# How Do I Shut Off My Circuit Breaker?



## IllusionalFate (Jun 24, 2008)

Well, not the whole thing, just one switch. Here's the story:

I have a 600W lamp, and about once a day the circuit breaker switches off the power upstairs because apparently 600W is a "dangerous" amount of power? I don't know, I know absolutely nothing about electricity whatsoever. I just know that there's a way I can safely run any wattage bulb I want to, I just need to know how to do it. Do I need to re-wire my outlet or something so it can handle more amps/watts? Or is my circuit breaker just being unnecessarily protective? For you electrical savvy people out there, any advice is appreciated since I don't want to stress my plants out by the light randomly going out during lights-on period.


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## nOob grower (Jun 24, 2008)

Figure out what else is running on that breaker, you are probably overloading the breaker (too many amps) and it's tripping the breaker.  Turn off or unplug anything that doesnt need to be plugged in at the time your lights are on.  I've had this problem just running my computer equipment and a heater on the same breaker, as soon as the heater kicked on the breaker tripped, so i moved the heater to another outlet, and when someone would use the microwave while the heater was on that tripped another breaker.


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## bud.uncle (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm not that savy with electrics but if you can run a dedicated 16amp (maybe 20) to the grow room/area it could well help.

How old is your house?

Have the electrics been updated extra sockets added on?

Was the electrician qualified and insured?  

In the past I have seen some shocking work carried out by electricians tryin to cut corners n get the job done quick n cheap.


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## Growdude (Jun 24, 2008)

What else goes off when the breaker trips?  600 watts should not trip the breaker unless there is more on the circuit.

600 watt lamp draws about 5.5 amps so if there isnt anything else on the circuit then the breaker could be worn out, replace with the same size.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 24, 2008)

IllusionalFate said:
			
		

> Well, not the whole thing, just one switch. Here's the story:
> 
> I have a 600W lamp, and about once a day the circuit breaker switches off the power upstairs because apparently 600W is a "dangerous" amount of power? I don't know, I know absolutely nothing about electricity whatsoever. I just know that there's a way I can safely run any wattage bulb I want to, I just need to know how to do it. Do I need to re-wire my outlet or something so it can handle more amps/watts? Or is my circuit breaker just being unnecessarily protective? For you electrical savvy people out there, any advice is appreciated since I don't want to stress my plants out by the light randomly going out during lights-on period.



There is no way to just shut off selected outlets run by one breaker.  If you are tripping the breaker, you have too much running on that circuit or you have a weak breaker.   It is not the light by itself that is tripping the breaker.

There is no way to rewire your outlet so it can handle more amps.  You cannot just switch out the breaker to a larger one.  Your breaker is not being overprotective--it is doing its job.

When the breaker trips, what else shuts off?  Those things are also using power and it is the combination of all the power demands that causes the breaker to trip--you are asking it to power too much stuff.  You will need to either plug other things in to other outlets controlled by another breaker, plug your light into an outlet that has less demand, or run a dedicated circuit.


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## CasualGrower (Jun 24, 2008)

Uggg  tripping breakers can be a bad thing....

If you are tripping the breaker with only a 600 watt light then you have a problem somewhere.... bad breaker or possibly a intermittant short somewhere...

Now, say you have a wife like mine that like to wait to take a shower till after the grow room comes alive and uses a 15000 jigawatt hairdryer...  Hairdryer + 600 watts of light will throw a 15 amp breaker pretty quick.  Do ya turn on a HD tv maybe with it....


one way to fix the problem is to run a dedicated circuit to your grow area from your load center... NOTE!!!( If you are not comfortable around electricity... DO NOT MESS WITH IT!!!).... another answer is to go get a 12 GA  Heavy duty 20 amp extension cord and run it to a part of the house where you dont use much power.

If ya want to learn a lil bit about wiring and some basic knowlege about wiring.... Go to your Home De-Pot and pick up their Wiring 1-2-3 book... it has some great information in it and you can learn all you need to know to run an independent circuit to your grow.


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## bud.uncle (Jun 24, 2008)

finehomebuilding.com

could be a place to have a look see


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## That crazy vancouver guy (Jun 24, 2008)

Growdude said:
			
		

> What else goes off when the breaker trips? 600 watts should not trip the breaker unless there is more on the circuit.
> 
> 600 watt lamp draws about 5.5 amps so if there isnt anything else on the circuit then the breaker could be worn out, replace with the same size.


 
sorry, bud... but your estimations of power usages are a little high...

according to my ammeter, my 1000W MH with a couple of fans on, draws less than 5A....

2500W can safely be run on a single 15A circuit (which is around 12A, which is 80% - the safe opperating threashold of a 15A breaker)

more than likely, more items are on the same circuit causing an overcurrent condition, which causes the breaker to trip... it is also plausible that the breaker has "gone bad" and is tripping at a lower threshold.

the 600W light only draws less than 3A


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## Growdude (Jun 24, 2008)

That crazy vancouver guy said:
			
		

> sorry, bud... but your estimations of power usages are a little high...
> 
> according to my ammeter, my 1000W MH with a couple of fans on, draws less than 5A....
> 
> ...


 
Well oms law states W= E x I , 600 W/120 = 5 I  Now I did add .5 amps because of ballast loss.

If your on 240 V 5 amps would be about right, if your not have your meter checked.


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## Roken (Jun 24, 2008)

Wassup,
             I would try to dedicate a 15 amp breaker just to the grow site, this keeps things simple and easy.  Turn everything on in the house including your 600watt and when the breaker trips, check inside to see which appliances have shut off.  This will help you determine which items are logged into that same circut as your 600watt light.  Hope this can help, peace and love!!!!
Roken.


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## trillions of atoms (Jun 24, 2008)

that like to wait to take a shower till after the grow room comes alive and uses a 15000 jigawatt hairdryer"


:rotf: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! boy' do I understand!!!!!


i thought it was 1.21 jiga watts???":rotf:


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