MAN oh MAN!!! That is the best video ever explaining 120 and 240. The BEST EVER!!! I totally agree...and yet this comes from a brewery. So many big electrical companies and NONE explains as well as him...hell of a job!!!!!!
Wow. I have still yet to come across ANYONE that has described this so simply. Seems like most people on RUclips who explain this stuff like to flex their knowledge and start talking in ways that only electricians could understand. Thank you so much sir!
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Good stuff George, as always. Just to add onto what was already explained... The white wire is also called "common" in residential, as it has a physical connection to the terminal block connected to earth ground in the panel. Neutral is usually a DC term.
In the three pronged dryer and range plug, the wires are hot, hot and neutral; the neutral also serves as an appliance ground. In a four wire plug, the neutral and ground are separate.
~3:15 no, you can use a second cable with a circuit and capacitor to store charge and then release it in tandem with the other wire to make 240v. but yes you need 2 plugs. very similat to converting AC to DC.
240 volt is 2 120 volt lines out of phase by 180°. So both being out of phase or opposite of each other, with neutral in the center produce 240 volt. Not side by side!
what? where? That's the only thing I came to learn but he just says it doesn't need neutral because it has its own. Basically: "It just works, like magic!" I presume the alternate phase allows the hots to trade as neutrals for each other but that may as well be magic as far as I can tell.
The black wire and red wire are actually in phase with one another. There is only one 240v coil in the pole mounted transformer that is split into two 120v sections. If you use an oscilloscope, and measure voltage from neutral to the black wire you will get a positive sine wave, If you measure from the neutral to the red wire you will get a negative sine wave. But if you measure from red to black you will get a 240v sine wave that is in phase. In three phase transformer, the lines are 120 degrees out of phase, but not with single phase 240v....
Great explanation. I have a circuit breaker that was 220v as it supplied power to a pool pump. The pool is now gone but I'd like to wire up a 115V outdoor outlet. Can I use just wire one leg of the 220v breaker (either red or black) plus neutral and ground?
Good video explanation. What will happen if I replace a 240v three phase 1/2hp servo motor (that provides power to my sewing machine via a drive pulley) with a 1/2hp 110v single phase motor? Can I damage any electrical panels that are wired in between the original motor and the sewing machine? Any chance I can do any damage to my wall outlet wiring?
Great video would have touched on the Transformer connected to main panel which has two hot bus bars which are connected to either end of secondary coil in the transformer and the neutral bar being connected to the center of secondary coil we get 120 from hot bus to neutral bar. but When we connect to two bus bars were connecting to full length of secondary coil thus 240 volts.
Great video. My welder has a 110v 220v 3 pronged cord. My generator has a L14 20p plug in. Can't seem to find an adapter so im using a L14 30p i got from lowes and wired it to the end of an adapter the welder came with that steps down to 3 pronged 110v regular home outlet plug. My question is should i just cut the end of the welder 3prong 220 and wire my L14 how you've explained b hot and w hot g to ground with neutral open. Or use the adapter to splice the L14 onto? Also my generator is a floating neutral. Will that affect anything?
In my country the voltage between the phase and the neutral conductor is 230V +/- 10% and between any two phases it is 400V. Every other house has a three-phase connection.
This was an excellent explanation, well done. A lot of people ask me why we call it single phase instead of two phase. It is, in fact, two phased 120 volts in the strictest sense, however, as you demonstrated, when two voltages are phased 180 degrees out from each other, we call it a single phase because of the summation. If you're talking 3 phase, for instance 208 volts, that's still 120 volts per leg but the phases are 120 degrees out from each other so the result is 120 * sqrt(3) = 208 volts total between any 2 of 3 phases. This is also why some residences have 208 volts instead of 220/240 because they are in a zone that has a 3 phase grid instead of step down transformers that split tap the single incoming phase. They just pull 2 of the 3 phases to the panel.
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing....the first thing i had to look at the panel box to see if their service could handle the new equipment. my helper and i would set up the home owner with that .. 220 221 whatever it takes...lol
I plan to use this line in a video soon. I just think it's the funniest thing ever for those who understand basic electricity. Can't wait to lay that one out there and see who replies.
i remember some words from one of my instructors during my apprenticeship. he said there are old electricians and bold electricians but there are no old bold electricians. I worked with 3 phase 480 volt systems most of my working life in manufacturing maintenance...always respect electricity
Thank you - I have a 5 KVA 230v Pure Sine Wave Inverter charge controller 230v x 1 “ I’m looking to wire this 2 leg at 115v safety the Amperage at 3 KW 76A is what I use every day normally, I’ve seen to wrap both the red & a black wire around the 1 hot wire coming out of the inverter to wire into a 100A double pole breaker that’s dedicated to this only in my breaker box and I have the Mose Automatic Transfer Switch and a test I saw it works with no feed back . Does this look correct ?
So can 240v inverter non split phase be broken into 2 120v waves for a panel. Or do I have to purchase a split phase or 2 120v inverters for the house. Im trying to understand before making a purchase in the near future.
