Timer question

[Friend-of-a-friend]

I just bought a GE 40 amp rated timer (model # 15145), and had a couple questions. Should I hardwire my ballasts directly to the timer, or hardwire a power strip and plug ballasts into it. And if I did run lamps (1 1000w hps, 1 450 watt hps, 1 400 watt mh) through a power strip, would I risk losing lumens?

 

[pcduck]

I hard wired a 2 outlet plug to my timer(I only have 2 ballasts'). Then plugged my ballast into them.

I do not like power strips.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Commercial powerstrips do tend to be iffy. But connecting the 3 lights together in the same circuit shouldn't cause a loss of lumens. However, those 3 lights together will be pulling about 15amps which is what most powerstrips are rated for. You always want to stay under 80% of what the item is rated to carry. That would be 12amps for a standard powerstrip. Unless you can get a real good "industrial" power strip that will carry 20amps

 

[Friend-of-a-friend]

Ty Hushpuppy. I'm not an electrician by trade, but am a builder, and capable of small projects such as these. I actually ran a 30 amp breaker, bc I knew I would be close to the 80% load. I just wasn't sure if the lamps lost lumens if ran through the power strip. I do have an industrial 20 amp rated strip, but will prolly just use it for my other accessories upon your recommendations.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Yeah, many of us here have a good bit of working knowledge or what I call "horsesense", usually from experience in the field. The only way the lamps would lose lumens would be if the voltage was dropped significantly. The 20amp industrial should work just fine for that as long as you don't connect anything else to the powerstrip but those 3 lights. Its the "walmart" 15amp strips that you don't want to use for that.

 

[skullcandy]

I would add up the amps of all three of those lights if the are over 40 than yes you will trip the circuit breaker or lose power to the lights if not don't wory about it and as for the power strip do the same it holds amps same as the timer the lights suck them up .

 

[Hushpuppy]

If I figured it correctly, he will be pulling right at 15amps which is 75% of capacity

 

[Friend-of-a-friend]

OK, apparently the model timer I bought cannot be setup with GFCI's in the configuration I wanted, as it's design leaves an open circuit, and trips the GFCI when engaged. This would be nice to know before purchasing.