120v or 240v?

artwallis

Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #1

Ok,

so I don't really know enough about electricity to be able to tell if switching from 120v to 240v will actually save me any money on my electric bill...

But it does say on my ballasts that they pull less energy at 240 volts...like 4 AMPS less, which will at least keep my puny breaker from ever tripping again.

Would buying something like this achieve the same effect? 120v outlets TO a 240v socket...My plugs will work and I will be using energy at 240v right?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...essories&psid=NEXTAG01&sid=IDx20070921x00003j

 

Doctor Cannabis

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #2

240V will always be more economical than 120V.

This is because the power produced by power companies is constant. Thus having a lower voltage means having a higher electric current run throu the wires. The higher the current, the warmer the cables get due to resistance. If a cable becomes warm, it means energy is lost due to the resistance of the wire.

The higher the voltage, the lower the energy loss.

 

artwallis

Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #3

Doctor Cannabis said:

240V will always be more economical than 120V.

This is because the power produced by power companies is constant. Thus having a lower voltage means having a higher electric current run throu the wires. The higher the current, the warmer the cables get due to resistance. If a cable becomes warm, it means energy is lost due to the resistance of the wire.

The higher the voltage, the lower the energy loss.

Click to expand...

Awesome,

But can I run a device, plugged into a 120v extension cord, plugged into a 240v socket with the same economy?


DEVICE
With 120v plug ---------> 120v plug-----
---v
Adapter------------>240v Plug

 

stumps

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #4

no no no no the 240 has it own type of plug-in. don't use a extensoin cord with 240. if you need a longer cord get the one you need at a hadware store.

 

artwallis

Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #5

stumps said:

no no no no

Click to expand...

Elaborate.

 

stumps

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #6

are you saying you want to go from 110v outlet to 240 hook up at your light?

 

Doctor Cannabis

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #7

artwallis said:

Awesome,

But can I run a device, plugged into a 120v extension cord, plugged into a 240v socket with the same economy?


DEVICE
With 120v plug ---------> 120v plug-----
---v
Adapter------------>240v Plug

Click to expand...

Yes, there's no problem with this setup. Seeing that you only have 120V throu the one short cable, the loss is neglectable.

 

stumps

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #8

but you would not be running 240. if you switch you ballist to 240 and just run the 110 no light. look at your dryer outlet thats 240 or 220 same thing. Sorry doc was telling art to loo at the 220 pug in I might be missing something.

 

AquafinaOrbit

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #9

Doctor Cannabis said:

240V will always be more economical than 120V.

This is because the power produced by power companies is constant. Thus having a lower voltage means having a higher electric current run throu the wires. The higher the current, the warmer the cables get due to resistance. If a cable becomes warm, it means energy is lost due to the resistance of the wire.

The higher the voltage, the lower the energy loss.

Click to expand...

Power companies charge by the Kilowatt hour, not amps or ohms. A 600Watt ballast on a 240v line or a 120v line or a 220v or whatever v you want will all pull 600 watts. There is such a thing as voltage drop of course but thats about wire types, current, distance, ect. A 240V is safer and will pull less Amps however. (Divide the wattage used by the nominal voltage, so 120 or 240 and it gives the amp load. Nothing to do with what your charge though) Also an adapter wouldn't effect load at all because it's still a 120V line.

 

GypsyBush

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #10

wow wow wow...

I may be missing the point here..

but is someone saying that is costs less to run a light on 220v than it does to run the same light on 110v???

And just to clarify....

My 600w Ballast pulls 6 amps on 110v..

and it pulls 3 amps on 220v.. but that is only because you have 2 wires.. each 110v and each carrying half the load...

a 600w ANYTHING will pull 600w even if you plug it into a million volts...

..

But like I said.. maybe I missed something...

 

GypsyBush

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #11

artwallis said:

I don't really know enough about electricity

Click to expand...

Then be REALLY careful and assume NOTHING...

Be safe bro...

Best case scenario you burn a light bulb...

the worse STARTS with a fire...

If you are not sure.. then don't do it yourself...

 

AquafinaOrbit

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #12

/\Actually a 240v has less resistance because of the voltage increase not dual wires. In almost every nation besides America a 240V line is a single Phase just as our 120Vs our. Your right though that the initial information given was wrong.

 

stumps

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #13

I sure can't give a good answer to the cost other then I've allways been told higher voltage cost less to run. But that had nothing to do with lights. it was welders and shot blasters and the volage was 460 and some higher.

 

stumps

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #14

Haven't got anyfeed back from Art but it sounded like he wanted to run 120 with the ballist on 240

 

GypsyBush

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #15

I suppose if you are running hundreds of feet of cable.. sure...

but for plugging in our lights in our ops.. I think that's splitting hairs...

And someone that doesn't KNOW this stuff.. SHOULDN"T be messing around with something that can kill them or destroy their home...

...

Wanna use 220v plug 'n play..

get a 30 or 50 amp timer box (search google) and plug it into the wall...

30 amp box plugs into the dryer outlet...

50 amp box plgs into the range outlet...

Easy peasy and SAFE...

 

Doctor Cannabis

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #16

What I said is that a 600w light run through a 120V wire (sure, depending on the length and diameter of the wire) will add another 1-2W to your consumption, while with a 240V, adds a much lower consumption.

 

GypsyBush

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #17

220v is nothing but 2x 110 wires bro...

there is no magik...

Run a cable across town and your argument is totally valid.. but in the 6' of wire that we run and the watts that we use...

It MIGHT be measure-able.. but it certainly is negligaeble...

 

Doctor Cannabis

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #18

I agree, whatever the unwanted consumption of a cable is, it is negletable.

But 220v is not the same as 2 110V cables and is always more efficient than 2 110v cables, but, as you said, when it comes to very, very long wires.

 

artwallis

Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #19

Not "Neglectable", Negligible.


Gypsybush, that box gave me an erection. I think that might be what I am looking for.

But I need to clarify 100%....If I plug my ballasts into the 120v outlets on the box, then plug the box into the outlet in my laundry room...will it pull less AMPs from the house?

All I want to do is lower my AMPs, even if I don't save a single penny, I need to get my amps down so i can double my operation in November.


Peace,

-Arthur

 

AquafinaOrbit

Well-Known Member

• Sep 4, 2009

• #20

Yes. The basic formula for figuring out the AMP load of any device your running is this;

Watts/Voltage = Amps

Some devices such as a water heater require you to do Watts/Voltage = Amps X 1.25 = Amp load. For a grow room though you the first formula will work fine. As 240 is larger then 120 it will go into any number half as much as 120 and thus pull less amps. (1000Watts/120Volts=8.3Amps 1000Watts/240Volts= 4.1Amps)