Residential wiring in North America is single phase, so there's no "opposite phase". The single phase alternates between opposite Lines (L1 and L2) or poles from each end of the transformer secondary windings. 240v is measured from one pole to the other, which is the top to the bottom on the sine wave you showed. If you measure side by side as shown at 2:57 you'll get 0v because it's the same point. The line in the center is 0v everything above is + and everything below is -. Measuring from the 0v center line to the peak point in either direction will be 120v RMS. The electrical panel has 2 power busses, L1 and L2 and will measure 240v from one to the other. When measuring from either one to the neutral or neutral/ground bus you get 120v.
It is just a way of looking at it. The hot lines are derived from a single phase input to the transformer, but they are 180° out of phase, as he stated. Whether coming from a 2-phase generator with two coils, or synthesized using a split-phase transformer, they are equivalent. It is pedantry to argue about what to call it.
Yeah, expect the OP here is spot on correct, unlike the video creator. I know enough to know everyone claiming this video creator is the best explainer on the Internet ever, doesn't know the difference btwn information, and correctly explaining a concept, like the OP did here. We use single phase in America 120/240. So to say things are "out of phase" is quite inaccurate and not well articulated when better words exist to explain fairly simple concepts... I kinda thought this video was highly inaccurate, and just dangerous enough to trick ppl into thinking they were "learning" anything of value. Ground/Neutral concepts are hardly a place to gloss over, or misinform.
For a 240 volt load to a outside AC unit. My HVAC guy used a 10g 3 wire. White black and bare ground. Is this safe or should the ground have a green coating like your wire in the video ? Will that bare ground ever become energized? Or is it no different than the bare ground in a 120v system and a coating isn't needed ?
Thank you for the video, what I don't get is 6:30 so you disconnect red 120 and connect white that's still 120V between white and black? if you connect white to red that is a boom! Recently see a plate from the AC unit that needs 208-230V in USA one phase so how you get that. I am not an electrician just want to understand.
Would this work if plugged into 2 separate 12v dc to 120v ac power inverters. 12v solar battery bank to 2 separate 120v power inverter, going into a Panel. 120v on each terminal. Neutral bar tied to ground in panel? Ground tied to copper rod going into earth. I know the panel could provide 120v to single breakers, but could it handle a double pole breaker at 240? Assuming I had a large enough battery bank and power inverters size to handle the load. The two 120v power inverter running of same battery bank.
Hi, I live in Australia, which is on a 240v system. I bought a light stand from the US, which has 110v printed on it. WIth a 210-240v plug adapter to plug it into a 240v power socket, can I run a 240v light globe in it or do I have to purchase a 240-110 step-down transformer and run a 110v light globe?
Great video even for someone like myself that is entirely electric illiterate. I found your video extremely educational/informational and if I understood it correctly, I can save a few dollars in wiring by using a 6/3 UF wire. Here is my issue... I want to run electricity from the main panel in my garage to an outdoor shed which sits about 100ft from the main box. My intent is to get a couple of outlets at 120V. One outlet for my electric lawnmower that has to remain plugged, and possibly two to four outlets for woodworking tools or any other electric tool need at 120V. Being proactive, I also want to have a dedicated 220V outlet in the event that in the future I decide to add a mini-split A/C unit, which to my understanding is substantially more energy efficient at 220V vs a 120V unit. Someone with a lot of experience as an electrician had mentioned to me that it can be done with the 6/3 wire, however, that individual is up in age and is no longer an active electrician. In speaking to the individual that is looking to land the project, he tells me that he cannot see how it could be done with a single 6/3 wire. Instead, he want to use two different wires, one for the 220V plug and the other for the regular 120V outlets. I would like to get your input as running one wire (6/3) can save me a few dollars in buying another wire per foot. If that is the case, that I can get both currents with a single 6/3 wire, I will also provide him your video so that he has a better understanding how this can be accomplished. Thanks again for this video and for your willingness to provide me a little clarification.
How much current do you need? 100 feet of #6 AWG copper is good for around 36 Amps. 6/3 is a cable, not a wire. It has 3 insulated current carrying wires (black, red, and white) plus a ground wire (green, green/yellow, or bare).
I have a 240 3 wire dryer, it stopped working so I thought the dryer went out, replaced the dryer and when the installers connected the 3 wire new dryer, they said the receptacle might be damaged. What they didn't realize is that when they plugged it in, it was sending power through the frame of the dryer, and I didn't notice this until I got shocked when I was leaning on the dryer and then touched the metal doors in the laundry room. The dryer itself was wired correctly, so I tested the connection with a voltmeter and saw 120v on the neutral, 120v on one of the legs, and about 50 volts on one of the legs when I used my multimeter on the dryer plug connection to the dryer itself. So I replaced the 3 wire receptacle (2 8 AWG AL, 1 8 AWG BARE copper Ground) using antiox for the AL connections. Turn on the power and I am getting 240 from both legs, but when testing each leg on the ground I am getting 72 volts on one side and 68 volts on the other. When I plugged into 3 wire dryer, it instantly energized the frame AGAIN, making it possible to get shocked. How in the heck is power making its way to the frame of the dryer and why is my legs reading lower voltage, but running at 240 when I test both legs? Some people referred to this as "ghost voltage" and they said that there may be a problem with my ground wire. (which the receptacle manufacterer refers it to a neutral on the receptacle itself.) Is it a ground? Is it a neutral? Why did they use bare wire, just because it's ground? When I plug in the dryer it's also sending power directly into the ground. Is it supposed to be a ground? I checked the circuit breaker box and couldnt locate anything. I am so confused.
