Ordered the Jet DC1200 Dust collector before I realized it was 230 volt only (should have ordered the DC1100). Amazon.com wants big shipping $$$ to take it back. Any ideas? Is it easy to add 230v to a 110v garage? I heard of a 220 line but am not sure if a stated 230v machine is the same thing.
When people talk about 220 or 230, they're talking about the same thing.
A standard residential feed has two hot legs and a neutral. If you like, you can think of the two hot phases as being +110 and -110 (not strictly correct, but close enough and it helps illustate the point). If you put a voltmeter between either phase and neutral, you'll see anywhere from about 110 to 125 volts. It's nominally about 117V, but commonly called "110". From one hot phase to the other is twice that, or nominally about 230. Since this is "double 110", many people call it "220", even though 230 is really closer to the truth.
In a commercial building, power will almost always be delivered as a three phase circuit. The theory behind it won't really make a lot of sense unless you've taken some college level engineering math courses, but the way it works is it's 120V between the neutral to any of the three phases, and 208V between any two phases. 208 is close enough to
220 that most machines that are designed to run on 220 will run fine on
208 (sometimes there's a tap you can change in the machine to pick between the two). The only time you're likely to see 208 in a residential situation is in a large apartment building, where they've run 3 phase into the building and each apartment is randomly fed two of the phases. I lived in a building like that once.
The actual voltage is 240v; with a 5% variance allowed. God only know why people improperly refer to 230 and 220.
If you have room in your panel (needs two spaces, usually full size rather than half size) it is no harder to add a 240v circuit than a 120v circuit. Odds you you need a new circuit to run the collector on anyhow. But of course, if you have to ask this question, it is probably nothing you want to do yourself.
Have you got enough power in your garage anyway at 110? Many garages have a single 110v 20 amp circuit. You may be pushing or exceeding the limit when you add the dust collector. I'd get an estimate to run 220 to the garage.
One of my next additions is a dust collector and I plan to run 220 when I do.
Years ago the standard voltage was 110/220. During peak demands consumer draw was dropping the delivered voltage, causing problems. The standard voltage was raised to 117/234 (230) volts, and later to 120/240 to help avoid the low voltage condition. Hence the different terminologies.
"Once upon a time", the *standard* for the 'nominal line voltage' _was_
110/220VAC. We're talking World War II time-frame here. By the mid-/late-
1950's, the "official specification" had climbed to 115/230V. By the mid
60's, they had revised the spec again, to 117/235V. And, in the 70's, the standard was revised _yet_again_, to 120/240V.
I've got equipment, of various ages obviously, that provides examples of _each_ of those voltage 'standards', on the manufacuter's plate.
As a practical matter, whether people call it "110", "115", "117", or "120", they mean "standard single-phase residential voltage", which is, _today_,
120VAC. And, whether they call it "220", "230", "235"(rare!!), or "240", they mean "standard two phases voltage", which is 'nominally' 240VAC, today.
*unless* it's coming off a 3-phase feed, in which case it's 208VAC phase-to- phase.
Add to that, a disclaimer. "In one type of 3 phase, it's 208"
Ugggg
By the way, you will find that 230 motors run on 208, will possibly have a shortened life, draw far more amps under heavy loads, and could need a different set of thermals (in their starter) installed to protect everything. You will have a less capable motor, no matter what.
All in all, you should attempt to get 208 motors, if you are on 208.
Depends if the garage is attached or not. A detached garage will likely require underground conduit. If you decide to run 220 to the garage, (I use 220 cause it is easier to say ;-) ), then consider running a 40A or 60A line to a sub-box in the garage. The sub box is just a smaller version of your main panel, and multiple branch circuits can be run from it. I have 60A to my garage and it is nice having each machine on its own circuit. A garage with 220 definitely adds value to a house.
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