[RE-wrenches] 208 V 240 in residential applications

[RE Ellison]

Anything with a motor wants to be intended for 208 three-phase

Any heating elements would want to be for three-phase also

If you try running 240 stuff on 208 it will ultimately take out the motors they just don't run as well!

In a past life I had a chain of convenience stores and one of them was fed by the utility with 120/208 instead of 240
We were changing compressors a little more often than we would've thought was necessary then about having to go back to the original utility paperwork prove to them that they had fed us 120/208 instead of 120/240 that the original work order called for and that was why we kept crashing all of the electric compressors!

It's doable easily just get equipment intended for 208 it has to be intended for three-phase

Or life is a real pain in the tail !

Been there done that !

Bob Ellison

> On Feb 9, 2014, at 3:20 PM, <william at millersolar.com> wrote:
> 
> Friends:
>  
> I feel sort of stupid asking this, but it has never come up for me before:
>  
> I have inherited an off-grid install gone-wrong.  The system is 208 three phase with Sunny Boys and Sunny Islands on a mini grid.  It was designed as three phase.  I presume this was to increase capability with stacked SMA inverters.
>  
> Will the household appliances (small cooktop, booster pump, well pump) run as well on 208 as 240?
>  
> I always do my research before wasting all of your time.  The web delivered a lot of “forums” wherein opinions were expressed, but little hard data from bona fide professionals.  I also did some calculations, see below.  I downloaded a manual from a random electric range and saw it was specified as 240 or 208.
>  
> Watts
> 4000
>  
>  
>  
>  
> Volts
> 240
> 208
> Amps
> 16.67
> 19.23
> % Difference in amps
> 13.33%
>  
>  
> I am fairly comfortable that this is not an issue, but would like some confirmation.  Thanks in advance.
>  
> William
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