220 to 110?

Can I use my 220 volt outlet ( air conditioner use ) to a 110 usage with an adapter of some sort? Seems a waste for its only use is for the AC which is used sparingly, usually during extreme heat waves.

Reply to
Anthony
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Probably not (Code-legal, anyway).

If it's of any age, it probably only has the two "hots" and a ground and it's unallowed to use the ground as a neutral return.

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Reply to
dpb

Sure, but you'll either need to convert it to 120 volt at the panel, and replace the receptacle, or use a step down transformer, which is just impractical

Reply to
RBM

On Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:30:40 -0800 (PST), Anthony wrote Re 220 to 110?:

If the 220v outlet has a neutral and a ground (with the two hots), I've heard of people using a 220v appliance cord with two 110v outlets at the end. Each 110v outlet is connected to one of the hots and the neutral with the ground serving both the 120 outlets.

I don't know if it's code legal or not.

Reply to
Caesar Romano

Impossible to say without knowing a bit more. Does it have a white neutral in the box? If so it is POSSIBLE - and possibly even in a code compliant manner. IF it has a neutral, you can, I believe, plug a 220 volt plug into it with 2 20 amp receptacles connected in an approved box. (assuming it is 220 20 amp).

No neutral? No dice.

Reply to
clare

Campers often come with a 240VAC plug. In a campground were 240VAC isn't available, they use a 3 prong plug in adapter that only uses one side of the 240 and plug it into a 120VAC outlet. Hmmm, or is it the other way around? Anyway, I doubt if it's legal inside a building.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

I don't think you can buy anything. You might be able to make a patch cord but if you need to ask how to do that then you should not. Not going to meet code anyway.

Reply to
Colbyt

Yes, if you use one of these:

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Reply to
Red

Campers don't come 220, as a rule. They come 20 amp. If a 20 is not available there is an adapter to plug it into a 15 amp outlet. There are also adapters to plug a 15 amp camper into a 20 amp outlet. I have both, which allows me to use my heavy 20 amp extention cord on a 15 amp circuit, and plug in 15 amp devices.

Reply to
clare

The circuit could be rewired for 120 using existing wires. One of the hot wires would be disconnected at each end and the used hot wire connected to an appropriately sized 120 breaker.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

Sure, you just need a transformer.

Americans whose employer sends them to Europe, for example military families, take their own electrical appliances and run them on European 220 by plugging in a 220 to 110 transformer. Any military thrift shop will have a shelf of them.

Clocks don't work because they rely on 60 Hz, but pretty much everything else does.

Reply to
TimR

Oh well, I guess it's been too long since I had a camper.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

I got a doer I bought at a camping store. One end has a plug for 220 and the other end has a double duplex outlet. The one I bought at the camp store was like a short extension cord about a foot long. I took it apart to see how it was made(already had a pretty good idea that it was a shared neutral circuit) and rebuilt it with a 50ft camper extension cable. We use it for power 120 distribution when tent camping, usually have about 4 or 5 tents set up. I suspect you could use the same type thing to make an adapter as long as you have a good neutral in the circuit.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

A "typical" 220 volt AC outlet is 2 wires plus ground. No adaptor can make that useful and safe for 120 volt appliances. (Other posters have made this point.)

The halls of a high rise condo I own have 120/208 outlets (they use the same connectors as 120/240). But most of the equipment used by the cleaning staff is just 120 volt stuff. They use a made up adaptor that safely "taps" one side of the circuit. The "next time" you install an A/C outlet you might consider running a 3 wire + ground cable.

If you are handy, you might consider seasonally re-wiring the outlet. During the cooling season, put in the 240 volt (2 wire + ground) and at the break box connect it to a two pole breaker.

The rest of the year, change the break box wiring so that one wire is connected to neutral and the other is still connected to one pole of your two pole breaker (IOW: don't get another breaker.) You change out the 240 volt outlet for a 120 volt outlet.

It's almost certain that the cable contains one black, one white, and one green/bare conductor. When wired for 240 volts, the white becomes hot. When wired for 120 volt use, the while becomes neutral. You might was to splice on flexible "pigtails" to make the seasonal transition easier on the solid wires. (I don't know if they are still available, but I have some flexible pigtails that have a lug on the wire end and the other end is a wirenut. They come in white, green, and black.)

Reply to
John Gilmer

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