If you have a 3 wire dryer (NEMA 10-30), there is no ground. Just L1, L2, and neutral. The case of the dryer is connected to neutral, which is why you have that "ghost voltage". This kind of setup has been obsolete for years for this reason. The modern way is to have a 4 wire cord and plug (NEMA 14-30) for the dryer, with L1, L2, neutral, and ground, that provides a separate ground path for the case. Also, the fact that you have that voltage on the neutral, and extremely low, unbalanced voltages from the lines to ground (should be 120V each side) means you have other faults in your electrical system that need attention.
@@dougbrowning82 I was recently able to find out why I was getting the ghost voltage, it turns out that after my new Pex installation, the ground/neutral lost continuity and I was able to fix it by bonding it to the copper pipe coming in before the Pex and it's been working fine. I was unable to see the bonding clamp on the pipe when I went to the new Pex system (which I had prefabricated.) Strange how the frame was being energized due to no ground, but the phases canceled each other out, but probably somehow used the frame as a path to ground. Both legs are showing 120v now, dryer running perfectly. The receptacle was in terrible condition and whoever installed it back in 1972 used no antiox at all, so I had to cut back some fresh conductor that wasn't oxidized and rebuilt that 10-30 Planning on upgrading to 10/3 or 8/3 4 prong 14-30. Silly that they used the plumbing to ground the dryer.
Would it be a good analogy to say that "Generally, the purpose of a neutral wire is to return excess voltage back to a source (electrical panel)" much the same way as the "gas return line" returns excess fuel in a car's fuel delivery system back to the fuel tank? (assumes the car is gasoline powered only)
Morning George on 4.36min you said connecting the red and black together you getting 240v. but also you need the white neutral be connected to me I use the 2 wires just to check the 240 never connected together each one goes to different prong maybe i'm wrong in the draw it's correct
I have a 5 KVA Solar inverter that’s 230v x 1 phase 1 red wire that’s 115v + , 1 white wire 115v + and 1 ground wire “ can I use the two lines the red wire that’s 115v + and the. White wire that’s 115v + as all One Phase and the ground as the Ground only in emergency power back up my battery bank is lithium 48v 280Ah which is 15 batteries in case we lose electricity at night ?
I've got 1 3 wire line coming into my light pole. 2 blacks, and a green. Then on top of the pole I have 3 3wire spot lights. I thought I had them wired correctly but all I'm getting is the lights buzzing. The wires are connected as this. The 3 lines coming down the pole from the light have all the whites twisted together ,the blacks twisted together, the green twisted together. Then the line coming up into the pole I have 2 blacks.1 is connected to the 3 blacks from above, the other black connected to the whites, then Green to greens. And the greens go to a ground lug in the pole
Hypothetically, if the buzzer or the clock (the 120v draw) would trip a 120v breaker, then what would happen if it’s wired to the two pole 240v breaker?
@6:43 3 prong dryer plug is not hot, hot, ground. It is hot, hot, neutral, it's an old style plug before grounds were required. The neutral is bonded to the case of the dryer to act as a ground
Please review Charles Staton, referring to the line voltage not being 180 deg out of phase as this would cancel out the line voltage to zero volts. There actually is 240volts between the two hot line wires, they are not two wires with 120VAC in each. The transformer at the pole is center tapped which takes voltage from half the winding to give 120 volts. Charles goes in to great detail to prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am not trying to make anyone upset or have a huge debate over this, though I am concerned that believing the phase is 180 deg out has been passed down for so long (myself included) that it is just taken as the truth. How can you have two phases on a single phase? You can't, you have a phase from 240 volts AC and the center tap or split phase reading half the voltage at 120VAC but it is from the same phase. He explains why many believe they are out of phase and proves why they are not! It would be easy to just ignore what I have just typed but living in ignorance of the truth is no excuse. Watch his video and decide for yourself. Here is his youtube link that shows how and why. ruclips.net/video/uRKbX74lBgU/видео.html
I have two 115v power inverters. I want to wire a 240v coming off them but I don’t want to fry my inverters. Is there something I can do to make 240 safely?
thank you. I'm trying to convert a 3 wire to a 240v submersible deep well pump, Still not sure it will work in this case. I don't want to bury a new wire. Too much stuff buried out there now. However the 240 well pumps have the controller outside the well verses a 110v submersible pump controller inside the pump in side the well.
