My concern is we are not talking about a low wattage import
So was I. Washing machines, dryers, laundry press....
So was I. Washing machines, dryers, laundry press....
Rewiring 240v to 120v Bosch dryer
- Thread starter washingpowder
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So was I.
Then using a standard 120 volt 15 or 20 amp circuit to run these is not an option. I hope you not advocating that this be done, because it dangerous. A newer electrical system may might put up with this the plug and outlet less so but if this is something on its last legs there is a real risk of fire, less so if new but the risk is still there.
This appliance needs a circuit of adequate capacity regardless of how its run.
Then using a standard 120 volt 15 or 20 amp circuit to run these is not an option. I hope you not advocating that this be done, because it dangerous. A newer electrical system may might put up with this the plug and outlet less so but if this is something on its last legs there is a real risk of fire, less so if new but the risk is still there.
This appliance needs a circuit of adequate capacity regardless of how its run.
New York Apartments
Most apartments in NY have 208 volts instead of 240 Volts, we have the same 208 volt situation in about 1/2 of the multifamily housing in Washington D C . And while appliances get hooked up the same way as a single phase 240 volt system, 208 volts lowers the Amp draw and causes a 240 volt heating element to put out 25% less heat.
This is part of the reason so many city dwellers dislike their electric ranges, an average electric range slows down to the point that many gas ranges are as fast as electric ranges operated on 208 volts.
Most apartments in NY have 208 volts instead of 240 Volts, we have the same 208 volt situation in about 1/2 of the multifamily housing in Washington D C . And while appliances get hooked up the same way as a single phase 240 volt system, 208 volts lowers the Amp draw and causes a 240 volt heating element to put out 25% less heat.
This is part of the reason so many city dwellers dislike their electric ranges, an average electric range slows down to the point that many gas ranges are as fast as electric ranges operated on 208 volts.
Compact Dryer
You might find the thread on the link useful to read, as it features restoration of a used Whirlpool 120V dryer so might show what you are in for with a used dryer.
Ultramatic who started the thread has several of these and lives in New York so maybe you could do a deal with him to purchase one. Good hunting
Al
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?48397
You might find the thread on the link useful to read, as it features restoration of a used Whirlpool 120V dryer so might show what you are in for with a used dryer.
Ultramatic who started the thread has several of these and lives in New York so maybe you could do a deal with him to purchase one. Good hunting
Al
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?48397
arbilab
Well-known member
Tangentially......
..... there IS such thing as 220V. I live in it. Built 15 years ago to the month. Measured 218V, and standard plugs are 125V. So the building runs on 3-phase and the ratios have been jiggered slightly to put 5V more on each leg, thus 10V more between 120* phases. We throw away an astonishing volume of fluorescent lamps, I have never seen them 'all' operating correctly at any time, even right after the electricians have been here. The performance of the 240V stove is 'disappointing' to put it politely. The coinop dryers take the same 40 min that my 120V LK does, with slightly larger capacity.
Other than load balancing the only thing in the building that actually USES 3-phase is the elevator pump.
So yes, you CAN have 220V running your 240V appliances. And you won't like it.
..... there IS such thing as 220V. I live in it. Built 15 years ago to the month. Measured 218V, and standard plugs are 125V. So the building runs on 3-phase and the ratios have been jiggered slightly to put 5V more on each leg, thus 10V more between 120* phases. We throw away an astonishing volume of fluorescent lamps, I have never seen them 'all' operating correctly at any time, even right after the electricians have been here. The performance of the 240V stove is 'disappointing' to put it politely. The coinop dryers take the same 40 min that my 120V LK does, with slightly larger capacity.
Other than load balancing the only thing in the building that actually USES 3-phase is the elevator pump.
So yes, you CAN have 220V running your 240V appliances. And you won't like it.
At my workplace we "live" with higher than usual line voltage here,too.The voltage we are fed with is nominal 4160V it reads 4330V on the newly installed and calibrated line voltmeters in the MV switchgear here.The 4160 is converted to 3 other LV voltages here-208/120V for gen building loads,and 230 3Ph for the Continental Electronics transmitter 230V feeds for the blowers,pumps,and LV supplies.another pair Main,Aux 208/120V feeders go for the control room feeds.Our LV read high like Arbilabs do.Think his building is fed with "nominal" 208/120V voltage-but his power company is running the voltage high as ours is doing.Sometimes it causes one of our transmitters to trip out from overvolage and stays off until the line voltage goes back down.The devices that run from 208/120V are fine here.The 230V 3Ph supply reads 240V.All of these are within the usual 10Percent high or low powerline voltage tolerence.So we have to live with it.
