Hi, Microgrowery! For the first time in about eight months of growing in my apartment, I have an electrical problem that I can't seem to work around. I have a 1000W Phantom II digital ballast that's always turned down either 750W or 600W, a total of 12 T5 bulbs, an 8,000 BTU air conditioner and a bunch of different fans (plus a refrigerator and computer that I need to keep running). I quickly figured out that I couldn't use my microwave, coffee maker or anything else that produces heat while the AC is running (figured this out long before I even started growing) and everything is spread out evenly between two circuits.
For the past eight months, I've been able to run everything simultaneously (even though I stagger lighting times so that this doesn't happen). But, starting yesterday, it looks like I can't even pull 600W for my main light anymore. After about 20 min. of being on, one of the two circuits will flip off (not necessarily the one the HID light is on, but that one will eventually flip too if I don't reset everything). I've tried rearranging everything and even turning everything off EXCEPT the HID light (2.7A total @ 600W) and the breaker still flips (just me sitting in the the dark playing on my phone with the fridge, computer, television, all other lights, and AC turned off). Conversely, I tried turning everything else to full power and left the HID light off, and it's perfectly fine, so I've definitely singled out the problem. However, I have a 4' x 4' tent filled with large plants (about to switch to flowering) and they've just been sitting in total darkness for most of the last 24 hours, which is extremely troubling. My neighbors also see me running out behind the building to the breaker box over and over, which doesn't make me happy.
Other than going out and spending more money that I don't have on a 400W ballast and lamp that I don't want just to try an additional experiment, I don't know what I can do to continue growing without moving (got laid off and can't immediately go and sign another lease without a current job). I should note that it just started getting hot where I live in L.A. yesterday and it's supposed to be 93°F today, so my guess is that a neighbor might've gotten a new AC unit or something, but would that be robbing some of the available bandwidth (or whatever) from my own separate breaker? Once again, it's not a matter of overloading the circuit, just running a single 600W lamp (I was running it at 750W with no problem earlier this week).
Sorry for the essay, but I'm just wondering if my best option is to go put a 400W ballast and lamp on my credit card (do not want) or just contact my landlord about the power issue and open myself up to unwanted scrutiny. Thanks in advance for your advice!
Submitted March 14, 2015 at 11:08PM by HagNasty http://ift.tt/1LbJV4i microgrowery
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