what about the source of the electricity? the house is only 120v and the electric stove is 240v, i would have only 25% of the heat? do i need a step up transformer? how many watts the transformer should be? thank you
i'm building a small heated paint storage room in an unheated garage. Think of a space 4x8 x 9' tall with some shelves, and a door, insulated walls. I want to install a heater. Oil Filled electric space heaters run at 120 volts, consume up to 1500 watts, and put off a set amount of BTU's. There are also 4 foot electric base board heaters, that lack the thermal mass of the oil filled electric radiator style that come in 120 and 240 volts. I found your video as I searched for information on "higher voltages, consume lower amps, and are cheaper to run." But with electric heat, I got the impression that a watt of energy in, regardless of whether its 1 leg at 120 or 2 leg at 240, will produce the same BTU's. And instead of drawing 15 amps on one leg, I'd just be drawing 7.5 amps on two legs, and thus wind up with the same bill from the electric company at the end of the month, and I have to give up the thermal mass of the oil filled radiator if I go to 240. BUT, i have the sense i'm missing something. Can you go more into depth on how this works with AC voltage, and amperage, and how that relates to creating BTU's with electric heat, and the Kilowatt Hour Draw and expense? I love the geeky math stuff. Thanks!!
Yes, your electric consumption is based on the energy. If the power (volts times amps) is the same, the energy over equal time is the same. You don’t save money with lower amperage at higher voltage when the product is the same. Losses in the wiring might be greater at higher amperage, however. Lower amps can be safer. Higher current will produce more heat in the wire. Running a 120V heater at the maximum can produce excessive heat in the wiring. I have a four foot portable heater and I noticed the plug had become scorched from heat. I never run it on the high setting anymore. It would be better to have a 240V heater using the same gauge wiring to avoid overheating the wiring. By the way, my portable baseboard heater is fluid-filled, so there is some thermal mass.
The current meaning electrons residing in the neutral zone! The white wire in 240 or neutral also is a path or common zone used as an over current protection area or device without really tripping a circuit breaker!
Some people get confused with the colors, 3 wires can be used if the device only uses 240, so just 2 hots and a ground neutral is for relays and 120 applications.
Thanks for the great explanation. But hope you and your viewers understand that all your explanation is only limited to North America. Europe and Africa have a completely different system (240v) which will need a step down for you to run any of your North american appliances.
I have several Pool Motors for an Outside pool designed to be wired for 120V or 240V. Since these motors actually run for hours at a time (8+).. is there an advantage wiring for one as opposed to the other. Does One voltage put more wear and tear or use more electricity (Higher $$ Bill) than the other? I have never seen an answer to this. Currently.. all the Motors are wired for 110V. Thanks to anyone for a response.
I am wiring my generator 4 wire 220 volt 30 amp to a 120 volt 30 amp connector. To run a 220 volt 30 amp heater. I plan to use only 3 wire 10 guage to the generator. I see no reason that there would be a problem using the 120 volt outlet, even though it is only rated for 120 volt 30 amps. Am I wrong?
Why is the best wiring video on RUclips coming from a brewing company?
Really is the best video I’ve seen on electric. Explained things that allot of people don’t know.
I find that technically minded and technically curious people are more drawn to brewing to begin with.
He's showing how to hook proper power to running the stinger for the distilling machine
best 120 and 240 volt wiring video*
George is the man.
MAN oh MAN!!! That is the best video ever explaining 120 and 240. The BEST EVER!!! I totally agree...and yet this comes from a brewery. So many big electrical companies and NONE explains as well as him...hell of a job!!!!!!
Has to be one of the best videos I have watched on 120v vs 240v. Great job on explaining.
This is what I was looking for. Simple straightforward explanation.
I knew it! If I have seen the right video you would answer my question about needing a 4 wire over a 3 wire cord. Thank you so much George.
Thank you for this! This really was much simpler than other videos made it out to be!
Wow. I have still yet to come across ANYONE that has described this so simply. Seems like most people on RUclips who explain this stuff like to flex their knowledge and start talking in ways that only electricians could understand. Thank you so much sir!
“It is safe, but be cautious. Because a big mistake could kill you.”
I feel so safe now
BTW, thank you very much for educating us on this! This makes everything about 120v/240v make sense for me now.
This sounds like my lead tech
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@Emiliano Terrell Instablaster =)
Best explanation on RUclips,period. Thank you.
The best explanation I've heard yet! Thanks, Man!
I'm not an electrician, just an architect. I came here to learn something new. Great video. Thanks!
Beautifully explained and illustrated.. lit up my light bulb in my head!!
Great explanation. You broke it down! You’re a wonderful teacher.
NOW I GET IT!!! After more than 60 years, this finally makes sense. THANK YOU!
Thanks for this simplified explanation. It was very helpful.
Amazing. I live in Uk and on my visit to Brasil i couldnt understand how they had 120 and 240 in the house. Now i understand!
Good stuff George, as always. Just to add onto what was already explained... The white wire is also called "common" in residential, as it has a physical connection to the terminal block connected to earth ground in the panel. Neutral is usually a DC term.
Great point!
Lmfao. That's a resi guy term. Neutral is absolutely tossed around all the time in commercial. NEGATIVE is for DC.
Great Video! Enjoyed watching! Also examples of common 3 wire 240 volt devices will include air compressors, welders,plasma torches etc.
