OT: Residential voltages

allscott

Member
allscott
Join Date
Jul 2004
Posts
1,332
I'm in Canada so I am working on a regular 120/240 system in a house. I am measuring exactly 120V from each line to neutral on both legs right at the main. I am only getting 208V from line to line. I can't think of how that is even possible? Anyone?

Also I am trying to hook up a tanning bed in the same house that is rated for 230v. I would think that even with the low voltage it should work but it doesn't, although it's entirely possible there is something wrong with the bed.

Any help is always appreciated.
 
Nope we use an Edison system in Canada. 14kv single phase to 240v single phase tx with a grounded neutral at the mid point of the secondary for 2 120v legs. I know when I'm getting 208 that it sounds like a 3 phase transformer but it isn't.
 
Regardless what you think, you are being fed (2) hots and (1) neutral from a three phase supply.
There is no single phrase used to describe this system, some call it an 'open-wye' while others say 'network'.

Many people are agreeable using "120/208V 1PH 3W" as it originates from a 208Y/120 system.

These are very common as feeds to individual apartments/condos of large complexes.
 
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Jim Dungar said:
Regardless what you think, you are being fed (2) haots and (1) neutral from a three phase supply.
There is no single phrase used to describe this system, some call it an 'open-wye' while others say 'network'.

Many people are agreaeable using "120/208V 1PH 3W" as it originates from a 208Y/120 system.

These are very common as feeds to individual apartments/condos of large complexes.
Click to expand...

You might be right, I'll have to drive down the alley tomorrow and look at the tx. I know this is common for commercial and industrial around here but I have never seen it in a house here and this isn't my first rodeo.

Regardless I would think a tanning bed would be happy with 208. This thing had a 208 to 230 step up transformer butcher hooked up to it previously. It came from a mall where I suspect the supply was 208 and I removed it because I suspected it wasn't needed and also assumed that the house it was going to would be 240.
 
Originally posted by Jim Dungar:

These are very common as feeds to individual apartments/condos of large complexes.
Click to expand...

So what do they do with all the electric ovens and stovetops in these places? Are the special 208V units?

Keith
 
kamenges said:
So what do they do with all the electric ovens and stovetops in these places? Are the special 208V units?

Keith
Click to expand...

Nothing special, it just takes longer to dry your clothes and longer to boil water. :). The 208 makes sense now but I have never seen it in a house here.
 
kamenges said:
So what do they do with all the electric ovens and stovetops in these places? Are the special 208V units?

Keith
Click to expand...

Almost all of them are rated for either 208V or 240V. It's not that uncommon for the appliance to be listed at 220V, but then in the installation guide it will explicitly state that the range will work with either 208V or 240V.
 
allscott said:
Everybody else seemed to get laws. Faraday, ohm, Fleming, tesla etc... Edison only got a convention named after him. :)
Click to expand...

What law did Tesla originate?

Uh the light bulb used to be called the Edison lamp did it not?

I am somewhat surprised also that you have 3 phase service for residential. Maybe the house is near an apartment building or commercial and utility just stuck in a 3 phase transformer and tapped two phases.

I am not sure you are going to get the correct amount of light out of fluorescant lamps if they are run off 208. You could rewire the unit and use 120 ballasts of course. May be a good question for lamp manufacturers. I did have 277 light fixtures operate off residential 240 but have no idea of any decrease in light output - looked OK but had no instrument to check. We put in 120 V ballasts.
Dan Bentler
 
leitmotif said:
What law did Tesla originate?

Uh the light bulb used to be called the Edison lamp did it not?

I am somewhat surprised also that you have 3 phase service for residential. Maybe the house is near an apartment building or commercial and utility just stuck in a 3 phase transformer and tapped two phases.

I am not sure you are going to get the correct amount of light out of fluorescant lamps if they are run off 208. You could rewire the unit and use 120 ballasts of course. May be a good question for lamp manufacturers. I did have 277 light fixtures operate off residential 240 but have no idea of any decrease in light output - looked OK but had no instrument to check. We put in 120 V ballasts.
Dan Bentler
Click to expand...

For a brilliant engineer - poor old Tesla ended up with magnetic flux density!

In the UK, us lucky swines get 240v to start with!

I have seen 480v single phase in farming applications.

Apparently it was a standard way of saving copper in rural areas after the war – having only two HV conductors, with the transformer delivering two LV phases 180 degrees opposed.
so you see 480v single phase motors.
 
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It seems like every tanning bed I've hooked up I've had to use a buck/boost xformer on. It's really quite easy, but I believe that it was always a manufacturer requirement.
 

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