# Best practices for power use and expansion



## redg8r (Oct 20, 2007)

Hi fellow haunt freaks,

I'm looking for recommendations on general electrical use in my home haunt.
I've been haunting for @5 years now and for the most part use AC 110v. along with X10. I know lower voltage is preferred for safety but I currently take extra precautions to protect each connection.

Due to my haunt's popularity I forsee expanding into a haunted trail in the future & wanted to pick your skulls on a proper electrical "rule of thumb" per say.

I currently use pneumatics & plan on using homebrewed microcontrolers soon.
I know low voltage selenoid valves have to be more affordable than the 110v i'm using now and with me incorporating microcontrollers I'll need to step down anyway.

So what is a good basis for power and expansion? DC 24v? 12v? or even lower? I'd like to choose a certain voltage & tailor my lights,sounds and movement off of that to avoid using a sea of wall warts.

My first inclination would be to lean towards residential landscape voltage, but I'm even unsure what voltage that is.

Thanks.


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## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

Howdy Redg8r,

I think the magic bullet is 12 V. With a bit of planning, you can run just about everything on 12 V. Solenoid valves, LED spotlights, microcontrollers, etc. I'm in the process of switching everything over now. I, too, went the 110 route initially. Luckily I bought most of my 110 valves from a place that also sells the 12-volt coils separately, so I can still use the valves.

I'm building a bunch of 12-V LED spotlights this year. (Tutorial here: http://hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=25530) I'm also learning how to use the PICAXE controllers, all of which I can feed in 12-volts for the higher voltage stuff, and then use a regulator to give 5-V to the rest of the board.

Bottom line, with a couple of hacked PC power supplies, I can run my whole haunt (minus the air compressor and a few powered speakers). If I had to, I could run the whole thing off a car battery and a fuse.

Hope that's helpful.


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## redg8r (Oct 20, 2007)

Very helpful, thanks!
Pretty much my same situation.

Have you decided what type of wiring to run? I'm leaning towards landscape wiring, RJ45(telephone) or cat5.


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## imax (May 22, 2006)

Yes, 12vdc offers quite a few advantages, and one that is often overlooked is the ability to create a system that has built-in battery backup. At our show and other shows that we help design, a battery backup is always included. This way, in the event of complete loss of house power (AC110 or whatever), the only systems we lose are audio (due to the high power demand of the amps). Set lighting, micro controllers, automation and effects... it all stays live. At least until the air compressor reserve runs out. However, if you've lost house power you likely have bigger problems anyway ;-)

The lighting remaining is important, because it helps people find the way out. In our system, we have auxiliary lights that are 12vdc that turn on when we lose house power.

So yeah. 12vdc. There's tons of products to support it. PM me if you need more help.

-- Ian


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

Emergency lights are required for in most towns for pro haunts. So low voltage and batteries makes sense. I use landscape wire, lamp cord, it depends on where the wire is, just make sure you have fuses in line. An under rated wire hooked to a car battery or high output power supply will melt and glow cherry red. Before the source dies.


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## Thisaintmayberry (Aug 23, 2010)

I would avoid CAT5 for anything other than maybe switch closure. It's just not big enough to work as a power supply line for most of the loads/distances required in prop building. Other than that, I would second everything Spooky Dave said.


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

Gotta vote for the 12 Vdc, too. Low voltage landscape lights just happen to run on 12 Vdc, which allowed me to "cut the cord" and put lights in remote parts without having to run AC cords all over the place. Since then, I too have pretty much traveled the same road as Spooky Dave. 

Most of the landscape wire sold at Lowes and Home Depot is 16 gauge (have seem some that was 14 gauge). Most of the wire capacity charts list 16 gauge as being able to handle between 13 and 22 amps, depending on how it's routed. I've never had any heating problems with 16 gauge, but then I don't run near that much amperage through them.


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