In the three pronged dryer and range plug, the wires are hot, hot and neutral; the neutral also serves as an appliance ground. In a four wire plug, the neutral and ground are separate.
Great Video and Greater Email explaining Everything i need to switch from 240 to 110 .Tx Sir
Makes sense. Thank you for sharing valuable knowledge and experience with us.
Good video! You had my attention with the electrical lesson, now I want to know more about the brewing
~3:15 no, you can use a second cable with a circuit and capacitor to store charge and then release it in tandem with the other wire to make 240v. but yes you need 2 plugs. very similat to converting AC to DC.
Wow... I learned more in 8:23 than in 40 years and multiple attempts to understand the concept.
3Sy2333e
Great explanation. Thank you for visualizing it.
Dude you just explained it perfectly you are a genius!
Very helpful video. Thanks!
This is very informative. Thank you
Great Explanation!!
240 volt is 2 120 volt lines out of phase by 180°. So both being out of phase or opposite of each other, with neutral in the center produce 240 volt. Not side by side!
You are the one who can explain why 240v doesn’t need neutral. Thank you!
what? where? That's the only thing I came to learn but he just says it doesn't need neutral because it has its own. Basically: "It just works, like magic!"
I presume the alternate phase allows the hots to trade as neutrals for each other but that may as well be magic as far as I can tell.
doesn’t need neutral LoL. check your breaker designs if you value your life and don’t like electrocution.
Excellent message!
Explained perfectly,thank you 😁
Sr you are a genius TANKS a lot GOD BLESS YOU for sharing your knowledge
This helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Excellent. Nicely described
The black wire and red wire are actually in phase with one another. There is only one 240v coil in the pole mounted transformer that is split into two 120v sections. If you use an oscilloscope, and measure voltage from neutral to the black wire you will get a positive sine wave, If you measure from the neutral to the red wire you will get a negative sine wave. But if you measure from red to black you will get a 240v sine wave that is in phase. In three phase transformer, the lines are 120 degrees out of phase, but not with single phase 240v....
Well explained. Thanks!
Great explanation. I have a circuit breaker that was 220v as it supplied power to a pool pump. The pool is now gone but I'd like to wire up a 115V outdoor outlet. Can I use just wire one leg of the 220v breaker (either red or black) plus neutral and ground?
Thank you, George...
Good video explanation. What will happen if I replace a 240v three phase 1/2hp servo motor (that provides power to my sewing machine via a drive pulley) with a 1/2hp 110v single phase motor? Can I damage any electrical panels that are wired in between the original motor and the sewing machine? Any chance I can do any damage to my wall outlet wiring?
This is wonderful!
Great video would have touched on the Transformer connected to main panel which has two hot bus bars which are connected to either end of secondary coil in the transformer and the neutral bar being connected to the center of secondary coil we get 120 from hot bus to neutral bar. but When we connect to two bus bars were connecting to full length of secondary coil thus 240 volts.
Excellent vid. Thanks
Perfectly said! 👏🏽
Great video. My welder has a 110v 220v 3 pronged cord. My generator has a L14 20p plug in. Can't seem to find an adapter so im using a L14 30p i got from lowes and wired it to the end of an adapter the welder came with that steps down to 3 pronged 110v regular home outlet plug. My question is should i just cut the end of the welder 3prong 220 and wire my L14 how you've explained b hot and w hot g to ground with neutral open. Or use the adapter to splice the L14 onto? Also my generator is a floating neutral. Will that affect anything?
Great video!
In my country the voltage between the phase and the neutral conductor is 230V +/- 10% and between any two phases it is 400V. Every other house has a three-phase connection.
This was an excellent explanation, well done. A lot of people ask me why we call it single phase instead of two phase. It is, in fact, two phased 120 volts in the strictest sense, however, as you demonstrated, when two voltages are phased 180 degrees out from each other, we call it a single phase because of the summation. If you're talking 3 phase, for instance 208 volts, that's still 120 volts per leg but the phases are 120 degrees out from each other so the result is 120 * sqrt(3) = 208 volts total between any 2 of 3 phases.
This is also why some residences have 208 volts instead of 220/240 because they are in a zone that has a 3 phase grid instead of step down transformers that split tap the single incoming phase. They just pull 2 of the 3 phases to the panel.
i love the explain. i used this a lot when putting in AC units....lol
ruclips.net/video/iX3kxAA2L4Q/видео.html
Very well said. I just learned much more about 208 than I knew before.
Thanks
George
This is priceless. Laughed hard and long. 220, 221 whatever it takes....
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing....the first thing i had to look at the panel box to see if their service could handle the new equipment. my helper and i would set up the home owner with that .. 220 221 whatever it takes...lol
I plan to use this line in a video soon. I just think it's the funniest thing ever for those who understand basic electricity.
Can't wait to lay that one out there and see who replies.
The best teacher !!!!
Thank you, George! I finished all of the "Beer Brewing" videos!! Thank you for getting our education up to par on this! Very helpful!
