# Lookin to buy a light and have a question about power consumption



## Radical Buds (Jun 7, 2009)

This may seem kind of silly but I was thinking that my two cpu's both have 600w power supplies and they are on all the time. Do they pull the same kind of power a 1kw lamp would?  
 Something that seems to good to be true usually is. Turning off my p.c.'s to avoid a power spike just seems to easy. 
 So do you guys think that they would be similar if not the same?


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 7, 2009)

if you want to add a grow room with one signel 1,000 watt light, do it.  no one is going to notice and your power bill will not go up that much.  When people are busted and power usage has something to do with it these people are usually either stealing power or running at least 20,000 watts of lights.

I added a 600 watt HPS and a 100- watt fluro for veg, changed all the incandescent bulbs in my house to CFL's, and my power bill went DOWN.  Adding another 600 watt light down the road only added another 35-40 a month in electric on top of a 325 average.  A 1,000 watt light added to your power usage would not be noticed.


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## SPEARCHUCKER (Jun 7, 2009)

The cpus arnt running full steam all the time. 
Hibernating uses far less. I would guess when no sound is being used it is less, and when your sitting there reading something and the System Idle Process is up 90-100% it is using less. Im not positive on that, but it sounds right to me.
My uneducated guess looking at it all would be an additional 15+ to your bill a month depending on location.


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

Thanks for the fast replies and the thoughts. 
 20,000 watts? God all mighty thats alotta power! I think the Tool Man must still be running around lol.
 I'm not so worried about getting busted as the actual cost of the bill. If I were to have to go to prison,I'd want it to be over pot. I know that dosent really sound right but in comparison to the rest of the things that happen it seems like a better reason to me.
  If I'm going to do this I want to do it right and it looks like it will be expensive to get up and going. Meaning I'm going to be broke for a bit!
 I understand about the computer going idle as well. I was just trying to get a decent comparison for the amount of power they do draw in. I've seen the charts and all that stuff but I just can't seem to get a handle on what it all meens in lehman's terms.
 Thanks again NYCD and SC!


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

PS- I am a HUGE fan of 600 watt lights as opposed to 1,000 watt lights.  600 watt lights have been proven to provide more lumens per watt.  You will get more light penetration with a 1,000, but I really prefer the 600's because of the more lumens per watt, and less heat to deal with.
But this is just personal preference.  Many prefer 1,000's.  But since the 600 is the most efficient, this is why the 600 is so much more than a 400, but the 1,000 isn't much more than the 600 set-up.


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## SPEARCHUCKER (Jun 8, 2009)

No prob RB.
You can cut power all over so the bill wouldnt increase at all. Like replacing regular bulbs with CFLs. 
Little less using the oven and a little more makin sandwiches.
Just keeping an eye on everything making sure its not on/running while your not using it. Theres a sticky thread around the board somewhere about "how to help each others electric bill". Look through it, alot of good ideas.


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

I happened to go back through the stickies and found a link to a cost calculator. I must have been focused on something else at the time.

I'm heavily debating between a 600w or the 1kw. Honostly I will probly grab a 600w. My next question was that a lot of places seem to be pushing the digital ballasts as the new thing. They run both MH and HPS and increase output throughout the life of the bulb. 
 I am wondering if this is true or if it's not quite what they are saying just yet?


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

definitely go digital.  They run a little cooler and they make MUCH less noise than a magnetic ballast.  I would also check out air-cooled hoods or cool tubes.


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

from using that link in the sticky its almost the same price to run 2 600's as 1 1kw lamp.theres only like a 7 or $8 difference.
 Thats just awesome. Kind of opens more possibilities!
 Thanks for the advice on the Digi ballast NY


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

that's why we are here, to help each other grow the stickiest icky 
Two 600's can produce roughly 190,000 lumens and you have the added benefit of multiple light sources, a 1,000 gives you roughly 145,000.  

But again I am 600 biased, surely someone will come by and tell you the 1,000 is better, and they will give you good reasons.  I use the 600 watt 6" cool tubes from HTG and absolutely love them.


