Quick Way To Get 220 Volts?

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Steve,

I missed your gadget - our posts must have crossed. Neat!
That switch over trick of yours wouldn't work in many houses out here in the Rocky Mountain West. Maybe 'cause of the Mexican or the European influence, there is still a lot of 'classical bridge' work installed.
(Classical Bridge was a means of grounding an outlet through the white (dare I say 'neutral'?!). It was used extensively in Europe , Mexico and other places. Frowned upon and/or forbidden today...)
 
That is why I needed the 110v cord and plug. To get a true ground/earth in that the house that this was intended for has a "classical bridge" (combined neutral/ground) in its three prong 220v dryer outlet that was/is the source of power [Two hots and bridged neutral/ground.]
 
Think where some thing like this doodad shines is where one wishes to run a large 220v appliance like maybe a powersaw or European washing machine/dryer or even ironer (hint), that requires excess of 2000 watts of power.

While not an expert, do know from my trials with the Pfaff ironer, that even a 3000w step-up/step-down converter cannot run an Euro appliance that calls for 2,05kw at 220v for long on a 120v/20amp circut, and even less on a 120v/15amp circut. Step-up transformers will pull twice the amount called for when going from 110 to 220 that means 2000 watts at 120v is almost 4000w at 120v, and household wiring simply cannot provide that sort of power long. If one is lucky the transformer will smoke and kill itself saving your appliance and wiring, or the fuses blow/breakers trip; worst case wiring will get hot enough to cause a fire. Mind you did run my Pfaff ironer off a step-up converter, but soon learned using the steam boiler,which added another 1000 watts was O-W-U-T, out; and not to run the unit more than an hour at a time,even then on medium power instead of full.

Have been reading around the Internet and many people seem to be interested and or have used Quick220. Most are people who have European appliances that require 220v such as coffee/expresso machines, and or power tools. Meanwhile most electricans deplore the thing and state not only does it violate code, is downright dangerous if used incorrectly. Then again others say if one knows what one is doing, and there simply isn't any other way to get 220v power, then the Quick220v is better than nothing. Just wouldn't leave it connected all the time is the common warning.

Am still worried about someone tripping over or somehow coming into contact with either of the two incoming plugs while one is using an appliance. Since one has to run extension cords all over the place to find two out of phase outlets, it could be an accident waiting to happen.

Still, do not think considering the court happy society of the United States a device totally unsafe would be freely marketed. One serious accident would leave the company on the hook for millions.

L.
 
2.05 KW draw is 2.05 KW draw period, as long as the machine is getting its proper voltage. The wattage only changes when he voltage APPLIED TO THE LOAD changes, and that is a function of OHM's LAW where E= I x R. (volts = apms x resistance)

It is the AMPERAGE that doubles, when given wattage (here 2.05 kw) comes from 110v versus 220v.

WATTS = VOLTS X AMPS

2,050w = 110v x 16.64a
2,050w = 220v x 9.36a

Unless there are standby and other (HEAVY) losses in the transformer (when using a step-up transformer) I have to respectfully disagree that the wattage drawn changes.
 
Thor is correct, this device simply does what an electrican could do: pull power off two out-of-phase circuits. Most homes, even if they only have 110 volt outlets, are served by two out of phase 110 volt wires.

However, in older homes, the chance of finding two outlets in the same room that are out of phase might be rather slim. Same for many apartments. Some apartments might even be all on the same phase.

Another potential (no pun intended) issue might be that other equipment on one of the circuits might result in an "out-of-balance" condition, where one leg of the final 220 volt circuit trips the breaker (or blows the glass fuse) and the equipment will generally shudder to a halt. For this reason I believe most modern 220 volt US circuits have ganged breakers - if one leg trips, it brings down the other leg as well.