😅😅😮
i remember some words from one of my instructors during my apprenticeship. he said there are old electricians and bold electricians but there are no old bold electricians. I worked with 3 phase 480 volt systems most of my working life in manufacturing maintenance...always respect electricity
Thank you - I have a 5 KVA 230v Pure Sine Wave Inverter charge controller 230v x 1 “ I’m looking to wire this 2 leg at 115v safety the Amperage at 3 KW 76A is what I use every day normally, I’ve seen to wrap both the red & a black wire around the 1 hot wire coming out of the inverter to wire into a 100A double pole breaker that’s dedicated to this only in my breaker box and I have the Mose Automatic Transfer Switch and a test I saw it works with no feed back . Does this look correct ?
Excellent info
Thank you very much. I was very puzzled as to why red and black equals 240 with no neutral but because they are out of phase it makes sense.
Great data many thanks
Great teacher thanks
So can 240v inverter non split phase be broken into 2 120v waves for a panel. Or do I have to purchase a split phase or 2 120v inverters for the house. Im trying to understand before making a purchase in the near future.
Now THAT was well explained.
Residential wiring in North America is single phase, so there's no "opposite phase". The single phase alternates between opposite Lines (L1 and L2) or poles from each end of the transformer secondary windings. 240v is measured from one pole to the other, which is the top to the bottom on the sine wave you showed. If you measure side by side as shown at 2:57 you'll get 0v because it's the same point. The line in the center is 0v everything above is + and everything below is -. Measuring from the 0v center line to the peak point in either direction will be 120v RMS. The electrical panel has 2 power busses, L1 and L2 and will measure 240v from one to the other. When measuring from either one to the neutral or neutral/ground bus you get 120v.
It is just a way of looking at it. The hot lines are derived from a single phase input to the transformer, but they are 180° out of phase, as he stated. Whether coming from a 2-phase generator with two coils, or synthesized using a split-phase transformer, they are equivalent. It is pedantry to argue about what to call it.
Yeah, expect the OP here is spot on correct, unlike the video creator. I know enough to know everyone claiming this video creator is the best explainer on the Internet ever, doesn't know the difference btwn information, and correctly explaining a concept, like the OP did here. We use single phase in America 120/240. So to say things are "out of phase" is quite inaccurate and not well articulated when better words exist to explain fairly simple concepts... I kinda thought this video was highly inaccurate, and just dangerous enough to trick ppl into thinking they were "learning" anything of value. Ground/Neutral concepts are hardly a place to gloss over, or misinform.
Very informative video. Question is 10AWG 2wires (10/2) for 240 volts, how can I use 10/2 wire for 120 volt bulb?
Great stuff!!!
Thank you, I'm an apprentice and now I understand
I need a 120v outlet at my 240v well. Provided the amperage is acceptable can I tap an outlet? It's getting cold, and I want to run a small heater.
For a 240 volt load to a outside AC unit. My HVAC guy used a 10g 3 wire. White black and bare ground. Is this safe or should the ground have a green coating like your wire in the video ? Will that bare ground ever become energized? Or is it no different than the bare ground in a 120v system and a coating isn't needed ?
does the 4 wire neutral run 120V to other components in the appliance is that why u need it? or what is the purpose of the neutral wire?
Thank you for the video, what I don't get is 6:30 so you disconnect red 120 and connect white that's still 120V between white and black? if you connect white to red that is a boom! Recently see a plate from the AC unit that needs 208-230V in USA one phase so how you get that. I am not an electrician just want to understand.
Would this work if plugged into 2 separate 12v dc to 120v ac power inverters.
12v solar battery bank to 2 separate 120v power inverter, going into a Panel. 120v on each terminal. Neutral bar tied to ground in panel? Ground tied to copper rod going into earth.
I know the panel could provide 120v to single breakers, but could it handle a double pole breaker at 240? Assuming I had a large enough battery bank and power inverters size to handle the load.
The two 120v power inverter running of same battery bank.
Can I decrease a 3 wire 240 volt plug to a 110 by making one hot line neutral in the breaker box?
Thnx George!
Hi, I live in Australia, which is on a 240v system. I bought a light stand from the US, which has 110v printed on it. WIth a 210-240v plug adapter to plug it into a 240v power socket, can I run a 240v light globe in it or do I have to purchase a 240-110 step-down transformer and run a 110v light globe?
Great video even for someone like myself that is entirely electric illiterate. I found your video extremely educational/informational and if I understood it correctly, I can save a few dollars in wiring by using a 6/3 UF wire. Here is my issue... I want to run electricity from the main panel in my garage to an outdoor shed which sits about 100ft from the main box. My intent is to get a couple of outlets at 120V. One outlet for my electric lawnmower that has to remain plugged, and possibly two to four outlets for woodworking tools or any other electric tool need at 120V. Being proactive, I also want to have a dedicated 220V outlet in the event that in the future I decide to add a mini-split A/C unit, which to my understanding is substantially more energy efficient at 220V vs a 120V unit. Someone with a lot of experience as an electrician had mentioned to me that it can be done with the 6/3 wire, however, that individual is up in age and is no longer an active electrician. In speaking to the individual that is looking to land the project, he tells me that he cannot see how it could be done with a single 6/3 wire. Instead, he want to use two different wires, one for the 220V plug and the other for the regular 120V outlets. I would like to get your input as running one wire (6/3) can save me a few dollars in buying another wire per foot. If that is the case, that I can get both currents with a single 6/3 wire, I will also provide him your video so that he has a better understanding how this can be accomplished. Thanks again for this video and for your willingness to provide me a little clarification.
