Setting Up the HID System Step by Step

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

Step 1

Before setting up the HID system, read “Setting Up the Grow Room” in Chapter Six, and complete the step-by-step instructions.

Step 2

Both the lamp and the ballast radiate quite a bit of heat. Take care when positioning them, so they are not so close to plants or flammable walls and ceiling that they become hazardous. If the room has limited space with a low ceiling, place a protective, non-flammable material like metal between the lamp and ceiling to protect from heat. An exhaust fan will be necessary to keep things col. It is most effective to place the remote ballast near the ceiling to keep things cool. Place it outside the room if the room is too hot. When hanging the lamp on the overhead chain or pulley system, make sure electrical cords are unencumbered and not too close to any heat source.

Step 3

Buy and use a good timer t keep the photoperiod consistent. A decent timer costs from $20 to $30 and is worth its weight in buds!

Step 4

To plug in the HID lamp, it will be necessary t find a proper outlet. A 1000-watt HID lamp will use about 9.5 amperes (amps) of electricity on a regular 120-volt house current. A typical home has a fuse box or a breaker box. Each fuse or breaker witch controls an electrical circuit in the home. The fue or breaker switch will be rated for 15, 20, 25, 30, or 40-amp service. Circuits are considered overloaded when more than 80 percent of the amps are being used. The fuse will have its amp rating printed n its face, and the breaker switch will have its amp rating printed on the switch or on the breaker box. To find out which outlets are controlled by a fuse or breaker switch, remove the fuse or turn the breaker switch off. Test each and every outlet in the home to see which ones don’t work. All the outlets that do not work are on the same circuit. When you have found a circuit that has a few or no lights, radios, tvs, stereos, etc, plugged into it, look at the circuit’s amp rating. If it is rated for 15 amps, you can plug one 1000-watt HID into it. A leeway of 5.5 amps is there to cover any power surges. If the circuit is rated for 20 or more amps, it may be used for the 1000-watt HID and a few other low -amp appliances. To find out how many amps are drawn by each appliance, add up the number of total watts they use, and divide it by 120.

Never put a larger fuse in a fuse box than it is rated for. The fuse is the weakest link in the circuit. If a 20-amp fuse is placed into a 150amp circuit, the fuse is able to conduct more electricity than the wiring. This causes wires t burn rather than the fuse. An overloaded circuit may result in a house fire.

Use an extension cord that is at least 14-gauge wire or heavier if the plug will not reach the desired outlet. Thick 14-gauge extension cord is more difficult to find and may have t be constructed. Smaller 16- or 18-gauge cord will not conduct adequate electricity and will heat up, straining the entire system. Cut the 14-gauge extension cord to the exact length. The further electricity travels, the weaker it gets and the more heat it produces, which also strains the system.

Step 5

Always use a three-prong grounded plug. If your home is not equipped with working three-prong grounded outlets, buy a three-prong grounded plug and outlet adapter. Attach the ground wire to a grounded ferrous metal object like a grounded metal pipe or heavy copper wire driven into the earth to form a ground, and screw the ground into the plug-in face. You will be working with water under and around the HID system. Water conducts electricity about as well as the human body.

Step 6

Once the proper circuit is selected, the socket and hood are mounted overhead, and the ballast is in place (but not plugged in), screw the HID bulb finger-tight into the socket. Make sure the bulb is secured in the socket tightly, but not too tight, and make certain there is a good connection. When secure, wipe off all smudges on the bulb to increase brightness.

Step 7

Plug the three-prong plug into the timer that is in the FF position. Plug the times into the grounded outlet, set the timer at the desired photoperiod, and turn the timer on. Shazam! The ballast will hum; the lamp will flicker and slowly warm up, reaching full brilliance in about five minutes.