Electrical question. help please!

[chazmaine420]

So i'm setting up my new basement flower room. I had new electrical plugs put in with each plug on a dedicated 20 amp breaker. I plug in my new 1000 watt HPS with digital ballast and it pops the breaker. I researched this and was quite sure 20 amps would be plenty for 1000 watts. I dont have a surge protector for it yet but cant imagine thats a problem.

Anyone have an idea what the problem might be. I'm getting very frustrated!

 

[zem]

I don't know what exactly it could be but there sure is something wrong so first thing i suggest is to find the mistake before trying to fire it u again. why don't you try to run it on a different plug in the home to see if the problem is in the light/ballast or the plugs/breaker

 

[robertr]

You could also plug something else into the new plug, something like a space heater or toaster, they use about 1200 to 1500 watts so if the breaker does not blow with these plugged in it is probably your light. If breaker blows it is probably the plug wiring.

 

[vtwinken]

1000watts/240volts=4.16 amps or 1000watts/120volts=8.32amps. 20amps is more than enough
If it is not tripping the breaker when light is not plugged in chances are it's the light. Check light for short.
Of course if it is tripping without anything plugged ,check your circuit for a short.
I'm assuming it's a double breaker (240V). Good luck

 

[budz4me]

:goodposting:

I do this for a living....good advice right here.

 

[chazmaine420]

I spoke to the owner at HTG where I bought it. He asked if I was using a GFI plug with a reset button on it. I am because that what my electrician installed. He explain you couldnt use those with a 1000w light and if i replaced that outlet I should be fine. This make sense to anyone?

 

[vtwinken]

assuming you have a 240 volt light and it is a 120 volt gfi yes it could be the problem. Be sure to get a 240 volt/20 amp outlet.
If it's a 120 volt light let me know and can tell you what you'll need instead.

 

[robertr]

I would do what your guy from HTG said. The gfic outlets are sensitive to high power surge from the light, that is why they do not work

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I spoke to the owner at HTG where I bought it. He asked if I was using a GFI plug with a reset button on it. I am because that what my electrician installed. He explain you couldnt use those with a 1000w light and if i replaced that outlet I should be fine. This make sense to anyone?

My first question is basic and I hope that it doesn't insult you, but make sure that the voltage on the ballast and the voltage on the HPS are the same. Did the electrician run a 240 or a 120 circuit? Is your ballast set up for the same voltage? Like the others mentioned, I think I would try a toaster or a blow dryer in the outlet and see if everything trips it. How many dedicated circuits did you run? Have you tried other outlets? You probably only need 1 dedicated 20 amp circuit for an entire 1000W grow space.

I'm not an electrician, but I am not putting a lot of confidence in what the HTG guy said. I have a GFI in my grow room and a 1000W HPS. I personally would not have a grow room that was not GFI protected, we are dealing with such high wattage. While it is not the outlet that I plug my light into, it is the first circuit in the room so protects all the outlets that are run off the same breaker. When I ran the dedicated circuit, we put in several outlet boxes around the perimeter of the space that run on the same breaker. I have a timer plugged into the second box on the circuit for the 1000W. Last winter, I also ran a 600W light off the same circuit.

Also, the fact that it is tripping the breaker and not tripping the GFI tells me that the GFI is probably not the problem.

 

[Growdude]

I would do what your guy from HTG said. The gfic outlets are sensitive to high power surge from the light, that is why they do not work

Looking into this I found this is true when using electronic ballasts.
Its not the surge as much as the circuit inducing a voltage on the ground.

Seems real common where multiple electronic ballasts, like ceiling lights are put on a GFI, The feedback voltage is multiplied by the number of ballasts.

Much higher wattage electronic ballasts can do the same thing.

 

[NorCalHal]

My first question is basic and I hope that it doesn't insult you, but make sure that the voltage on the ballast and the voltage on the HPS are the same. Did the electrician run a 240 or a 120 circuit? Is your ballast set up for the same voltage? Like the others mentioned, I think I would try a toaster or a blow dryer in the outlet and see if everything trips it. How many dedicated circuits did you run? Have you tried other outlets? You probably only need 1 dedicated 20 amp circuit for an entire 1000W grow space.

I'm not an electrician, but I am not putting a lot of confidence in what the HTG guy said. I have a GFI in my grow room and a 1000W HPS. I personally would not have a grow room that was not GFI protected, we are dealing with such high wattage. While it is not the outlet that I plug my light into, it is the first circuit in the room so protects all the outlets that are run off the same breaker. When I ran the dedicated circuit, we put in several outlet boxes around the perimeter of the space that run on the same breaker. I have a timer plugged into the second box on the circuit for the 1000W. Last winter, I also ran a 600W light off the same circuit.

Also, the fact that it is tripping the breaker and not tripping the GFI tells me that the GFI is probably not the problem.

What she said. If the main breaker is trippin', it is a bad circuit. This just means whoever wired it got something wired incorrectly. GFI wouldn't be the cause imo, not for 1 light.
Don't plug ANYTHING in until you find out if it is a 240 or 120 volt circuit. If it's 240 and you plug a 120 item in, all bad for that item.
Could just be a bad breaker too, I have seen that before, even with new ones. One thing to check is if the GFI is kicking out also, or is it just the breaker.

 

[chazmaine420]

I replaced the outlet as suggested and its been running fine for a few days now. I misstated the original problem. It was the reset button on the outlet that shut off not the breaker in the box. So i believe all is good and safe now. Thanks to everyone for the input.

 

[robertr]

That is great, one less thing to worry about.