220 vs 110

C

cg 2005

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I have had a 220 line run across the garage for a new G4003G lathe. I also have a 9x20 that is presently wired 110, but has the option to run on 220. Both would be using 6-15 plugs, but not running at the same time. Should I rewire the 9x20 to 220 now that it is available? What are the advantages?

thanks
 
If the 120v is running the lathe fine, changing to 240v won't make any difference. Twice the voltage would require half the amperage, but the higher voltage doesn't mean more power. It might be more convenient to have both on 240v as it would free up your 120v outlet for something else. Otherwise it shouldn't make any difference.

Steve
 
Lower start-up load and operating current. The motors also run a bit cooler on 220 volts but this is not really noticable unless running for extended periods of time.

The main advantage of 220 though is that you can use a thinner guage wire and run more machines on one circuit.

Paul.
 
Lets face the real facts here... 220 sounds cooler -plain and simple.

(LOL)

Ray
 
Cheaper electicity cost... not that the amount of run time on a lathe adds up that fast.
 
Years ago, I made up an a portable compressor, ran the motor on 220. Decided the concept was flawed, 220 was not as readily available in my home as 110. So I rewired the motor for 110. Starting performance was degraded. I don't know why and was surprised to see that effect. If I remember correctly, the motor was 2 hp and the wiring 12 ga.

My best guess is that the total length (measured from the fuse box) of wire becomes important at higher amps, making 220 more desirable.

Bill
 
Not really sure about how the utilities charge for power (I know they list as KWH, but their meters read current, so I can only assume the KWH rating is the current used times a fixed voltage which is probably 110), but I will run anything I have on 220 if given the choice. Running 220 uses less current and makes most motors happier (less heat), plus does reduce the wire size for a given"appliance" as well as the needed breaker size. Wont really reduce your 110 load as all 110 feeds are just 1/2 of the main feed (220) referenced to a neutral line.
If it were me and I had 220 wiring option on a machine I would do it (thats why I used a 220 motor on my mill project)
 
Yes, this is correct. Power used is what you get charged for. However... There could be a slight gain in efficiency with 220 because the current is lower and with lower current, the supply lines won't heat-up as much. With adequate supply lines, the differences should be very small. If the supply lines are very long and not sufficient gauge, the losses could become quite noticeable. In a very poorly wired system, I could see losses getting as high as 10-15% (ballpark estimate) but beyond that, the wires would probably heat-up to the point of tripping the breaker and other problems.


Ray

cg 2005 said:
. How does that work if AxV=W and you pay for the amount of KW used?
Click to expand...
 
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