230V Ceiling Mounted Retractable Electrical Cord

[Pete]

I have several 110V Ceiling Mounted Retractable Electrical Cords. Do they make a 230V model?

[Wilson]

Have you considered changing the plugs/receptacles?

[Upscale]

Is the wiring normally used for 120v sufficient for 240v use?

[LRod]

It's all about insulation and current capacity. I'm not sure about all cases, but I think the normal voltage rating for any wire used in house wiring (I can't say if that's true for extension cords, appliance cords, tool cords) is around 600V, so that shouldn't be an issue. The current draw for a tool on 240V is half that of a tool on

120V (assuming same power of motor), so that's not an issue.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Greg]

"Junior" hard service cord (the "J" in SJT) means 300v. That is still OK for

240. The better cords like SO are 600v.

[Stephen M]

The short answer is Yes. 240v in a cable is supplied by 2 wires (plus a ground). Each "hot" wire carries 120v. By switching ends, you are making the neutral (white) wire function as the other hot (red) wire. 240v motors do not require a neutral.

Just as with a 120v extension cord, the current draw of the tool, and length of the cord determines how heavy a cord (wire guage) is required.

-Steve

[LRod]

I wasn't sure, which is why I hedged my statement.

Thanks.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Scott Lurndal]

It depends.

scott

[RB]

It is all about insulation. Current is a "non-issue".

I suspect that in good shape if you just change the connectors. It's hard today to make insulation that is ok with 120 volts and not ok with

240 volts.

RB

LRod wrote:

[Phillip Hallam-Baker]

The problem is that almost any US tool you run off 240V is a heavy user of current.

In the UK we have really dinky 240V cords. We can do that because every UK plug has a fuse in it. US plugs do not have individual fuses, not even the 240V type.

Even though each 'hot' wire is 120v the difference between them is 240v, actually it is more than that because 240V is the RMS value, the peak higher.

I doubt there would be a problem running a 240V lightbulb of a repurposed

120V extension. But a Unisaw drawing 20amps on power up is a completely different matter.

At a minimum check the current rating for the cable. But a better plan would probably be to buy a purpose designed 240v cable from europe.

[Tom Kohlman]

No need to go to Europe for anything (especially the UK where the plug-end for even a table lamp is the size of the US dryer plug...severe over-kill, all due to that obsession with fire because of something that happened about

400 years ago and as I understand it was a blessing in disguise because it killed all the rats that carried the black plague).

I think you can trust the voltage ratings for extension cords that are noted in the instruction manual for any US machine. If Delta/Jet/anybody else say

14 or 12ga wire is sufficient, then believe them.

[Scott Lurndal]

[snip]

Well, wire is wire, and it would be difficult to find cables in europe with NEMA plugs/receptacles.

Given the length and gauge of the wire, it is pretty simple to determine both the ampacity of the wire as well as any voltage drop.

Figuring a 3HP tablesaw at about 17A @ 230V and a 100' retractable extension cord, you're looking at a AWG 10 requirement for the cord and any circuit feeding it.

scott