Contactor Problem

[Barnes]

Hi guys

 

I've got a Maxibright 4 Way Contactor. It has 4 plug sockets with 2 on each side. I want to run 3 x 600hps from it. But.... whenever i plug a third in my electric trips out throughout the house at the fuse box (just the house lights).

 

On the Contactor box it says "Do not exceed 13 amp per side".

 

I'm in an attic and only have a double electric socket to work with and the contactor uses both plugs.

 

So the only thing i can think of is lowering the strength of the fuses in the plugs from 13 amp to 5's? Would that make sense or am i risking anything? I'm not too confident with electricity stuff and safety is my main concern.

 

 I've also got an extension rack with intake and outake, air pump, feed pump, and a small oscillating fan plugged in to that.

 

With 2 600hps and everything else it works fine, but plug another ballast in and it trips

 

I'm guessing i have i got to get more sockets wired in or an extension up there via hole in bedroom ceiling?

 

Any help please would be brilliant. Thank you

 

PS Ive tried unplugging everything except the hps lights and it still trips when the third one is switched on.

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Barnes
to add PS

[bartman]

10 minutes ago, Barnes said:

whenever i plug a third in my electric trips out throughout the house at the fuse box (just the house lights).

I’m not an electrician but are your 2 loft sockets wired into your house lighting circuit? I don’t think that is safe to do if that is the case.

Any advice to give here @monkeypig ? 

Edited October 4, 2021 by bartman

[Saddam]

The short answer is the inductive load when starting up 3 x 600w ballasts is either too large for your circuit, or the maxibright contactor. 

 

As Bartman suggests, it appears your loft sockets are wired into the lighting circuit, which isn't a good thing and is most likely the problem. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Saddam

[Dodgee]

Yeah agreed that the sockets in the loft are wired into the light ring upstairs.

 

You could increase the amps on the breaker but then you would risk over loading the circuit itself which would be a major safety hazard.

 

Get a dedicated socket wired in asap would be my advice.  Until then you could run two lights as you have been but even that is worrying for me personally tbh when running off the light ring.  It might not trip the breaker but that doesn't mean the circuit isn't running at the edge of its capacity and running hot.

 

It's pretty straightforward to run a spur from an upstairs socket and much safer 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Barnes said:

Hi guys

 

I've got a Maxibright 4 Way Contactor. It has 4 plug sockets with 2 on each side. I want to run 3 x 600hps from it. But.... whenever i plug a third in my electric trips out throughout the house at the fuse box (just the house lights).

 

 

Withnailed. Dogee pretty much said what I was going to say

Edited October 5, 2021 by acidshiva

[Barnes]

59 minutes ago, Dodgee said:

Yeah agreed that the sockets in the loft are wired into the light ring upstairs.

 

You could increase the amps on the breaker but then you would risk over loading the circuit itself which would be a major safety hazard.

 

Get a dedicated socket wired in asap would be my advice.  Until then you could run two lights as you have been but even that is worrying for me personally tbh when running off the light ring.  It might not trip the breaker but that doesn't mean the circuit isn't running at the edge of its capacity and running hot.

 

It's pretty straightforward to run a spur from an upstairs socket and much safer 

 

 

Thank you so much Dodgee and to Sadaam and Bart too. Makes sense as the person who lived here before has form for messing up other diy attempts as well.

 

I'll see that its done properly. Thanks again

 

[Barnes]

Would connecting the attic socket to the correct ring be easier or not?

[KC]

I'd run off an extension from a bedroom below rather than keep running on the light circuit, that's just madness surely! This reminds me of a chap at work, hos shaver socket would sometimes work and sometimes it wouldn't. Turns out the outside light needed to be on  

[Barnes]

On 05/10/2021 at 10:27 AM, KC said:

I'd run off an extension from a bedroom below rather than keep running on the light circuit, that's just madness surely! This reminds me of a chap at work, hos shaver socket would sometimes work and sometimes it wouldn't. Turns out the outside light needed to be on  

 

Problem with that is the contactor requires 2 plug sockets. After asking around I've found a couple of peeps who say they don't bother with the contactor and just use "surge protector" extension racks. i was taught you should always use a contactor. This is the first time i had one that needs two separate sockets tho.

