Quick Way To Get 220 Volts?

[neptunebob]

Laundress, I make the suggestion to have your friend move to New Jersey because that is what Archie Bunker told Mike and Gloria to do - But they ended up moving over to the Jeffersons house next door. Just though maybe it was not quite as expensive to get an adequately wired apartment there.

You are right about recent houses may not be enough. Our house was built in 1972 and we may have to have the breaker panel replaced. It is not made anymore so would have to be replaced with another brand. As it is, we cannot add another appliance like an electric wall oven if we ever remodel the kitchen. The service is adequate for now but not if any changes have to be made. Meanwhile, it is not so much the wattage but most homes in 1972 did not have home office like I have. In the bedroom that is the office, every outlet is taken, although the devices don't use much electricity, we have more of them.

 

[launderess]

When I first got my Pfaff ironer, used step-up transformer to get the 220v/2095watts (2.05Kw for heating, 90w for motor), even on a 20amp circut toasted three of the things.

The first I was an idiot and used the steam boiler feature on my ironer in addition to heating. This adds another 1kw to the mix, so after blowing a few fuses, the darn transformer smoked.

Next decided only to use the heating function, and on "med" instead of high, thinking that would save my hash. Not so lucky, after several uses smoked yet another two transformers.

Finally the place I was ordering these units from refused to sell me any more as it was obvious my appliance was pulling too much power for the transformer to handle. Electrican told me regardless of what the transformer is rated for in terms of power, you can't get 3000 watts of power from a 20amp circut. He also explained something I hadn't thought about since high school physics, the amps involved. 3050 watts at 220v is only about 9 or so amps (if I remember my caculations correctly), while the same power at 120v is about 25amps. Transformers/converters only convert, but they still have to have the juice to convert,that is they cannot make up for a shortfall if the appliance demands more than the outlet is providing. Electrican stated the transfomer was doing me a favour by killing itself,rather than allowing the wiring in my house to over heat.

Skip:

Had that exact same transformer, but in 3000w. What are you running off it, and what are the power requirements may one ask?

L

 

[toggleswitch]

As long as my electric toothbrush and personal massager can

~NYC finally mandated carbon monoxide and dioxide "smoke detectors" in all multifamily homes including apartments. Problem is that in lower income homes people swipe the batteries out of the units for use elsewhere and do not replace them.

Carbon monoxide sinks in that it is heavier than (ambient)air. Such detectors are of greatest efficiency at FLOOR level!

If I were a landlord, I'd give the superintendent (bldg manager) enough batteries for each detector in each apartmemt (and one spare) and insist he install them and gift the spare. With any brains whatsoever he'd do this before Christmas and work the crowd for tips/gifts/favors.

This is also a way to inspect the apartments..... to be sure the compulsive shoppers/hoarders/gatherers have not created a health hazard, to be sure there is only ONE family per apt. to be sure no guns and ammo are visible, etc. to catch maintenance issues before you get sued, etc. Helps also to catch lamp-cord running around mascarading as legitimate wiring.

Seriously, how much electric do we need to use?
My mother's 1955 house has 50a in each of two apts (it's a 2-family house). Stoves and dryer are gas. Heat is oil. So far never a problem and it's still legal. A/C is self-contianed window-rattler untis.

For the longest time NYC standards required 40a 110/220v service per apt minimum. This may still be the law.

 

[sudsmaster]

Toggle/Steve,

You bring up an interesting point. Out there solar electric rooftop panels are becoming more popular, and with a long summer season they are making economic sense as well. Part of the paradigm of going solar is that it really pays first to do an energy audit. Then all electrical inefficiencies are addressed - old watt guzzling fridges, incandescent lighting, parasitic phantom loads (wall warts and older electronics), etc. Then one can size a solar system to support what's left. This can save many thousands in solar electice capital costs.

 

[toggleswitch]

Yup.

The difficult thing with electric energy is storing it -- en masse--.

Photovoltiac solar panels are wonderful, except right now one ends up pre-paying for the next decade's worth of electricity, then the panels finally pay themselves off. This will soon changes as energy costs continue to sky-rocket.

With net-metering and the ability to sell the surplus electricity back to the utlity, this would appear to be a great set-up all around. Heck, I'd even say have two meters. One to buy retail and sell-back wolesale. This would give some money back to the utlity to cover their costs.

 

[sudsmaster]

Dual meters so the utility could make more money? Whose side are you on, anyway?

Net metering is favorable enough to the utility as is. In California, the utility charges you for the difference between the electricity you consume and the electricity you generate, over a monthly basis. If you generate more than you consume, they'll take it, but you don't get any $$$ for it. Also, you still pay a flat monthly rate for the privilege of being hooked up to the grid. Something like $10 month last time I checked.

Still, the cost of batteries and their maintenance makes being disconnected from the grid sensible only for those who are too far from it to be connected in the first place. A bank of batteries could help tide a gridded home over a power outtage, but I suspect that in the long run for short term outtages, an emergency generator would be cheaper. Back during the manufactured so-called "California Electricity Crisis" in 2000/2001, I was convinced that solar plus full battery backup was the way to go. Now I'd just settle for net metered solar with a generator standing by just in case.

The big problem at this location is that the current roof is cedar shake. Difficult to attach anything to it and expect not to have leaks. Eventually I'll replace it with good quality thick composition shingles, at which point a solar array becomes more attractive. By that time the cost of solar panels should have dropped quite a bit, as well. A number of startup companies are working on mass producing cheap solar panels.

 

[toggleswitch]

If there is $ for war, then................

~If you generate more than you consume, they'll take it, but you don't get any $$$ for it.

AHA! That is an interesting little factoid.

I have gone so far as to say the Uncle Sam (the federal Gov't) should also put new roofs on homes as well as solar panels. And keep replacing BOTH every 20 years.

 

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Laundress

I'm running it off of 110 volts which it is required to run off of

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