What Is

[williams2311]

a buddy of mine is selling a light controller. my problem is he tried explaining to me how it works. i tried doing a quick google search and still can't really figure out what they are for. to me all it seems like is a expensive donkey light timer. could someone please explain how and what they do.

[rockinsteady]

Here's a link to a post on this subject,  

Do I Need A Lighting Controller?

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/32172-do-i-need-a-lighting-controller/

[t-pain]

its an expensive donkey light timer and power strip mix

[Indigro]

Depends on the model he is selling, but primarily most only use them for multiple ballasts run on a larger line, say 40 amps for example.

 

The only reason they r a good idea for a single ballast is that most of the cheapo 15amp timers burn out or otherwise fail to operate properly after long periods of use, and usually people dont discover it until the timer has locked on for several days disrupting the flower sequence, which can screw w u pretty good.

 

Dpending on the model, you would plug the ballast into the controller, and a timer is either built into the controller or it has separate lines for a timer to be plugged in as well. Controller prevents any of the main ballast current from running through and failing the timer. U would need to also run wire from the controller to ur main panel.

 

But then again, many controllers r made w the cheapest materials for the greatest margin... You could have a local electrician build you one for as much if not less, and w better components, though it will be bulkier and less pretty.

[trichcycler]

My first was a 4 light controller for 150$ made by CAP. NO issues at all. I disconnected a thermostat(220) and connected the light controller to that power source.

Then I used a half dozen 220 timers in my new grow room and found everyone to be lacking. Expensive, cheap , no matter, they failed miserably. the thought of walking into the grow room when lights are supposed to be off but instead ON is heart wrenching to me. I bought a larger 8 light controller, electrician ran 50 amps to it, and it seamlessly controls all of this.....

 

4 1000 watt lamps in the flower room

4 1000 watt lamps in the veg room

Humidity sensor/trigger for dehuey

Light sensor, as well as a plug that shuts off/turns on when the light is present. This is used for something that you want on at lights off, but off at lights on, like a Sulphur burner for instance. I had a small led light plugged into it for years, wired to he outside of the building so I could see that the lights were on or off as directed, and could sense an impending failure, that never happened.

Temperature sensor 1, turns on auxiliary power, like exhaust when temps reach set point. Also when this sensor is triggered the power to the c02 controller is shut off until the exhaust is finished, conserving the c02 production if needed.

 

I couldn't be a proper cg without a light controller personally, for the headache savings factor alone,  and I'll sell you my 4 light controller for 50 bucks, if that's a savings for you.

 

Temperature Sensor 2, controls the ac unit.

[trichcycler]

I should add that my unit itself is not a timer at all. Its a 220 controller. It is equipped with two 110 relays switches, which could require outside timers to trigger.

These timers trigger the unit to ignite and turn off the lamps only. I use two outdoor timex timers, 23$ home depot, since 2009 without fail, but every pin type timer failed on me first.

 

Easy to grow without a light controller of course.

[williams2311]

so i have to run them on a 220v plug? from what i see i need to have a separate panal to run that to?

i see its got to be ran on 220 so does that make them run at a lower amp rating? in turn making my light bill cheaper?

Edited September 26, 2015 by williams2311

[trichcycler]

 sorry. no savings.

a watt of power costs the same run either 220 or 110, only the amps are reduced. we don't get charged for amps, but watts. I have to say I've always liked the billing written in kilowatts...

 

but equipment may run cooler, wires are cooler, ballasts are cooler, as they run on half the amps as required if 110 option was selected.

 

yes, they need to be plugged into 220. I've seen commercial cheap boxes that will plug into the 220 dryer outlet(greenerscom) has a bunch of options like that.

[Kingdiamond]

220 doesnt save money but it helps the ballast cords stay cooler on 110 the cord would be warm to the touch .

[williams2311]

i found a 4 light one on the website but back order til may i might just order the 8 light one i don't need that many but to much power isnt a bad thing

[t-pain]

you know what does make your light bill cheaper though? using power at off-peak times.

so if you run your lights at night, the price per Kw is reduced.

 

these quotes are from dte energy website, google dte energy peak hours to find them

 

When you're on this rate, electricity you use off-peak - from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. - is billed at a substantial discount.

 

Shifting to off peak is easier than you think!

Wait to operate your dishwasher and laundry appliances after 7 p.m.

Increase the temperature on your air-conditioning.

Turn off lights, television and computer equipment when not in use.

If you have an electric water heater, shower or bathe after 7 p.m. and before 11 a.m.

Power Supply Charges:

 

Energy Charge (June through October):

 

13.390¢ per kWh for all On-peak kWh

 

4.282¢ per kWh for all Off-peak kWh

 

Energy Charge (November through May):

 

11.263¢ per kWh for all On-peak kWh

 

4.110¢ per kWh for all Off-peak kWh

 

On-Peak Hours: All kWh used between 1100 and 1900 hours Monday through Friday.

 

Off-Peak Hours: All other kWh used.

really, its almost triple the price of electricity to run lights between 11am and 7pm.

 

run the lights 7pm-11am and you save 200% !!

 

and this is not even with a smart meter! this is with the dumb meters!

[t-pain]

some quick math 4cents vs 13 cents...

 

lets say you run 2x1k lights plus pumps, fans, dehumidifyer, a/c for a total of 3000 kw per hour when running.

 

lets say you stick to the 4 harvests a year, which is 2 months veg 2 months flower. we'll even say vegging is free and only count the 2 months flower.

 

so 12/12 for 60 days is 60 days x 12 hours x 3 kw

equals 2160 kwh

 

peak time 13cents x 2160 kwh = $280

off-peak time 4cents x 2160 kwh = $86

 

thats a $200 difference. for one harvest.