High line voltage
Elevated line voltage tends to be the norm for those who live close to the supply substation. Power companies generally run outgoing power lines at a slightly higher voltage to compensate for voltage drop. Generally the goal is to have those at the beginning of the line above average with most of those in the middle at 120 and those toward the end a tad lower. My house is close to the substation that feeds my town, thus I tend to measure about 123 124 volts on average. When I lived out on the far side my old house would get about 117 in the winter 114 during the summer. So far no ill effects, other than a few high hat flood lights burning out a tad quicker, nothing of worry or noticeable. The good part though about being close to a substation is power goes out less frequently, and when it does after a major storm your one of the first to get it back.
Just for the sake of the convo Eastern Europe had a normal operating voltage of 220/380 while the UK had the norm of 240/415. A few years ago the European union set a harmonized standard of 230/400 volts 50Hz. Truth is other than new installs not much has changed, but appliances sold in the EU are required to have about a +10% -6% tolerance (if memory serves right) Although Ive had a family member say he has gotten readings as high as 247 in the UK few years back.
http://www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk/pdfs/site-info/Explanation_230Volts.pdf
My 2 cents.
Elevated line voltage tends to be the norm for those who live close to the supply substation. Power companies generally run outgoing power lines at a slightly higher voltage to compensate for voltage drop. Generally the goal is to have those at the beginning of the line above average with most of those in the middle at 120 and those toward the end a tad lower. My house is close to the substation that feeds my town, thus I tend to measure about 123 124 volts on average. When I lived out on the far side my old house would get about 117 in the winter 114 during the summer. So far no ill effects, other than a few high hat flood lights burning out a tad quicker, nothing of worry or noticeable. The good part though about being close to a substation is power goes out less frequently, and when it does after a major storm your one of the first to get it back.
Just for the sake of the convo Eastern Europe had a normal operating voltage of 220/380 while the UK had the norm of 240/415. A few years ago the European union set a harmonized standard of 230/400 volts 50Hz. Truth is other than new installs not much has changed, but appliances sold in the EU are required to have about a +10% -6% tolerance (if memory serves right) Although Ive had a family member say he has gotten readings as high as 247 in the UK few years back.
http://www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk/pdfs/site-info/Explanation_230Volts.pdf
My 2 cents.
arbilab
Well-known member
We're only a block from the substation, might have something to do with it. Sorry, didn't mean to derail, we were talking about dryers.
Don't sweat it, its interesting stuff.
At he workplace-we hve our own substation that steps 115Kv 3Ph to 4160.Several other major customers are on the same 115Kv line as us-DuPont,Weyerhauser,and some other companies.These would be major customers-not homes.
davetranter
Well-known member
A bit more from the rainy side of the Pond
Re: Reply#38
I wasn't aware that wiring regulations were so restrictive Statesside. Here our (ring-main) disribution is fused at 30/32 Amps, so each ring circuit is good for 7kW. It is quite possible to fit a 32A BS4343/CEE17 socket to run heavy loads. This is not 'normal' domestic practice, but many of us have them.
Re: Reply#45
The 'Euro-harmonisation' (Read: 'Diktat') for supply voltages seems to have been greeted with a healthy degree of cynicism by my local supply company. Their attitude is that their existing distribution voltages (at 240/415) are 'within acceptable tolerance', so they have changed nothing, much to the relief of their customers.
All best
Dave T
Re: Reply#38
I wasn't aware that wiring regulations were so restrictive Statesside. Here our (ring-main) disribution is fused at 30/32 Amps, so each ring circuit is good for 7kW. It is quite possible to fit a 32A BS4343/CEE17 socket to run heavy loads. This is not 'normal' domestic practice, but many of us have them.
Re: Reply#45
The 'Euro-harmonisation' (Read: 'Diktat') for supply voltages seems to have been greeted with a healthy degree of cynicism by my local supply company. Their attitude is that their existing distribution voltages (at 240/415) are 'within acceptable tolerance', so they have changed nothing, much to the relief of their customers.
All best
Dave T