In my place of work we have a rather seat-of-pants electrical system. The compressor runs on 220, made up of two 110 volt circuits, each with a separate breaker, not ganged. Unfortunately one of the circuits also supports some overhead lighting and benchtop machine equipment (drill presses etc). So when that circuit gets overloaded, it trips the one breaker. The compressor shuts off (it must have some sort of protection in its on/off switch). Invariably only one of the breakers needs to be reset. But of course I always forget which one and wind up resetting both anyways. To get around this problem I've run an extension cord from another 110 volt circuit to power the bench-top equipment, and this more or less prevents the compressor outtages.
 
220V-ganged breakers-and breakers for 3ph circuits-its required by NEC that the breakers be ganged.In the 3ph circuit especially-if its feeding a 3ph motor-if one leg trips and the others don't=fried motor.Ran into this in a transmitter someone put in a makeshift 3ph "breaker" involving individual breaker units-but didn't gang them.One breaker went bad-tripped-the others did not and fried the blower motor.Installed a new motor and proper ganged 3ph breaker-no more problems there.
 
Ah, well

That's what you get for waking sleeping dogs. Sorry, Chris. Refering to the SI-standard abbreviation, you are correct. But electricians and electrical goods manufacturers abbreviate CU and AL on their job forms, switches, etc. At least in Germany and North America.
So I was thinking in that vein.
This being a discussion of electrical practices and all...
(I am pre-first-cup-of-coffee here, so hope this isn't quite as grumpy as it sounds...but gosh...let's not and say we didn't, ok?)
 
Has anyone seen this little note on the device info page:

Plug the Quick 220 power tap into two independent 110 volt outlets without ground fault interrupters in the circuits. Connect your 220 volt equipment. Begin.

All of our kitchen outlets and exterior outlets are GFI protected.
 
Well not that one would know what in blue blazes one was looking for, took a peep inside my friend's fuse box and to my lay persons eye she does have 220v coming into her apartment.

Service panel (fuse box)is three pole (wire) service, with two wires marked 300v (from what one could read, didn't move anything about nor wish to touch anything), going to each side and splitting off to provide for each.

Advised her to contact an electrican and see about simply having a 220v outlet put in, if indeed as my eye spies her apartment already has such service coming into the place. Of course that would mean working with her landlord or doing things on the sly (not recommended when working with electrical, and would instantly void her lease). Local electrical code requires when any upgrade work is done and a fuse panel is in place, it must be replaced with a breaker box, so she is looking at some pretty expensive work (NYC electricans aren't cheap,well at least not licensed ones).

OTHO, the "Quick220" device should in theory work, again if my take on things is correct and two separate 220v lines provide power to her box, the only problem would be hunting down two outlets out of phase with each other.

L.
 
380V/220V appliances

My sister has a Miele washer, Miele condenser dryer and Miele dishwasher, which she purchased (and used) while living in Italy. A couple of years later, when she moved back to Buenos Aires I helped her install these appliances, plus an Ariston extra wide electric oven.

The voltage here is three phase, 380/220V, 50 Hz, exactly like in continental Europe. My sister's very large apartment, having central air conditioner, was properly three phase wired to run a small factory, I can tell you.

All three Miele appliances (washer, dryer and dishwasher) plus the Ariston electric oven could be either connected to "standard" 220 V (1 live wire + neutral + ground) or 380 V (2 live wires + neutral + ground), just by choosing the right connecting inputs on a connection post.

How is this achieved? Quite simple: the heating elements (resistances) of all these four appliances can either run on 220 V or 380 V, with the difference in output (wattage) of course. All other internals (motors, timers, lights, controls, etc.) run on 220V.

It is exactly like any American electric stove or dryer, where the heating elements run on 240V (two hot wires) and the internals run on 115V (one hot + neutral).

My sister was weary of connecting her appliances (except the oven) to 380V, she didn't want to get fried to heaven if something went wrong!

Emilio
 
To answer from the Euro perspective

European power is 230V 50Hz Live (hot) to Neutral.
i.e. the Live is 230V and the Neutral is 0V.

