Installation & Electrics — Plugs

Grow equipment rarely arrives with exactly the lead you need. The ballast sits behind the tent, the fan hangs in the top of the frame and the socket is somewhere else, so you make up the connection that fits. This page is about the end of the cable; the cable in between is under Power Cables.

Ready-made

Leads of 2 and 4 metres with an earthed plug in 3 x 1.5 mm2 connect equipment straight to the mains. The C14 appliance plugs come with 2 or 4 metres of three-core cable and are meant for the connection between ballast and reflector, the four metre being the length for a high mounting. There are also male-to-female leads in the same two lengths, and the right-angle IEC lead at 2 metres, which barely protrudes and so helps when equipment sits tight against a tent wall or inside a cabinet.

Parts to fit yourself

For a cable made to length or a damaged end, the separate parts are here: an earthed plug, an earthed coupler in plastic and the same in rubber, and an IEC appliance connector. Replacing a damaged plug is almost always more sensible than throwing away the whole lead, and a coupler turns a length of cable into an extension lead at whatever length you want.

C14 and IEC are what you meet

The C14 and IEC connector is on most ballasts and inline fans, so that is the format you work with in practice. With a new device it is worth checking which connector it has first, because that decides whether you need a complete lead or only a plug.

Earthed, and the exception

In a grow space you choose earthed: there is water nearby, there are metal frames and the equipment runs for hours a day. Every 3 x 1.5 mm2 lead and every coupler here is. The exception is the light lead in 2 x 0.75 mm2: that is two-core and therefore has no earth. That is not a shortcoming but a different application, for small items that are double-insulated in themselves. If your device has an earth contact, it belongs on a three-core lead.

Frequently asked questions

Which connector is on my ballast?
Almost always an IEC or C14 socket. Look at the shape of the inlet on the back before ordering, because a complete lead and a loose plug are two different purchases.

Can I fit a plug myself?
The parts are made for it, but it is work that has to be done properly rather than approximately. If you are unsure about earthing, strain relief or core colours, have it done; it is the cheapest step in the whole setup not to improvise on.

Why an angled plug?
Because a straight plug claims a few centimetres behind your device and forces the cable into a sharp bend there. Angled lays it along the wall, which saves both space and strain on the cable.