You Need a 30 Amp Timer Box


What a Lifesaver and Timesaver this box has been! What does it do you ask, what doesn’t it do? First it lets you plug straight into your 30 Amp Dryer Socket. So instead of trying to plug in your HID lights straight into the wall in your room, your using the higher amperage dryer socket instead! No more tripping your breaker when you plug in your second 1000w light.

Indoor Grow Lights

Specifics

This particular model allows you to run up to 4 1000w lights and up to 10 amps of accessories from the same timer.  The 4 1000w lights are run off of 20 Amp Breaker and 240V receptacles instead of the traditional 120V. The benefit of this configuration is that a 1000W HPS running at 240V (4.3Amps) runs at half the amperage then if plugged into 120V(8.9Amps). Essentially this will run 4 1000W lights for the costs of 2!

I also run my fans that cool my Air Cooled Hoods through this box. Another electricity saver; When my lights turn off, their cooling fans turn off. The box is controlled by a single 120V Trigger cord. I have mine connected to a digital timer which  makes it nice and easy to control it and see what is happening. Make sure the timer will carry the load of whatever you have plugged into it, safety is always the most important thing. Never plug more then One 1000w Light into a standard timer.

The Amp Timer box saved me so much time and money. Its costs around $300 and compared to the several hundred dollars more it would have cost to higher an electrician to come in and do the work it was worth every penny. Not to mention how much lighter the electric bill will be in the future.

You can get the 30 Amp Timer Box at Amazon. Click here to read more.

Kevin

High Powered Grow Lights Need High Efficiency Hoods

Hydrofarm Grow Lights
Vented hoods reduce the temperature of your high pressure sodium, but plants still need to be pretty far away to stay cool.

Grow Lights come in various sizes.  The bigger the bulb the hotter it will be.  Most plants thrive at temperatures under 82 F.  Some high pressure sodium grow light kits come with a reflector, but no hood.  An enclosed hood is one of the most important pieces of a grow light setup.  On the left there is a picture of an enclosed vented hood.  The hood is not technically air cooled.  Air cooled hoods are much more efficient for cooling hot grow lights.  High pressure sodium and metal halide bulbs both require air cooled or water cooled hoods to run at cool temperatures.

High Pressure Sodium Grow Light Kit
Air Cooled Hood with intake and exhaust ducting.
Air Cooled Hood attached to a carbon filter Exhaust duct

Use powerful inline fans to push air through your hood.  The air needs to be ducted outside the grow environment to keep the grow box cool.  If you are looking for high performance air cooled hoods, go for the ones with bigger ducting holes.  The hydroponics shop and local hardware stores will carry duct converters for increasing or decreasing duct size.  Ultimately a bigger fan will be needed to drastically reduce HID light temperatures.

TIP:  Get Vinyl Ducting to reduce the annoying sound of intense air flow.