How much current do you need? 100 feet of #6 AWG copper is good for around 36 Amps. 6/3 is a cable, not a wire. It has 3 insulated current carrying wires (black, red, and white) plus a ground wire (green, green/yellow, or bare).
I have a 240 3 wire dryer, it stopped working so I thought the dryer went out, replaced the dryer and when the installers connected the 3 wire new dryer, they said the receptacle might be damaged.
What they didn't realize is that when they plugged it in, it was sending power through the frame of the dryer, and I didn't notice this until I got shocked when I was leaning on the dryer and then touched the metal doors in the laundry room.
The dryer itself was wired correctly, so I tested the connection with a voltmeter and saw 120v on the neutral, 120v on one of the legs, and about 50 volts on one of the legs when I used my multimeter on the dryer plug connection to the dryer itself.
So I replaced the 3 wire receptacle (2 8 AWG AL, 1 8 AWG BARE copper Ground) using antiox for the AL connections.
Turn on the power and I am getting 240 from both legs, but when testing each leg on the ground I am getting 72 volts on one side and 68 volts on the other. When I plugged into 3 wire dryer, it instantly energized the frame AGAIN, making it possible to get shocked.
How in the heck is power making its way to the frame of the dryer and why is my legs reading lower voltage, but running at 240 when I test both legs?
Some people referred to this as "ghost voltage" and they said that there may be a problem with my ground wire. (which the receptacle manufacterer refers it to a neutral on the receptacle itself.)
Is it a ground? Is it a neutral? Why did they use bare wire, just because it's ground? When I plug in the dryer it's also sending power directly into the ground. Is it supposed to be a ground? I checked the circuit breaker box and couldnt locate anything.
I am so confused.
If you have a 3 wire dryer (NEMA 10-30), there is no ground. Just L1, L2, and neutral. The case of the dryer is connected to neutral, which is why you have that "ghost voltage". This kind of setup has been obsolete for years for this reason. The modern way is to have a 4 wire cord and plug (NEMA 14-30) for the dryer, with L1, L2, neutral, and ground, that provides a separate ground path for the case. Also, the fact that you have that voltage on the neutral, and extremely low, unbalanced voltages from the lines to ground (should be 120V each side) means you have other faults in your electrical system that need attention.
@@dougbrowning82 I was recently able to find out why I was getting the ghost voltage, it turns out that after my new Pex installation, the ground/neutral lost continuity and I was able to fix it by bonding it to the copper pipe coming in before the Pex and it's been working fine. I was unable to see the bonding clamp on the pipe when I went to the new Pex system (which I had prefabricated.)
Strange how the frame was being energized due to no ground, but the phases canceled each other out, but probably somehow used the frame as a path to ground.
Both legs are showing 120v now, dryer running perfectly. The receptacle was in terrible condition and whoever installed it back in 1972 used no antiox at all, so I had to cut back some fresh conductor that wasn't oxidized and rebuilt that 10-30 Planning on upgrading to 10/3 or 8/3 4 prong 14-30.
Silly that they used the plumbing to ground the dryer.
Awesome - simply explained for me ( a simpleton )- when it comes to electricity😀
Would it be a good analogy to say that "Generally, the purpose of a neutral wire is to return excess voltage back to a source (electrical panel)" much the same way as the "gas return line" returns excess fuel in a car's fuel delivery system back to the fuel tank? (assumes the car is gasoline powered only)
Does it matter which hot wire is used to get the 120v?
Thank you. I don't feel so stupid anymore.
Morning George on 4.36min you said connecting the red and black together you getting 240v. but also you need the white neutral be connected to me I use the 2 wires just to check the 240 never connected together each one goes to different prong maybe i'm wrong in the draw it's correct
You are describing a center tap (or a splt phase system) transformer connection.
I have a 5 KVA Solar inverter that’s 230v x 1 phase 1 red wire that’s 115v + , 1 white wire 115v + and 1 ground wire “ can I use the two lines the red wire that’s 115v + and the. White wire that’s 115v + as all One Phase and the ground as the Ground only in emergency power back up my battery bank is lithium 48v 280Ah which is 15 batteries in case we lose electricity at night ?
Can you explain this to me for how they do it in south America
I've got 1 3 wire line coming into my light pole. 2 blacks, and a green. Then on top of the pole I have 3 3wire spot lights. I thought I had them wired correctly but all I'm getting is the lights buzzing. The wires are connected as this. The 3 lines coming down the pole from the light have all the whites twisted together ,the blacks twisted together, the green twisted together. Then the line coming up into the pole I have 2 blacks.1 is connected to the 3 blacks from above, the other black connected to the whites, then Green to greens. And the greens go to a ground lug in the pole
Very interesting.
