Lights for seed starting

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I would probably make a simple fixture by using a hole saw to drill about four holes in a 4' shelf board, and mount ceramic sockets through those holes, wired in series. Then put a splitter in each socket so it would fit two cfl bulbs. The 150 'watt equivalent' would be fine. They make bigger ones, too. The sockets are like $2; the splitters are less than a dollar. Wire is cheap. You can use an old cord cut off anything, or a cheap extension cord to plug it in. Making your own fixture is the way to get the most for your money.

I agree but many people cant do this sort of thing or are afraid to.
I wish we could all get together and teach and help each other with a lot of this stuff.
It is so easy for some of us but not others.
I wish I could come to everyone's house that needed help and help them but I cant.
Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Just out of curiosity, I looked up Fluorescent light fixtures at Walmart. I think they carry T8s instead. I did find a T12 at Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-...IGHT/203081577

I like the simple T12s we have. To feel any heat from them - you have to hold your hand under the tubes for a while. I have them inside our home, so the lack of heat coming from them is a plus.

[imp]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I would probably make a simple fixture by using a hole saw to drill about four holes in a 4' shelf board, and mount ceramic sockets through those holes, wired in series. Then put a splitter in each socket so it would fit two cfl bulbs. The 150 'watt equivalent' would be fine. They make bigger ones, too. The sockets are like $2; the splitters are less than a dollar. Wire is cheap. You can use an old cord cut off anything, or a cheap extension cord to plug it in. Making your own fixture is the way to get the most for your money.

Oh, honey pie, do you have any idea of the danger of me with tools??!! Rob wouldn't let me use the hammer and only barely stood for me drilling holes in the bottom of solo cups lat year because he was sick!

What is a "splitter"?

Originally Posted by Worth1

I agree but many people cant do this sort of thing or are afraid to.
I wish we could all get together and teach and help each other with a lot of this stuff.
It is so easy for some of us but not others.
I wish I could come to everyone's house that needed help and help them but I cant.
Worth

As much as you can do electrical things, I wish you ~would~ come to the house!! Blew a breaker today, Mark told me it is fried and will have to be replaced.

Know anything about knob and tube wiring? <smile>

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Just out of curiosity, I looked up Fluorescent light fixtures at Walmart. I think they carry T8s instead. I did find a T12 at Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-...IGHT/203081577

I like the simple T12s we have. To feel any heat from them - you have to hold your hand under the tubes for a while. I have them inside our home, so the lack of heat coming from them is a plus.

Thank you. I might want the heat, my greenhouse is odd ( like all else about here, LOL) and as a very high ceiling.

I attached a picture or two- those are a fll sized set washer/dryers so you get an idea of scale.

[AlittleSalt]

Our washing machine is a typical one. I just measured and it's 3' tall (Not counting the controls), so I'm guessing you have 10' ceilings.

[Cole_Robbie]

These are the screw-in socket splitters I am talking about. "Two into one adapter" is the much less catchy name for them.

[imp]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

These are the screw-in socket splitters I am talking about. "Two into one adapter" is the much less catchy name for them.

Ohhhh, got that! Thank you.

[dmforcier]

Originally Posted by imp

I used to buy the wire shelving when I went to some auctions, good place to get them at a good price at times. I think they are wider than 12 inches, though.

Okay, but what about your trays? My 72 cell trays are about 11" wide. So a 16" shelf wouldn't mean anything...

Cool room, btw. Was it originally a screen porch?

[imp]

I use standard 1020 trays, however many will fit, I am not sure yet.

I have no idea if it was ever screened, it was glassed in like that when I bought it. It was built sometime between ohhhh1900 and 1915. The town was not platted until after that and we were just outside of city limits back then. The unpainted plywood you see is the back of one of the two built in bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. I need to paint that, well, the house needs to get painted!

Might have always been a greenhouse- that cement thing just past the w/d is a trough about 8 inches deep and a couple feet wide with a copper drain tube going out the wall to the flower bed area behind it.