There are no single phase hot-to-hot 230V set ups as in the USA.

3-phase power in Europe is 400V 50Hz between the phases (hot-to-hot) and 230V hot to neutral.

In the past the UK used 240V (single phase) and 415V (3 phase)
The rest of the EU used 220V (single phase) and 380V (3 phase)
These were harmonised as 230V and 400V, so references to 220 and 240V are now obsolete. 220V and 240V appliances work on 230V supplies quite comfortably

As for using a European appliance in the US on a hot-to-hot supply, it shouldn't be a problem, but it's not designed for that type of supply. You would invalidate the warranty at the very least...
 
Amperage

European outlets and plugs are generally 16 Amps "Schuko" (CEE 7/7) the de facto standard in most of Europe.

The UK and Ireland use a different plug and outlet, BS1363, which is rated at 13 Amps
 
"Plug the Quick 220 power tap into two independent 110 volt outlets without ground fault interrupters in the circuits. Connect your 220 volt equipment. Begin."

Only GFI outlet in our apartment is the AC outlet in the living room, for some strange reason.

May just order one of these doodads and take one for the team.
If it can work safely,means will be able to nab one a Miele dryer. Local CL has them all the time for a song, guess because of the 220v, they are not much use to many.

L.
 
Laundress,

I hope it works, but I would be very very cautious. If this thing is not properly set up (the GFI-Verbot worries me) you could end up with an unbalanced load on one side of the split-phase or some serious 'noise' (yes, anal-retentives out there, I know that is not the proper term, but let's not do harmonic distortion, ok?) on the 'neutral' (oh my paws and whiskers, I just used another non-PC term!).
Still, an interesting idea. I do hope, tho', that those two plugs really are electrically isolated...
 
Cimbi,

The marking on the wires is most likely a maximum rating that wiring can handle, not necessarily the voltage that the wires are currently (no pun intended) carrying. The one way to find out is to use a voltmeter on the exposed bits to find out what the potential is. This is actually a lot safer than it sounds, since voltmeters are designed only to measure the voltage, not transmit it, but if you're at all apprehensive by all means have an electrician look at it.

Sort of reminds my of my mom's old apartment in SF. At some point in the 90's the new landlord, probably responding to city inspectors or a code-quoting electrician, removed all the fuse boxes from all the apartments. The good thing is that he replaced them with breakers. The bad thing is that the breakers were all 40 amp, one breaker per apartment, and all located at the front of the building by the main service panel. I'm relatively certain the the old wiring (knob and tube, still in place in the apartments) can't handle much more than 20 amps. I didn't realize how fouled up and potentially dangerous that installation was until I was cleaning out her apartment after we moved her to a residential care facility. I mentioned it to another tenant who asked me not to report it because it would only result in higher rent. Oh well, since my mom no longer lives there, I dropped the issue. Luckily she never ran any high powered appliances.
 
Voltage weirdness...

Who here knows that in this country in some places the electric wiring was DC??? I have a handyman's book from the 60s that discusses the problems of flourescent lamps on DC.

Anyway this device is just a little suspiscious. Sure it should work in theory, but it also has the potential to create a huge screw-up. Though I suppose if you're in an appartment where you can't add wiring yourself or have an electrician come on your own time 'n' dime, it might have its uses.

I could tell stories about weird wiring... but most houses do have two phases; sometimes one will go out somewhere along the line and random items will stop working. Depending on how your house is wired this can cause all manner of chaos:

 
Edison was big on DC, and tried very hard to have it be the standard form of power delivery. DC is still used for some high power distribution systems. If I recall correctly, it has some advantages due to the absence of electromagnetic induced power losses due to alternating frequency. If the voltage is high enough, on a few electrons actually need to travel through the DC conductor in order to deliver a lot of power. I believe the underwater cable that delivers power to Treasure Island in the middle of SF Bay is DC.
 

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