Hypothetically, if the buzzer or the clock (the 120v draw) would trip a 120v breaker, then what would happen if it’s wired to the two pole 240v breaker?
@6:43 3 prong dryer plug is not hot, hot, ground. It is hot, hot, neutral, it's an old style plug before grounds were required. The neutral is bonded to the case of the dryer to act as a ground
Please review Charles Staton, referring to the line voltage not being 180 deg out of phase as this would cancel out the line voltage to zero volts. There actually is 240volts between the two hot line wires, they are not two wires with 120VAC in each. The transformer at the pole is center tapped which takes voltage from half the winding to give 120 volts. Charles goes in to great detail to prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am not trying to make anyone upset or have a huge debate over this, though I am concerned that believing the phase is 180 deg out has been passed down for so long (myself included) that it is just taken as the truth. How can you have two phases on a single phase? You can't, you have a phase from 240 volts AC and the center tap or split phase reading half the voltage at 120VAC but it is from the same phase. He explains why many believe they are out of phase and proves why they are not! It would be easy to just ignore what I have just typed but living in ignorance of the truth is no excuse. Watch his video and decide for yourself. Here is his youtube link that shows how and why. ruclips.net/video/uRKbX74lBgU/видео.html
@@koisolare Knowledge is a wonderful thing. Try this link. It should clear things up. ruclips.net/video/nOSYHUxHxG8/видео.html
I have two 115v power inverters. I want to wire a 240v coming off them but I don’t want to fry my inverters. Is there something I can do to make 240 safely?
thank you. I'm trying to convert a 3 wire to a 240v submersible deep well pump, Still not sure it will work in this case. I don't want to bury a new wire. Too much stuff buried out there now. However the 240 well pumps have the controller outside the well verses a 110v submersible pump controller inside the pump in side the well.
what about the source of the electricity? the house is only 120v and the electric stove is 240v, i would have only 25% of the heat? do i need a step up transformer? how many watts the transformer should be? thank you
Like to join two 220 volt sources to one, need to know that legs are the same. How to test?
i'm building a small heated paint storage room in an unheated garage. Think of a space 4x8 x 9' tall with some shelves, and a door, insulated walls. I want to install a heater. Oil Filled electric space heaters run at 120 volts, consume up to 1500 watts, and put off a set amount of BTU's. There are also 4 foot electric base board heaters, that lack the thermal mass of the oil filled electric radiator style that come in 120 and 240 volts. I found your video as I searched for information on "higher voltages, consume lower amps, and are cheaper to run." But with electric heat, I got the impression that a watt of energy in, regardless of whether its 1 leg at 120 or 2 leg at 240, will produce the same BTU's. And instead of drawing 15 amps on one leg, I'd just be drawing 7.5 amps on two legs, and thus wind up with the same bill from the electric company at the end of the month, and I have to give up the thermal mass of the oil filled radiator if I go to 240.
BUT, i have the sense i'm missing something. Can you go more into depth on how this works with AC voltage, and amperage, and how that relates to creating BTU's with electric heat, and the Kilowatt Hour Draw and expense? I love the geeky math stuff. Thanks!!
Yes, your electric consumption is based on the energy. If the power (volts times amps) is the same, the energy over equal time is the same. You don’t save money with lower amperage at higher voltage when the product is the same. Losses in the wiring might be greater at higher amperage, however.
Lower amps can be safer. Higher current will produce more heat in the wire. Running a 120V heater at the maximum can produce excessive heat in the wiring. I have a four foot portable heater and I noticed the plug had become scorched from heat. I never run it on the high setting anymore. It would be better to have a 240V heater using the same gauge wiring to avoid overheating the wiring.
By the way, my portable baseboard heater is fluid-filled, so there is some thermal mass.
Just had a lightbulb moment lol👍
The current meaning electrons residing in the neutral zone! The white wire in 240 or neutral also is a path or common zone used as an over current protection area or device without really tripping a circuit breaker!
Thank you
At 7:50 you say the two hot wires will be out of phase. What determines whether hot wires are out of phase?
Some people get confused with the colors, 3 wires can be used if the device only uses 240, so just 2 hots and a ground neutral is for relays and 120 applications.
Thanks for the great explanation.
But hope you and your viewers understand that all your explanation is only limited to North America.
Europe and Africa have a completely different system (240v) which will need a step down for you to run any of your North american appliances.
I have several Pool Motors for an Outside pool designed to be wired for 120V or 240V. Since these motors actually run for hours at a time (8+).. is there an advantage wiring for one as opposed to the other.
Does One voltage put more wear and tear or use more electricity (Higher $$ Bill) than the other? I have never seen an answer to this. Currently.. all the Motors are wired for 110V.
Thanks to anyone for a response.
HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO UP GRADE 30 AMP BREAKER FROM A 20 AMP SO I CAN RUN MORE COMPUTERS
I am wiring my generator 4 wire 220 volt 30 amp to a 120 volt 30 amp connector. To run a 220 volt 30 amp heater. I plan to use only 3 wire 10 guage to the generator. I see no reason that there would be a problem using the 120 volt outlet, even though it is only rated for 120 volt 30 amps. Am I wrong?