[Gardeneer]

Sure, things like what Cole and Worth make ( I can too ) are fine and fun. But I like the simplicity and convenience of double bulb 48" Fluorescent, already wired ,with plug in cable. All you have to do is install the bulbs. $12 something plus tax plus $8 for two bulbs : Total cost : ~~ $22 ?
Each bulb is rated at 43 watts ( equivalent of 150 w incandescent )

[MissS]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Sure, things like what Cole and Worth make ( I can too ) are fine and fun. But I like the simplicity and convenience of double bulb 48" Fluorescent, already wired ,with plug in cable. All you have to do is install the bulbs. $12 something plus tax plus $8 for two bulbs : Total cost : ~~ $22 ?
Each bulb is rated at 43 watts ( equivalent of 150 w incandescent )

I agree. This worked for me for many years. I used one cool and one warm light bulb in each fixture. Cheap, easy and works quite well. Why bother spending more on fancy bulbs... If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Worth1]

Yes I know everything there is to know about Knob and Tube wiring.
Or at least most of it.
Electric fence in the house.



Worth

[imp]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Yes I know everything there is to know about Knob and Tube wiring.
Or at least most of it.
Electric fence in the house.



Worth

Want to see a LOT of it?!!

Blew a breaker when one of the workmen plugged in and turned on his saw, and the parts that don't work are weird, even by my standards. Mike says some major re-wiring needs to be in my future...

Got a new 30 amp breaker, they tried it, it kept flipping off. So, no kitchen light, but the stove and fridge and one wall plug work, and a wall outlet in the living room is a not going to work one, along with an outside light in the greenhouse. Weird.

I also seem to have 3 electrical panels. If 2 are better than one, 3 must be a charmed existence.

Mike mentioned that later, will have to try plugs & lights and see what is going to what in which panel.

I love my house. I keep saying that tonight to the dog and both cats. I love my house.

[Cole_Robbie]

2 of the 3 are sub-panels. There is one main panel where the wire from the pole enters the house. Ask one of the guys to look and see if you have 100 or 200 amp service. If it's only 100, you are going to want a new panel at some point. If you are willing to sacrifice having to look at conduit pipe attached to your interior walls, that is the easiest way to fix things in an old house. You just shut off the old circuits and start over. Wires run through walls, so the only alternative to conduit is to rip into all the walls to get to everything, which makes a big mess.

[imp]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

2 of the 3 are sub-panels. There is one main panel where the wire from the pole enters the house. Ask one of the guys to look and see if you have 100 or 200 amp service. If it's only 100, you are going to want a new panel at some point. If you are willing to sacrifice having to look at conduit pipe attached to your interior walls, that is the easiest way to fix things in an old house. You just shut off the old circuits and start over. Wires run through walls, so the only alternative to conduit is to rip into all the walls to get to everything, which makes a big mess.

In one room, the walls are open to the studs ( I have studs in my walls!!! I know, I know, but it just makes me crack up a bit), but the rest is plaster over metal lathe, so nooooo, do NOT want to fight through that. Of course, Part of the kitchen and butlers pantry are open t the ceiling right now...

I suspect there might be a chance for some really fancy base boards in this houses' future maybe, to hide the conduit.

But, thank you, you did just cheer me up a bit.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by imp

Want to see a LOT of it?!!

Blew a breaker when one of the workmen plugged in and turned on his saw, and the parts that don't work are weird, even by my standards. Mike says some major re-wiring needs to be in my future...

Got a new 30 amp breaker, they tried it, it kept flipping off. So, no kitchen light, but the stove and fridge and one wall plug work, and a wall outlet in the living room is a not going to work one, along with an outside light in the greenhouse. Weird.

I also seem to have 3 electrical panels. If 2 are better than one, 3 must be a charmed existence.

Mike mentioned that later, will have to try plugs & lights and see what is going to what in which panel.

I love my house. I keep saying that tonight to the dog and both cats. I love my house.

Could be worse. I work in a very old building and up until three years ago we had one main panel plus three sub panels in the basement -- two with fuses and one (for the kitchen) with breakers, and another five fuse boxes scattered throughout the building. I used to keep a well stocked box full of fuses on one of the kitchen shelves.

Thankfully the knob and tube in the attic had been eliminated several years before I started there.

At home we just upgraded our service two years ago. When we bought the house, the home inspector strongly recommended we get a new service installed and eliminate the fuse panel and the breaker sub panel the previous owner had installed. It only took us 25 years to get it taken care of...