 

What would happen if i ran an extension up  then plugged a 4 socket surge adapter into that and plugged the 2 sockets of the contactor into the adapter? I'm not sure if the contactor (Maxibright) requires two seperate sockets or not? Would that be better or worse than having the contacter/lights/eeverything else running off the lighting ring?

 

[KC]

There are maxibright contactors (the mk2) that only use one socket, there is one on ebay (from a hydro store) that is about 60quid at the moment and runs upto 13amps. 

 

Never run HID without a contactor mate, no matter what anyone tells you. I use a double socket in my bedroom with 2 extension reels coming off it, just make sure any extensions are fully unwound.

[Barnes]

Just now, KC said:

There are maxibright contactors (the mk2) that only use one socket, there is one on ebay (from a hydro store) that is about 60quid at the moment and runs upto 13amps. 

 

Never run HID without a contactor mate, no matter what anyone tells you. I use a double socket in my bedroom with 2 extension reels coming off it, just make sure any extensions are fully unwound.

 

I was thinking that as well. two extensions and contactor into each, then run everything off the contactor and its happy days. Really appreciated KC thanks.

 

I don't know how people sleep at night when they've got lights running straight from a 4 gang adapter into the wall? Makes me shudder just thinking about it.

[KC]

I'd run 2 extensions and just use one contactor on the one then you have the other free for your fans and things like that. Hid lights are fine without contactors as long as you aren't using a timer e.g running 24hrs or manual switching. It's the timer where the problem comes as they can fuse together which can leave the lights on/off permanently.

Anyway I know extensions aren't ideal and if some point you could get an electrician in that would be good but it's safer than a light circuit for sure

 

I can never think of a decent reason to have sockets fitted in my loft, I'm sure any electrician would be onto me straight away 

[Barnes]

1 hour ago, KC said:

I'd run 2 extensions and just use one contactor on the one then you have the other free for your fans and things like that. Hid lights are fine without contactors as long as you aren't using a timer e.g running 24hrs or manual switching. It's the timer where the problem comes as they can fuse together which can leave the lights on/off permanently.

Anyway I know extensions aren't ideal and if some point you could get an electrician in that would be good but it's safer than a light circuit for sure

 

I can never think of a decent reason to have sockets fitted in my loft, I'm sure any electrician would be onto me straight away 

 

Are you saying plug both the contactor plugs into one extension? And then use other for everything else? I thought the contactor plugs had to go in two separate plug sockets? sorry for being so thick KC i should know this stuff really.

i was planining on runing 2 extensions up to plug the two contactor plugs into. ive then got 4 sockets coming off the contactor = 3 hps and the spare plug an extension into that for fans etc.

 

 

[latigid aikon]

Just now, Barnes said:

Are you saying plug both the contactor plugs into one extension? And then use other for everything else? I thought the contactor plugs had to go in two separate plug sockets?

99.9% of the total power used goes through one of the plugs so it doesn't matter where the other one gets its power from.

Edited October 8, 2021 by latigid aikon

[Barnes]

31 minutes ago, latigid aikon said:

99.9% of the total power used goes through one of the plugs so it doesn't matter where the other one gets its power from.

 

31 minutes ago, latigid aikon said:

99.9% of the total power used goes through one of the plugs so it doesn't matter where the other one gets its power from.

 

So i'm okay to plug both my contactor plugs into the extension ive put up there today and run off that? edit: i,d have to plug a 4 way into it.

I could have sworn someone told me they had to go into 2 seperate wall socket plugs. What difference it makes i still dont understand grr.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Barnes