220 wiring in Canada
Jun 9th 2006, 4:23 am
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Cochrane Alberta
Posts: 909
Re: 220 wiring in Canada
In Canada a typical house will have an arrangement known as a three wire system(Edison)..you have a red wire (Hot) a white wire (Neutral) and another Hot wire (Black). Between the Red and the White you will have approx 120V, and the same with the Black and the white. The Neutral carries only the difference between the currents in the other two wires.
Okay so why not join the Red and Black together, and have a Neutral, afterall EL=Eph x Route 3...120 x route 3=208V....Simple you'll get a nice big spark and everything will go out
.
Right for gods sake no one ask me anymore theory questions please...if I'm wrong so be it...If I were you guys and you want to bring certain items like your hair tongs, kettles, lamps...bring them, some lamps will work, just change your bulb for the ones here, kettles and hair tongs will take ages to heat up...Power tools..leave them, sell them unless dual voltage, and also you'll have no safety earth, and it'll give you a nice jolt :scared: if faulty.
Anyway bed time as I'm up early again for work.
Okay so why not join the Red and Black together, and have a Neutral, afterall EL=Eph x Route 3...120 x route 3=208V....Simple you'll get a nice big spark and everything will go out
.Right for gods sake no one ask me anymore theory questions please...if I'm wrong so be it...If I were you guys and you want to bring certain items like your hair tongs, kettles, lamps...bring them, some lamps will work, just change your bulb for the ones here, kettles and hair tongs will take ages to heat up...Power tools..leave them, sell them unless dual voltage, and also you'll have no safety earth, and it'll give you a nice jolt :scared: if faulty.
Anyway bed time as I'm up early again for work.
Jun 9th 2006, 12:09 pm
#17
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 4,219
Re: 220 wiring in Canada
Originally Posted by macmike41
Isn't the phase important too - if both the 110v lines are the same phase how do you get 220v.
In both cases the power comes out of the end taps of the supply tranformer..
the differance is only relate dto how you connect earth...
In the Uk we link earth and one end tap
in the Us we link earth to the enter tap
Jun 11th 2006, 8:29 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 99
Re: 220 wiring in Canada
Firstly you have to have the 220VAC installed ( it comes from the two phases already in the house), I would expect that this would be most likely be in the workshop ( but I suspect is already existing for air conditioning, cookers etc). Canadian standards specify 114V to 126V so for two phases this could be between 228VAC to 252VAC
Running 240VAC equipment from 220VAC will not kill your equipment! In fact it is less onerous.
However the Canadian frequency is 60HZ so your transformers and motors will operate at a slightly higher frequency than the UK 50Hz ( motors will spin a bit faster and therefore have a shorter life).
H'm the transformers may get a little hotter and it may shorten their lifespan but I wouldn't like to sit around monitoring the effect and waiting for it to happen.
Hey and guess what? A lot (but not all) manufacturers use standard motors and transformers to do both 220VAC and 240VAC systems ( it saves component costs )
Heavy current motors, such as compressors you could change the motor if you like , but I would run the risk of 240VAC on 220VAC 60Hz. I certainly wouldn't use a transformer to convert 110VAC up to 240VAC, these beasts take some serious current and the losses would be large.
What you need to do is weigh up the cost of having the 220VAC installed in the garage against the cost of replacing all your equipment.
But and its a big but. Make sure your 220VAC equipment has CSA approval otherwise the insurance company may take a dim view of its use if your house burns down.
Finally if in doubt consult an electrician or electrical inspector, who can give you professional guidance.
Useful FAQ link below:-
http://doc.rz.ifi.lmu.de/FAQ/electri...rt1/index.html
Home wiring USA
http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/
Hopefully when I move over in August I may write up my experiences on swapping over.
:scared:
Running 240VAC equipment from 220VAC will not kill your equipment! In fact it is less onerous.
However the Canadian frequency is 60HZ so your transformers and motors will operate at a slightly higher frequency than the UK 50Hz ( motors will spin a bit faster and therefore have a shorter life).
H'm the transformers may get a little hotter and it may shorten their lifespan but I wouldn't like to sit around monitoring the effect and waiting for it to happen.
Hey and guess what? A lot (but not all) manufacturers use standard motors and transformers to do both 220VAC and 240VAC systems ( it saves component costs )
Heavy current motors, such as compressors you could change the motor if you like , but I would run the risk of 240VAC on 220VAC 60Hz. I certainly wouldn't use a transformer to convert 110VAC up to 240VAC, these beasts take some serious current and the losses would be large.
What you need to do is weigh up the cost of having the 220VAC installed in the garage against the cost of replacing all your equipment.
But and its a big but. Make sure your 220VAC equipment has CSA approval otherwise the insurance company may take a dim view of its use if your house burns down.
Finally if in doubt consult an electrician or electrical inspector, who can give you professional guidance.
Useful FAQ link below:-
http://doc.rz.ifi.lmu.de/FAQ/electri...rt1/index.html
Home wiring USA
http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/
Hopefully when I move over in August I may write up my experiences on swapping over.
:scared:
Originally Posted by brit_in_fizroy
Sell it all and buy new or used here. You can get the 220 from the 2 hot phases, just forget the neutral, but you will have to wire this yourself or get an electrician. ground is ground so forget the previous posts that say it isn't. The big drawback is twofold:
1. Your tools will die eventually, expecting 240 and only getting 220 means they won't work to their full potential as designed, this will mostly effect the compressor, motors will be labouring to give what you ask of them.
2. You'll only be able to use the tools where you wire them to. So I guess this means the garage or workshop.
Canada loves garage sales and pawn shops. You'll be able to get 110 stuff no problem.
1. Your tools will die eventually, expecting 240 and only getting 220 means they won't work to their full potential as designed, this will mostly effect the compressor, motors will be labouring to give what you ask of them.
2. You'll only be able to use the tools where you wire them to. So I guess this means the garage or workshop.
Canada loves garage sales and pawn shops. You'll be able to get 110 stuff no problem.
