Here at THCtalk, we feel that grow room fire safety is the first step all growers should prioritise BEFORE even attempting a grow, this should be covered before purchasing those exciting new genetics, or cool grow room products and gadgets that we all love to splash out on!
It doesn't stop there either, once everything is ready, grow room safety should be maintained grow after grow.
Remember in the unfortunate event of a fire, this equipment could all be lost, you could lose your freedom or even worse, your life or the lives of your loved ones, so do take fire safety seriously!
Please understand that no one is immune and everyone should take steps to make sure they are on top of fire safety before all else.
We are offering a special bit of bling for all those who complete the checks and provide us with a picture of their fire extinguisher.
Post down below confirming you have read through this post, completed the checks and share a picture of your fire extinguisher to receive our THCtalk Fire Safety Badge
Fire Prevention in your Grow Area
- Keep all electrical equipment off of the floor, when growing plants we naturally use water in our indoor environments so it's always sensible to assume accidents can and will happen, water can spill or leak onto electrical equipment that is laying around on the floor.
- Maintain a clean and clear grow area, for example, don't leave dead, dry, crispy leaves laying around, same with anything that could ignite, such as packaging materials and if using heaters or HID lighting always think about clearance space between them and anything close by.
- Make a habit of checking all electrical equipment, looking for loose wires, or any damaged, exposed wires that will need to be replaced, sometimes these things can happen without us realising, so take some time to check this periodically.
- Magnetic ballasts can get hot, so make sure they have enough clearance, do not leave them on the floor and it's best to keep them outside of your grow area. Never cover them, keep them clean and dust free, as this can very easily cause fires.
- When using HID lighting, sometimes with the grow light hoods they leave a thin plastic lining to protect the surface from scratches in transit, we have seen many accidents where growers have left this on and faced hot plastic melting onto their grow room floor! Make sure to check for this and remove before turning on your light.
Power Supply ballasts
Where possible try to draw the power for ballasts directly from a mains socket outlet in the wall. Try to avoid using long extension leads and never use an extension lead that is coiled up on a reel or spool, it will get hot and overheat due to the resistance in the coil.
If you do need to use an extension lead its best to buy one at the appropriate length and rating or make one up yourself using good quality 3-core cable flex with the capability to carry or exceed the load required using a good quality socket and plug at each end keeping the length of the extension to a reasonable length so it's not going to cause a trip hazard or obstruction.
Plugs for ballasts will require a 13amp fuse. You may also want to consider purchasing a plug-in RCD (residual circuit breaker) that will trip off in the event of a ballast malfunction. Most household fuse boxes already have RCD’s fitted so worthwhile checking.
Lights, Fans & Filters
Ensure that your lights, fans and filters are securely installed with appropriate hangers and fasteners to prevent them from falling from your tent or grow room ceiling. Keep things tidy, try to avoid clutter and any obstructions that could impede access to your grow space. Most fans including extraction and oscillating fans only require a 5 or 3amp fuse, check you have the correctly rated fuse recommended by the manufacturer for the fan/s you’re using.
It’s worth noting that most plastic-bodied fans only require twin cables live and neutral, however, some will have 3 wires live, neutral and earth. If you wish to extend the leads on your fans be sure to match whichever cable type you have.
Extraction fans, on the whole, are pretty reliable and never usually give much trouble, most are brushless so when they fail, they just stop working they don’t really burn out but being electrical they still have the potential to present a fire hazard. It’s a good idea to periodically check the impellers for dust and that they move freely.
Oscillating, circulation, tower and clip-on fans need to be kept a close eye on, they usually become noisy when the bearings are failing or slow to start up with a slight whiff of burning when the motor or brushes are failing. If you suspect the fan is not performing as it should then it should be replaced.
Water & Nutrient solution storage
As we all know water and electricity are not a good combination. Try to keep any stored water and nutrient solutions well away from any electrical sockets, cables, lights, ballasts, timers, fans etc. When water comes into contact with electricity it has the potential to cause combustion.
Oil & Fan Heaters
Generally speaking, heaters are probably one of the most hazardous appliances in a grow room environment. The same rules apply here regarding their power supply as is for ballasts.
Where possible try to draw the power for heaters directly from a mains socket outlet in the wall. Try to avoid using long extension leads and never use an extension lead that is coiled up on a reel or spool it will get hot and overheat due to the resistance in the coil.
If you do need to use an extension lead its best to buy one at the appropriate length and rating or make one up yourself using good quality 3-core cable flex with the capability to carry or exceed the load required using a good quality socket and plug at each end keeping the length of the extension to a reasonable length so it's not going to cause a trip hazard or obstruction.
Plugs for ballasts & heaters will require a 13amp fuse. You may also want to consider purchasing a plug-in RCD (residual circuit breaker) that will trip off in the event of a ballast malfunction. Most household fuse boxes already have RCD’s fitted so worthwhile checking.
Oil heaters are not so much of a concern because they have no moving parts. However, fan heaters placed within the grow area will have their internals exposed to moisture and humidity, and the airflow can become impeded/restricted if placed too close to other grow room equipment or walls. Extra care and consideration should be observed when using fan heaters.
Fire Safety Equipment
Automatic fire extinguishers are really important, we can't be around our plants 24/7 and even if we could, we still need to sleep. Make sure to purchase a suitable size for your area, and if need be, purchase multiple for different areas. Remember they do need to be checked and maintained when required.
Handheld Extinguishers are just as important and are vital in circumstances where you need to put out flames manually, there are many different types so make sure to purchase those safe to use in and around electrical equipment, such as ABC Dry powder-filled extinguishers. Placement of them is critical, and having them close to 'danger' areas, whilst being able to access them quickly is important.
Smoke Detectors Most of us have these, but if you don't then get some!.. for those who do have them already, take a moment to check them over and use the 'test' function to make sure they are working correctly.
We hope you have found this post helpful and informative, our goal is to make sure every THCtalk member is as informed as possible regarding fire safety and take all necessary steps to ensure they keep as safe as possible.
If you have any tips or information that you feel could help, feel free to post sharing them with us all below.
Remember, to be awarded our new and special THCtalk Fire Safety Badge , post confirming you have read through this post, completed the checks and share a picture of your fire extinguisher, preferably showing the pressure gauge needle is in the green area
Special thanks go to Bud Lightyear for his contributions to this post and to one of our members V8 for contacting me and giving us the idea to create this
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