Just want to make sure I am understanding this correctly . . . one room will be in the dark for 12 hours, then the next room will be in the dark for 12 hours? Why?!

 

That's what I want to know.

 

I wonder what crop is being grown under these lights?

 

I suppose I should have elaborated as to what exactly this MMPR warehouse is.
This is a federally licensed medical marijuana facility (Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations).

In the flowering phase, the plants need only 12 hours of daylight each 24 hour period.

Instead of purchasing 16 additional ballasts, and an additional timing system/load center for them, it is much cheaper to relay the power using the existing loadcenter and ballasts, using the existing timer. The outputs from each ballast are split through a relay which is connected to the timer. One set of N.O. one set N.C.

 

I think if I was running a weed farm, I wouldn't be too concerned about buying a couple of dozen ballasts.
Unless he's one of the cheap Canadians that winter out here, don't tip and try to live on a dollar a day.

 

Won't work.
You want to use 1 ballast for every 2 lamps.
In theory, switching lamps do one or the other is on, is possible, EXCEPT, for the ignitor circuit which is needed to fire the lamp.
Plus, the cost would be more, when you take into account the voltage drop from the ballast to the lamps. And we haven't even thought about getting Hydro approval for the design.
The cost of fixtures is so cheap, just buy 32 and install them

 

What is Hydro approval?

 

Sharing ballasts like that sounds overcomplicated to me and it would reduce flexibility. The higher initial investment of one ballast per light can't be that much more than adding relays and all that, right? They should get twice the longevity out of the system too.

 

Sharing ballasts is... well just dumb.


One single pole double throw timer.
Two ASCO lighting contactors.
32 COMPLETE fixtures.
Wire one ASCO normally for one room, in the other swap the on/off control wires to the opposite terminals as the first.
I'd think about an auxiliary light in each room in case entry is needed when in it's "dark" period.

BTW you say that "when in it's flowering stage" only 12 hours of light are needed, but what about during the other stages?

 

apparently this is common practice in these facilities to flip using a relay on a timer, and they generally all use HPS not MH during the 12 hour growth cycle. it seems lamp ignition isn't an issue although i do question that myself. I think this is because the load presented on the ballast by the lamp is what dictates how the ballast performs.

There are manufactured "flip boxes" available that do what he needs but I question the quality of the contactors and wanted to compare the cost of them to building my own system with some quality components.

http://nowirenuts.ca/ this guy builds these systems, I've seen them in other facilities, so I know it can be done. I was just hoping someone would be familiar and could point me to the most cost effective method.

 

The original post sounded like they already had the fixtures, and was just trying to figure out controls.

I dont see why you couldnt use one timer and as many contactors as necessary. You could even use a basic single pole 120vAC timer, a DPDT relay, contactors. How many lighting circuits are there?

EDITED . . . Nope I misread. They really do want to share ballasts.

 

The original post sounded like they already had the fixtures, and was just trying to figure out controls.

I dont see why you couldnt use one timer and as many contactors as necessary. You could even use a basic single pole 120vAC timer, a DPDT relay, contactors. How many lighting circuits are there?

He already has 16 full fixtures sitting at the site.
Needs to fill the space, wants to do it cost effective as possible, hes convinced relaying the power is the way to go vs buying 16 more ballasts.

He's got a 225amp 120/240 panel with only a few breakers, only has some highbays and receptacles tied into the panel at the moment.

We have more than enough room in the panel i believe to add enough breakers for his lighting, a/c and additional receptacles for his fans etc.

 

Could you explain why it is "dumb"? Surely you can see the logic behind it financially. And from what I've seen this is common.
I am totally open to hearing why it's not good electrically speaking. I want to do the right thing here.

For the vegetative state, there will be a separate room which will run 18 hours on 6 hours off. This can't be split in half and shared like the flowering phase because of the 18/6 time schedule.

 

Did you read my post? It seems like flexibility would be a big issue. Different plants might do better with varying cycles. You could not make many changes with your setup. I would think that maximizing your crop yield is the most important thing. Installing a light with it's own ballast simplifies things and doubles the life expectancy of the install, and provides more flexibility.

I don't know why I'm trying to help a drug dealer anyways.

 

Cost effective method is to install 32 fixtures with 32 ballasts and control them accordingly. What you might save in ballasts you'll spend in wire, controls, and labor.

 

Sounds like a combination of reinventing the wheel and solving a problem that doesn't exist.

Buy 32 whole fixtures, 2 Asco's, and your timer(s). Keep it simple. That way, anyone at all can work on the thing. You won't be saving a damn thing remoting two fixtures off one ballast by the time you get it wired up. Plus, when a ballast fails, you're down two fixtures instead of one.