 

not to mention if you run things at night, usually it means running less a/c because of temp drops.

[trichcycler]

nice tpain....but are you sure these figures don't apply to just people with smart meters?  

[t-pain]

yes, pretty sure, check your bill, there should be something about peak/offpeak kwh and what price you are paying for each.

 

or you might have to sign up for the off-peak time thing. i am not sure. its confusing on dte website.

[trichcycler]

I've run the grow during a few different schedules until I found the one that jibes with my habits.

 

I settled on the hours I am awake to the hours of operation, like full circle form where I began. I chased the penny savings only to find the ac unit running all night was troublesome, failures in the middle of the night were more traumatic than ones during the day for me. The operating temps were the most significant positive aspect of flowering during the night. Working in the flowering room is a non with lights off, and since I was a day person anyways it felt natural to flower during daytime hours, like nature does it around here.

 

My final straw to permanently changing to the "normal hours of operations" was my grounding experiment from past/present. I don't know exactly what the biological answers were but the grounded plants flowering during the night were not as happy as when they were wake during real "daytime hours". I convinced myself that my flowering girls were happier and healthier on my/earth's natural cycle and stuck with it.

Another consideration was during daytime flowering the ac ran all day and shut off at lights out, not to come back on until lights on in the morning. However when flowering during the night the ac would turn off in early morning hours, only to go back on during sunny hous of the day. I sw little to no savings in my electric bills for that year unfortunately, and chose the ease of normal hours to work. I preferred the water alarm to signal during the day when I'm awake, rather than the middle of the night when I'm sleeping is all. now I don't use hydro the considerations are less, but still stuck on normal hours.

when I grew inside my home the noise of garden operations bummed me out in the night for a long time. in the outdoor building some noise was detectable during the night too in the yard, making me frown. During the day its barely audible with the daytime noises of nature.

[phaquetoo]

nice tpain....but are you sure these figures don't apply to just people with smart meters?  

 

I dont have a smart meter and it explains the same thing on my bill every month, if you dial in your room accordingly you will save some cash on your electric bill by not using during prime time!

 

Peace

[williams2311]

i run my lights at night but my home is all electric so my bill is expensive regardless..i am going to buy a light controller to hook to my dryer when of course i have the extra 150 to drop on one

[trichcycler]

I also have an all electric home, separate from the all electric garden, even with separate meters. The savings were nill to me, and not worth the trouble of "off hour tasking."  My winter power bills, even combined, are less than both the neighbors on either side of me who use propane, corn and wood to heat.  I love zoned heating with every room independently insulated and heated. My "grow room" is insulated with osb, foil/bubble/foil, 1inch Styrofoam,r30 fiberglass, tar paper, osb. The floor is foam filled and the plywood ceiling is 24 inches of blown in insulation on top of 1 inch Styrofoam sheets. Thermos are set to 61 year round, with the ac set to 79.

 

I've no complaints of electric heat in my home. I was nervous when I first bought it though, but no more.

[williams2311]

I also have an all electric home, separate from the all electric garden, even with separate meters. The savings were nill to me, and not worth the trouble of "off hour tasking." My winter power bills, even combined, are less than both the neighbors on either side of me who use propane, corn and wood to heat. I love zoned heating with every room independently insulated and heated. My "grow room" is insulated with osb, foil/bubble/foil, 1inch Styrofoam,r30 fiberglass, tar paper, osb. The floor is foam filled and the plywood ceiling is 24 inches of blown in insulation on top of 1 inch Styrofoam sheets. Thermos are set to 61 year round, with the ac set to 79.

 

I've no complaints of electric heat in my home. I was nervous when I first bought it though, but no more.

it is nice being able to control each individual room threw out the house and I was skeptical of the baseboard heating but it actually works better then expected.

[trichcycler]

in retrospect I could have hauled in a propane tank for the grow room heat/c02, and today that would be one more step towards my whole house generator, the one I dream about four times a year here, usually winter time that's me in my pajama pants and hat wrestling with the gens on wheels, one for home, one for grow. fumbling in the cold with leaky gas cans.....but instead I installed a four 220 foot baseboard in veg and one in  flower, bought another gen for the gardens, and am learning to love the cold powerless days. Thinking about building a generator shed so I can open doors, unravel cords, and plug them in . they're heavy and cumbersome for me to be moving around the yard, in the snow.

[webfoot]

you know what does make your light bill cheaper though? using power at off-peak times.

so if you run your lights at night, the price per Kw is reduced.

 

these quotes are from dte energy website, google dte energy peak hours to find them

 

 

 

really, its almost triple the price of electricity to run lights between 11am and 7pm.

 

run the lights 7pm-11am and you save 200% !!

 

and this is not even with a smart meter! this is with the dumb meters!

 

 

Im saving over 60% on my electric bill after having my smart meter switched to time of day. Like T pain says. Run everything in off peak hours for big savings.

[t-pain]

whats your schedule like webfoot, i mean , not being able to get into the grow room (with a light) until 7pm or before 11am.

 

does it bother you not being able to check on plants at say 12noon when lights are off?

[Restorium2]

Just keeping it real;

 

If you don't have a smart meter your power company has no idea what times you are peaking or using power. 

 

There's some bad info floating around here.

 

If you have a dumb meter your bill puts you into tiers of use with different charges as your use goes up. It has nothing to do with the time of day. 

[t-pain]

so why did the bill with the dumb meter have peak and off peak hours listed?

[Restorium2]

so why did the bill with the dumb meter have peak and off peak hours listed?

Start with; The dumb meter has no time stamp.  

 

Then come to your own conclusions about your bill. Do some research now that you know you were wrong.