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

Can you get the cool tubes closer than normal? I read somewhere that they werent as effective as some other hoods. It was probably here as Ive been reading through the archives like a monk.
 Any how, I believe the statement was that they didnt spread as much of the light or that they didnt have the reflectivity of other hoods. I think there was a quick solution to the problem as well...like pulling the reflective material out and placing it outside the enclosure. I'll have to gear up and troll through again .
 Since I have your attention any suggestions on the bulbs? Do the upgrades make a big difference?


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

pics of bulbs I use down in thread...
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43063

thread on cool tube reflectors...
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42584

I can get my 600watt HPS cool tubes to within 4 or 5 inches of my plants with no problems.


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

when I was typing that out I thought it was a post by you 
 Funny stuff


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

and it is working very well too


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

I agree! Nice job man. I can't wait till I can put a good attempt in at getting something like that.
 Its to late for me to start drooling on my keyboard :laugh:


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 8, 2009)

How big is your space?  The light(s) you get should be determined by your place...


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

Hi THG ! Fortunately I can say the opposite,my light or lights will determine the size of my space.Thats another reason I was trying to get a grasp of the cost I would be looking at.I have plenty of space and a decent amount of money to start up but after that its going to be a tight budget.
 I dont want to get in over my head as I've never even used HID lighting. I've used 4 ft flouro's for vegging my little ones to go outside but thats it.
 Without saying to much my circumstances have changed considerabally and I'll be moving indoors.
 I should have known how willing everyone would be to help out with their knowledge and outlined more querstions 
 If you'd have any suggestions for a guy who's just getting into the indoor scene they would be most appreciated.


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

Hi radical,
When you are figuring out what lighting and how much lighting you want, you want to plan for 5,000 minimum lumens per square foot of light for flowering.  So if your grow area is going to be 5x5, then you have 25 square feet and would want at least 125,000 lumens total in lighting minimum.  That is roughly the size of my space and I am pushing (at optimum) 190,000 with two 600's, giving 7,600 lumens per square foot.  A sunny day outside near the equator can get hit by 10,000 lumens per square foot.
  Another consideration is the number of plants you want to be able to grow.  You can grow a few monsters in a huge space, or go as small as 1 plant per square foot in a sea of green....some go even more dense than that in single cola grows, but I find that way to dense.  So if you want to be able to flower 20 plants at one time....then you should plan for 20 square feet minimum....

Anyway these two things should help you figure out what size area you want to work with and what lighting to get. 
Good luck!


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## Radical Buds (Jun 8, 2009)

Thanks for keeping me in perspective NY. Dreams can grow big pretty fast lol.  
 I think thats what THG was pointing at as well..I just need a bigger push  than most sometimes.
 One thing im not to clear on is the space above the canopy. Why does that have to be lit as well? Couldnt you run the hood flush with a surface that would act as a reflector of sorts? That would lower the required lumens needed right?
 Say the roof could be raised and lowered as needed. If the plants were small (12") when put to flower there wouldnt be a major loss in lumens with the flowering growth would there?
 If that's just silly let me know lol


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## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (Jun 8, 2009)

correct, a floating ceiling or a floating floor would make it easier to keep the lights on the plants, but this may cause venting issues depending on where you located your air intakes and exhausts, and any decent reflector wll prevent light from going up.  The reason people buy expensive hoods is because it is much easier to raise and lower your light, than to raise and lower your plants as they grow in order to keep the light as close as possible.  But really before you start worrying about that you got to settle on a garden size, specifically how much space you are going to devote to vegging area, mother area, and flowering area (assuming you are not growing autos).


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## antic (Jun 20, 2009)

Radical Buds said:
			
		

> This may seem kind of silly but I was thinking that my two cpu's both have 600w power supplies and they are on all the time. Do they pull the same kind of power a 1kw lamp would?
> Something that seems to good to be true usually is. Turning off my p.c.'s to avoid a power spike just seems to easy.
> So do you guys think that they would be similar if not the same?


 
You should go and buy one of those power usage meters. It will tell you straigh up what your PC is using.

I have a 500watt power supply on my PC and my power usuage meter is currently showing 170 Watts. I'm also playing music through my 70Watt monitor speakers and I have a mixer plugged in. I reakon if you booted up some games the usuage would go up a fair bit.


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