# Anyone know how to wire up an HID light?



## Red-Eye Jedi (Oct 29, 2007)

I am curious as to how one would go about wiring up an HID light. I have never really done any electrical work other than wiring a lamp and have no clue how to do this. any help?


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## sweetnug (Oct 30, 2007)

Why would you have to wire an hid light.  Theres a cord that plugs into the wall then the ballast on the other side is a cord from the ballast to the socket.  You wouldn't ever need to wire one, they are plug and play


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## Growdude (Oct 30, 2007)

Here is a common wireing diagram.
http://www.venturelighting.com/images/Wiring_E_big.gif

Its really quite simple.


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## Red-Eye Jedi (Oct 31, 2007)

sweetnug said:
			
		

> Why would you have to wire an hid light. Theres a cord that plugs into the wall then the ballast on the other side is a cord from the ballast to the socket. You wouldn't ever need to wire one, they are plug and play


 
 I was under the impression that These were not able to plug into a simple 110v outlet. Is this wrong?


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## King Bud (Oct 31, 2007)

If your ballast isn't plug and play, there should be a wiring diagram (of similar nature to the one Growdude posted) somewhere. Look around for it in the instructions, or on a sticker somewhere on the ballast.

It should also display the voltage it can handle.. 120, or 240, or 120/240.. and the watts it uses.

Have you bought it yet?


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## Red-Eye Jedi (Nov 1, 2007)

no I have not bought it yet. I am totally ignorant as to how to hook up. I have really old wiring in my home and still even have screw in fuses. Someone told me that to hook up a metal halide lamp I would need to hard wire it into the fuse box, and that really seems like a dificult job. If however this is an item that when I purchase I have the option of wiring up the balast and then plugging it directly into a socket, I would be more inclined to do that.


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## lowrydergrower775 (Nov 2, 2007)

i can help ya wire a 150 watt hps but not a mh , lol mh has so many wires bro not funny


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## King Bud (Nov 2, 2007)

It's alright to plug it directly into the socket, if the line can handle the load. They're usually 15 amps, and you don't want to use over 80% of that, so 12 amps per line MAX.

Usually you don't have anything to worry about, unless you're using big ballasts (600 watt, 1000 watt), or if you run a computer/TV/etc on the same line.

To figure out how many amps, divide watts by voltage. (So a 1000watt MH 120 volt, would use 8.3 amps, so only one of these per line)

Don't be scared about wiring the MH, I'm _SURE_ someone on here will help you figure it out, if needed.


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## DankCloset (Nov 2, 2007)

i have a 250watt hps ballast kit iam trying to wire after a couple failed attempts.  i kinda need some help too hahaha

although iam thinking i'll just use it for parts or something, or finish it when i move, cuz i'll need it then, anyway, iam looking at this light or a couple of them
http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=3&FGNumber=E-HR3H25QZ
+
i have a 1000watt mh iam gonna use when i move too


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## Shocked (Dec 1, 2007)

Red-Eye Jedi said:
			
		

> I am curious as to how one would go about wiring up an HID light. I have never really done any electrical work other than wiring a lamp and have no clue how to do this. any help?


 

I would have responded to this sooner, but I'm just now seeing it.

I'm assuming that you have a fixture without a power cord, or are you trying to build a light out of parts?

If you just need to connect a powercord:  

what you will need:

"romex" type wire connector (size 3/8)

15 feet of 12/3 (twelve is the wire guage and three is the number of conductors: black, white and green) type SJ rubbercoated wire (types SO and SJO will work also)

A male cord cap (the plug) that is rated for 20 amps.

A few wirenuts


Strip about 8 inches of the insulate off one end of your cord and about an inch and a half off the other.  Put the romex connector in the half inch hole on your fixture and add the cord (the end stripped 8 inches).  Complete HID fixtures usually have three main components: the socket, the ballast and the transformer.  The socket is probably already wired to the ballast (black to black, white to white) and the ballast to the transformer but you must connect to the transformer using the appropriate lead for the voltage you are using.  Typically the there will be a 120, 208, 277 and a lead labeled "common" or "nuetral".  Connect your black wire to the 120 lead and your white wire to the common/nuetral lead.  The green wire goes to the green screw, if your unit is missing the green screw look for a hole with the symbol for ground next to it.....it looks like a mini antennae sorta and insert any metal screw that you have that fixs snuggly and tightens down.  If you want exact they any fine thread machine screw size 8/24 will work, only needs to be 1/2 inch long.

Now take the other end of your cord and slide the base of your plug over it.  Put the black wire under the copper screw the white wire under the silver screw and the green wire under the green screw.  Some plugs don't have the different color screws (except for the green) so be sure to always make sure that your white and black wires are under the correct screw.  When looking at an outlet head on, the nuetral wire (white) is always connected to the left side of the outlet and the live wire (black) to the right side.  You could put a screwdriver into the left slot of an outlet and nothing would happen, stick it in the right slot and you'll need a new screwdriver.  Point is to make sure the wires match up in your plug if the screws are not color coded.  Screw the base back to the rest of the cap, and be sure that you push all exposed wiring into the plug before tightening the wire support screws.

Plug it in and you are off 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

When buying your wire be sure that it is 90 degree rated cord and not 60 degree.

Homes built before 1985 were wired mostly with wire rated at 60 degrees and I do not suggest having too many fixtures with 90 degree wiring inside of these dwellings.  If this is your situation I suggest installing a 15 amp GFCI outlet where you need it (simply replace the outlet you are already using) and change the breaker to an arc fault breaker.

I read that someone still has the twist fuses at their main service and this bothers me.  Is it possible for you to get a new wire into your electrical panel and get it to your grow area?


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