000 watt do it
I would go with the flourescents or whatever for veg and the 600 watt. Then you avoid the power issues. A 600 watt can grow you a very nice amount of herb and the flourescent or cfls will work for veg just fine. I never use my 1000 watt lights- too much power drain and heat and the 600s are more bang for the buck actually. If you don't like it you can upgrade down the road and switch the 600 to veg.
Alienpus
Well-Known Member
According to the U.S. and Canadian electrical codes, with continuous loads, breakers and wire gauge are to be sized at 125% of the load. The inverse of this comes out as 80% of rated amps. You can use up to 1400W on a 15A breaker and and up to 1900W on a 20A continuously with residential branch circuits.
From the NEC:
10.19 Conductors – Minimum Ampacity
and Size
(A) Branch Circuits Not More Than 600 Volts.
(1) General. Branch-circuit conductors shall have an am-
pacity not less than the maximum load to be served. Where a
branch circuit supplies continuous loads or any combination
of continuous and noncontinuous loads, the minimum
branch-circuit conductor size, before the application of any
adjustment or correction factors, shall have an allowable am-
pacity not less than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent
of the continuous load.
From the NEC:
10.19 Conductors – Minimum Ampacity
and Size
(A) Branch Circuits Not More Than 600 Volts.
(1) General. Branch-circuit conductors shall have an am-
pacity not less than the maximum load to be served. Where a
branch circuit supplies continuous loads or any combination
of continuous and noncontinuous loads, the minimum
branch-circuit conductor size, before the application of any
adjustment or correction factors, shall have an allowable am-
pacity not less than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent
of the continuous load.
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earlystart35
New Member
Thanks for all the feedback. Yeah I don't know much more about electrical. I was messing with the braker box lastnight and seen like half the rooms plug ins are on one 15, and some on the other. The other 15 in the pic is the garbage disposal. Looks like some plug ins in the kitchen run off one of the 20's so may have room there, but will need to run extension cord. I was now thinking about just getting another 600 watt and in my 5 x 5 closet I could hang up some mylar and make it closer to a 4 x 4 closet and then I would have a 600 for veg and one for flower. Like I said I have a 3 X 3 and with 4 plants in it, running a 600 mh. I think it is a little cramped in there? What you think? About ready to switch to 12/12 this weekend.
