electrical question about 120v/240v

If I'm thinking right you'll need a converter transformer like these http://www.google.com/m/products/ca...a=X&ei=hpJPT5OFB832gAeJh9HMDQ&ved=0CEUQ8wIwAg
But I do recall this machine shop I worked at had to have the electric company come out and do something to the transformer outside

Edit: I just did some googling and found this hope it helps.
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/static/articles/1006_eltrc.asp

 

110V and 220V use the exact same amount of power. Period. Your power bill will be exactally the same. Simple math. Ohms Law.

Beyond the no power savings, you would have to completey change up your wiring setup to realize any practical(still zero) financial benefit(i.e. more lights on one circuit, smaller wiring, etc..)

 

[quote name='"nuggybob"']110V and 220V use the exact same amount of power. Period. Your power bill will be exactally the same. Simple math. Ohms Law.

Beyond the no power savings, you would have to completey change up your wiring setup to realize any practical(still zero) financial benefit(i.e. more lights on one circuit, smaller wiring, etc..)[/quote]

THANK YOU!!!
Questions like this are kin to "if my cars battery is 12v why cant i use a 9v and 2 DD's to run it!

Gheeez!!!

 

Yeah but the point of running 220 is so you can run more lights on half the power. That's a big advantage when your running several 1000w.

The OP sounds like he has no clue what he's getting into though, it's not simple to do. You'd have to go through a lot of hoops and bounds.. it's not worth it. I have a couple 220 outlets in my house, and I run a power box 220 for my grow.

 

This is incorrect. Again, 110v and 220V use the exact same amount of power. Watt=Power Used. Watt = Volts x Amps. A 1000W light uses 1000W no matter the voltage. You pay for POWER(WATTS) in KW Hours. In a properly wired circuit, you can run more lights off a 220V 20A than you can off a 110V 20A, but that's only because you are running 2 hot wires and two breakers. The power usage and bill will be exactly the same.

 

Guys 220v or 240v is just two separate legs of 110v. so like my room I ran two 40 amp 110v breakers to my room which means I have 80 amps at 120v for arguments sake( Its really a little less since you never go full load) or 40 amps at 220v because 220 uses both sides which is why it seems like it is using less but it isn't.

Both the other guys are right there is no power savings until you go 3 phase.

 

[quote name='"Redtr4"']Guys 220v or 240v is just two separate legs of 110v. so like my room I ran two 40 amp 110v breakers to my room which means I have 80 amps at 120v for arguments sake( Its really a little less since you never go full load) or 40 amps at 220v because 220 uses both sides which is why it seems like it is using less but it isn't.

Both the other guys are right there is no power savings until you go 3 phase.[/quote]

You sound like a Sparky too Red.

 

.....thats what i meant........ you can run double the amount of lights on 220. I never said it saves on the bill, you pay for electricity used like you said. But like a 1000w digital ballast runs about 8.4 amps and on 220 it's 4.2 amps.

 

You can't necessarily run double the lights on 220/240, what you can do is run the same lights, drawing the same amount of electricity, through half the amperage. This has to do with how the electricity is delivered, not how much is used.

Think about a big pipe that has water flowing through it slowly and a skinny pipe that has water running through it quickly. Both could deliver 10 gallons a minute, just different ways of doing it, but if you're using them to fill up a bucket with water then it doesn't matter which approach you use. Similar to looking at voltage and amperage with electricity.

 

Literally since I was 10 or so.

 

Your the man! My other expertise is Hydronic plumbing and I am always using that analogy so they can equate.

 

The question was how to do it to conserve power and the best answer is that it wont save power. But it still doesnt tell hiom how to do it. There could be some odd set of circumstances where it is practical. Yje simple answer is, turn off the power to the circuit and then disconnect all single-pole switches and outlets and using the same wire, connect to a 2-pole breaker at the panel (removing the old single pole or using it for some other circuit) and replace all the outlets and switches on the circuit (including anything wired to the overhead light fixture if there is one) with those suitable for the 2 hot wires. He will need to check the size of his existing wire and choose appropriate gear. Then he can run extension cords thru his walls to have a 120v circuit for his fans and pumps! Hahah

 

Bubbabear you are right. Some circumstances make it so you want to spread the load across both circuits instead of just one due to wire capacity. Good call!