Meat Grinder with 208V 3 Phase motor 1

[surbani]

I purchased a meat grinder and had the option to set the voltage at either 208V 3 phase or 220V 3 phase, we chose 208V.

The problem is we have recently moved to a new location and now have 220V 3 phase service. What can we do to fix this? Is there a way to reset the voltage in the grinder? Or can we use a transformer?

Thank you!

 

[edison123]

How about you start measuring the actual system voltage and we go from there ?

Muthu

http://www.edison.co.in

 

[rockman7892]

I thought I have seen on this site and elsewhere that it was not advisable to run a 208V motor on a 240V system since 240V is outside the 10% tolerence. Even on a 230V system a 208V motor is right at 10% and any increase in the system voltage could lead to issues. Is this a case only when we are dealing with a 208V rated motor and not one rated 208-230V as mentioned in this post?

I guess the fact that is has this 208-230V rating, it can handle anywhere in this range as well as a 240V system as others have mentioned?

 

[waross]

Hi Rockman;
It was common practice for many years to run 230V rated motors on 20 Volts. In more recent years, the design and construction of motors has become tighter and so dual rated (208:230V) and 200Volt rated motors have come on the market.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[davidbeach]

Bill, you need to get the 8 key fixed.

 

[waross]

I'm saving for a new laptop. In the meantime, when I get home, I will be looking for an external keyboard to use.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[davidbeach]

I meant to add a ;-) but hit submit too soon, but your keyboard leaves you making some strange statements about voltages, 230V motors on 20V indeed. ;-)

 

[waross]

Guilty as charged! No offense taken.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[jraef]

I have a PC keyboard at home that will frequently stop accepting the "i" keystrokes, just for a while, then it works fine again as soon as I think about junking it. Drives me crazy, reminds me of a Monty Python sketch where the guy couldn't say the letter B.


"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln
For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> faq731-376

 

[surbani]

It's 240V three phase as stated before.

 

[waross]

How did you determine the voltage?
An anecdote;
Five or six yeas ago, I was living in an apartment building served by 120:208 Volts. The building manager was a retired industrial electrician. His office was on the second floor and just outside his office window was the three phase transformer bank.
I mentioned something about 208 Volts one day and he contradicted me. Like millions or other people living in apartment buildings, he had always assumed that the residential voltage was 120:240 Volts. He was a little embarrassed when I checked with a meter and showed him 208 Volts.
He was a competent electrician, but he had followed the common assumption on residential voltages.
To check the voltage at the receptacles, you have to check between two receptacles on different phases.
Does Port Moody have its own electric utility or are you on BC Hydro and Power?


Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[waross]

240 Volts, three phase is so rare in the Vancouver area that I phoned BCHPA to seen what they had (From Central America!). I talked to a younger engineer who told me that it has been a long time since 240 volt three phase was installed on their system but there were still legacy delta 240 Volt installations on their system.
So 240 Volts is possible.
Have you measured the voltage with a meter?
You should be aware that if it is 240 Volts three phase the odds are overwhelming that it will be a four wire delta with a "Wild leg".
If so, your voltages to ground from the three phases will be, 120V, 120V, and 208V.
You should be aware of this. Normally only three phase loads are connected to the wild leg. Often every third breaker will be missing or not used in the part of the panel feeding the 120V loads.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[waross]

If you have a receptacle for an electric range or clothes drier that is a good place to check the voltage.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[surbani]

Hi Guys. The voltage was checked with a meter at the panel mains. Line to line line to neutral all 240V.

Apparently the building WAS 208V 3 phase but a cabinet maker moved in and requested 240V from the pole. All the old switches say 208V.

Mystery solved. Now we need a transformer for a couple machines. We need one for a 6.5A 3ph 208V machine. 2.5kva?

 

[cswilson]

Bill -- You got me checking the supply to my own house (in California). 120V phase-to-neutral, 240V phase-to-phase. So not 2 phases of a 3-phase supply.

I believe this is called "split-phase" supply. Wikipedia says this is used "in the U.S. and parts of Canada and Latin America". But I guess not in Vancouver.

Curt Wilson
Delta Tau Data Systems

 

[edison123]

"Line to line line to neutral all 240V."

What does that mean ?

Muthu

http://www.edison.co.in

 

[surbani]

edison123 sorry for the confusion I'm not too familiar with all this stuff.

I watched the electrician test it at the panel. There were three leads going into the panel, and he tested between the two solid colored ones, and between the solid color and the striped cable. All were 240V

 

[davidbeach]

Then none of them were the neutral. There is no possible 3-phase system where you have 240V both line-line and line-neutral unless it is a corner grounded 240V system and that would be a code violation in the US, don't know about Canada.

 

[surbani]

So what are my options?

I know I need a transformer but can someone show me one online that I could use?

The electrician told me to go get one over 2500 VA.

Basically I need to go from the 240V to 208V for 6.5 amps current.


THANKS EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!

 

[edison123]

As I said in the start, run the motor as it is and note the load current. If it doesn't exceed the rated, you're good to go. If it is overloaded or overheating or fails, get the motor rewound to the actual supply voltage.

Adding a transformer is another source of loss and another potential source of failure.

Muthu

http://www.edison.co.in

 

[surbani]

The only problem is I have another machine that is to run on 208 as well, and the manufacturer will only honor the warranty if it is connected to the correct voltage.

Any suggestions for this situation?

Thanks again edison123 you, and everybody else on these forums have been great helps...and have sparked my interest in this topic.

Thank you so much.