I just don't understand

[ziggyross]

I just don't understand how ya'll grow with all these high wattage lights. I tried last winter with a 1000 watt HPS , centrifuge fan , small space heater, and a table fan. My electric bill went from an average of 250 to over 500 a month.

I see some of you with multiple lights fans and awesome setups but at my house that would cost a fortune to run.

 

[Rosebud]

Holy crap that is a big electric bill Ziggy! I couldn't do that either... Is it time to think about led? OR, do you need to run a space heater with the 1K? I know the space heater isn't your problem.. shoot, that is crazy..

Hopefully others will stop by with better ideas for you..Hows the pot?

 

[ziggyross]

Rosebud, The space heater was keeping the shed warm enough to grow over the winter. I never got a harvest because the wife put the kibosh on the grow after the 2nd electric bill. I have been thinking about LED. With a 1000 watt LED does it actually use a 1000 watts or is this a comparable to thing?

The outdoor grow is looking good this year. Maybe I won't have to worry about growing indoors this year.

 

[Rosebud]

I love being able to get enough from the summer to not grow in the winter. Love that.

Maybe we need to look at your whole house for energy leaks.... Maybe your wife left the oven on. ha. There is an old thread on here about energy help...let me see if i can find it.

 

[Rosebud]

That is a huge jump in your bill. I love having enough to not grow in the winter, the summer takes 6 months at my house. LED's don't use much energy compared to HPS, but I can't tell you how much, others can. THG should come by soon.

Here is a really old link about saving energy while growing..http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15831&highlight=save+energy

 

[ziggyross]

Rosebud thanks for the link. Can't blame the stove it's gas.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Actually, yes, your big cost here is your space heater. The space heater is most likely over 50% of the cost of the grow. Most space heaters are 1500W and if you are running it 12 hours a day....well, that is costing as much or more than your light and fan.

As the big cost is the space heater, LEDs would actually be worse as they produce less heat (they are not nearly as cool as I was led to believe they would be though). And while you may use less power with LEDs, it is not that much less. I don't think that LEDs are the answer.

Even though my grow is in my house, the space did get so cold that I needed to use a space heater with lights out. And space heaters are just darned expensive. So, what I do in winter is to have a vegging tent next to my flowering space and use the exhaust from the veg tent to keep the flowering space warm during lights out. Or you could have 2 flowering spaces, run them opposite one another and have each of them heat the other space. As you are running the electricity anyway, why not just run another light than a 1500W space heater?

 

[giggy]

i agree with thg, the space heater in my shed worked like hell to try to keep it warm enough to grow and it cost me. this winter the grow will have to pay out better then last for the wife to go along with it.

 

[ziggyross]

THG and giggy I think you may be right. I need to insulate my shed also I think.

 

[giggy]

THG and giggy I think you may be right. I need to insulate my shed also I think.

mine is and i'm in the south. i know i need a better way of heating then a space heater.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I have not come up with anything better than using one room to heat the other. Of course, good insulation will make a big difference at helping to keep the heat in, but it will still be working most of the time. I also now, run my flowering lights at night. In the summer, it helps with the heat and in the winter, it helps with the cold.

 

[sopappy]

I just don't understand how ya'll grow with all these high wattage lights. I tried last winter with a 1000 watt HPS , centrifuge fan , small space heater, and a table fan. My electric bill went from an average of 250 to over 500 a month.

I see some of you with multiple lights fans and awesome setups but at my house that would cost a fortune to run.

You must be in that liberal stronghold, Ontario, Canada
NOT THAT I'M ASKING (nobody really wants to know, just bemoaning idiot politicians on the take)
the gang is right of course, the heater

 

[000StankDank000]

Yup
Gotta use propane heater bro run the lights at night .
I shut hear down cause I refused to pay AC electricity for plants .
Just started to cool down out hear and I'm gonna run a dedicated 6" on my air cooled hoods with 8" on filter so hoping temps drop a bit more to keep my lights on lights off swing temp close

 

[mojoganjaman]

I don't grow indoors....but I do live in a mobile home...best deal yet is an infared heater...cut my propane furnace bill by 30% the first year...paid around $180 for it, saved $250 last winter...hydro bill went up a few bux a month....check them out...hth


mojo

 

[ziggyross]

sopappy nope not even close to Canada. Closer to the mid east.

stank and mojo all good ideas. I need to try the propane heater if I go back indoors.

Hoping after the outdoor harvest this year I won't have to.

 

[sopappy]

sopappy nope not even close to Canada. Closer to the mid east.

stank and mojo all good ideas. I need to try the propane heater if I go back indoors.

Hoping after the outdoor harvest this year I won't have to.

Procurement is a pain. Last time I looked at this I liked the L'il buddy (or something like that). but I haven't bought yet, Please post re you shopping experience

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

IMO, you are far better off setting up another grow, run the lights opposite times and use the heat from the lights to warm your spaces. The propane heater will contribute to nothing but your propane bill. Another room and light will give you another room of bud.

 

[Sweetmansticky]

Ye what thg said . You might as well have another light and save on propane!