Electrical system management

[Fiddler's Green]

How do you guys keep from tripping breakers or worse. Any articles or tips you've learned over time (like surge protectors/ lights, fans, and RH controls layout). I know you don't want to go over 80% of the power on a wall outlet or the breaker. Any tips are appreciated. I just want to make sure that I'm well armed before tackling a new project in the future.

 

[Meatman]

I ran two separate breakers one outlet is for one tent and the other is for the other tent both on separate 20 amp breakers

 

[Fiddler's Green]

Thanks for the reply!
Do you use one surge protector per tent and octopus from there or use both plugs and split the load on each?

Surge protectors on the inside or outside?

I want to do this as safely as possible.

 

[18B]

I would remove the breaker in the #1 and #3 spot on your panel and relocate somewhere else in the panel and put in a Holtz whole house surge protector in the 1&3 space on a 2 pole 15a breaker....and then do exactly as MeatMan has done and run two or more 20a circuits there...but I would go further and protect each new circuit with a GFCI device as well.

Plug and play devices are only as good as their connections...plug in connections are your weakest point in any circuit that is installed correctly.

 

[High kev]

How do you guys keep from tripping breakers or worse. Any articles or tips you've learned over time (like surge protectors/ lights, fans, and RH controls layout). I know you don't want to go over 80% of the power on a wall outlet or the breaker. Any tips are appreciated. I just want to make sure that I'm well armed before tackling a new project in the future.

If it’s tripping the breaker. It probabaly means you have to much power going to that breaker.
If you are maxing your electrical wattage per breaker and have multiple flower rooms you can put them on the same breaker just have the flower room lights on for 11 1/2 hours so they trip the breaker. One room on at night other on during the day all in same breaker but won’t be on at the same time.
Plug in direct to outlet no lead cords.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

If it’s tripping the breaker. It probabaly means you have to much power going to that breaker.
If you are maxing your electrical wattage per breaker and have multiple flower rooms you can put them on the same breaker just have the flower room lights on for 11 1/2 hours so they trip the breaker. One room on at night other on during the day all in same breaker but won’t be on at the same time.
Plug in direct to outlet no lead cords.

I was thinking of switching everything over to a 220 volt circuit. These Meanwells, you can run either way.
A 1000 watts is about all I will run on a 15 amp breaker. I'm not an electrician so I don't really know how much leadway I have left, but I don't have a big setup., so I don't worry that much about electricity. I keep my grows rather small now a days.

 

[Fiddler's Green]

Thank you guys for the replies. After some rough math the light, ventilation fan and oscillating fans will be around 700 watts max so I think a single dedicated 15 amp will be plenty. I just need enough to play with over the winter until my outdoor yields can cover me until the next harvest.

Then I can use it to experiment

 

[brucealmighty]

700 watts@120volts=5.83 Amps

 

[18B]

GFCI protection is your friend when working in bare floor areas with water and electricity.

 

[Greenthumbskunk]

How do you guys keep from tripping breakers or worse. Any articles or tips you've learned over time (like surge protectors/ lights, fans, and RH controls layout). I know you don't want to go over 80% of the power on a wall outlet or the breaker. Any tips are appreciated. I just want to make sure that I'm well armed before tackling a new project in the future.

Buy another subpanel and buy a 50 amp or bigger breaker and put it in your main panel and run some 6 guage or bigger wire depending on breaker size to your new subpanel.

 

[18B]

Exactly what type of 6gauge wire should he buy?

 

[18B]

You have no idea do you? I'll give you choices then.
THHN
SEU
SER
ROMEX
UF
TRI PLEX
and explain how it is applicable please.