 

The 16 fixtures sitting at the site . . . he would essentially have to buy 16 more fixtures that are compatible with the ballasts in these fixtures, but did not include ballasts of their own. At that point it's already more trouble than it's worth.

 

Legal drugs are still drugs. Helping a legal drug dealer is still helping a drug dealer. I'm sure he'd feel the same way consulting to factories for Johnson and Johnson.

 

Are you changing the subject/trolling because you lack the intelligence to provide any relevant information?

"he would essentially have to buy 16 more fixtures that are compatible with the ballasts in these fixtures, but did not include ballasts of their own."

....

 

Spelling is far more important than being able to wire up 32,000 watts of light fixtures, or determining that ballast sharing is a bad idea. Glad you've got everything under control.

 

You're not going to get the help you need by insulting everyone that tries to help you. I'm not sure if that works anywhere, but it definitely doesnt work here.

 

Not sure who I directed an insult at here, other than the person who claimed the idea was dumb without providing an explanation, and the people insinuating that I am a drug dealer or am helping a drug dealer. There is a large difference between a street drug (drug dealers) and pharmaceutical drugs.
I think it's quite clear who is making the instigating comments here. Don't attempt to put me down for putting people making comments intended to incite an argument in their place.

Let's end the drama here and get onto the facts of the topic at hand.

The fact that the ballasts will not last as long in terms of actual time (and not running hours) seems like a null argument. They will burn a 1000watt lamp for the same amount of hours total before they die with either method, will they not? Whether they last 2 years at 12on/12off or 1 year running 24/7, you have gotten the same amount of light hours from them in the end.

For someone struggling to afford to startup a business, it may be worth saving on startup, in exchange for having to swap out ballasts earlier than normal (which is quite easy). Again i would think you'd get the same amount of burning hours, the same amount of product from the ballast, so this is more of a labor/convenience issue(no problem) than electrical or financial which are the two main concerns I have.

 

I was just playing around. I know you guys aren't drug dealers. I did misspell cultivator, but I'm blaming autocorrect, cause it always screws me up.

Seriously though, 16 light fixtures or 16 ballasts should not break the bank.

Someone else mentioned having additional lighting as well, which I think is essential and probably legally required. Some halogen flood lights or a few high bay fluorescents should do the job. It's gonna be dark in there until those HPS's come on.

 

What we are trying to explain is that sourcing, configuring, and installing what you would need to share ballasts will not be a significant cost savings, will be a lot more work and headache, and less useful in the long run. I understand that we lack the intelligence to communicate this to a more advanced being such as yourself, but you came here and asked for advice, so this is what you'll have to make do with.

 

Apprentices shouldn't be doing unsupervised electrical work, no matter how well they can spell. Bring someone in who knows what they're doing.

 

When did I state that I would be doing this work myself? Well, I will be, but under the guidance of a licensed electrician. He will ultimately decide what ends up going in this place, but since he isn't available for a while I am helping my friend figure out if this relay method is even plausible.
It's a federally regulated facility, we are going to have to pull permits for everything. Not sure how I would be able to do that as an apprentice.

Thanks for the useless post, asshole.

 

Starting to get the impression more and more that the OP is, in fact, the facility owner (or tenant) trying to do the work himself . . . and that it's not a licensed, legal growing operation.

 

Same, The saving babies with weed rant did it for me

 

When did I state that I would be doing this work myself? Well, I will be, but under the guidance of a licensed electrician. He will ultimately decide what ends up going in this place, but since he isn't available for a while I am helping my friend figure out if this relay method is even plausible. It's a federally regulated facility, we are going to have to pull permits for everything. Not sure how I would be able to do that as an apprentice. Thanks for the useless post, asshole.

Then let the guy with the know how decide how to do this install. You obviously have no clue what you're doing. Thanks for the warm wishes, dbag.

 

You are right, I don't know. That's why I am here. asking if the proposed idea is feasible. Thanks again for nothing, useless twat.

 

Be sure the relays you use can handle the output voltage of the ballasts. About 400 volts.

 

How has this guy not been banned already?

 

The MODs love pot.

 

You are right, I don't know. That's why I am here. asking if the proposed idea is feasible. Thanks again for nothing, useless twat.

Dear diary,
I made a new friend today. His name is 99eternal and I really think he likez me.

Are you even an apprentice?

 

I should ask you that question, for you have not made a single technical statement in this thread

 

Clown shoes. This thread is