June 9th meeting: 240V when you can...

[Kinetic]

I remember Dan mentioning at the meeting that if you have the opportunity, use 240V instead of 120V, since it runs A LOT cooler, ballast last longer, and bulb lasts longer.

My Electric Range stove runs on 240V I just found out, and it was on the same breaker as my tank old tank and will be for my new tank (which should be ok... I hope, we'll see).

What is the possibility of somehow also using that 240V for my tank lighting and perhaps some other stuff?

I want to run things off of my AC III controller with DC8's, will I need special DC8's for this as well?

Any experience out there with possibly doing this?

Thanks =)

 

[sfsuphysics]

You can pull 240 from your box no problem, just as what was mentioned you have a hot on one side w/120v, and a hot on the other side with another 120v (btw I am purposefully being very vague about this), and you can get 240 from that, this exactly how electric stoves, water heaters, hot tubs, and I think A/Cs also do 240.. but I don't know nothing about that new fangled conditioned air stuff

However that being said, you can't use your old equipment on 240, you'd need to get all new equipment. Thought if your ballast does go poof it's something to think about, but IMO worth more than it'll save. I often wondered what sort of torture test Dan puts his stuff through, the way he was talking about electronic ballasts is that they'd fry out within a year.

 

[Kinetic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10128009#post10128009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sfsuphysics
You can pull 240 from your box no problem, just as what was mentioned you have a hot on one side w/120v, and a hot on the other side with another 120v (btw I am purposefully being very vague about this), and you can get 240 from that, this exactly how electric stoves, water heaters, hot tubs, and I think A/Cs also do 240.. but I don't know nothing about that new fangled conditioned air stuff

However that being said, you can't use your old equipment on 240, you'd need to get all new equipment. Thought if your ballast does go poof it's something to think about, but IMO worth more than it'll save. I often wondered what sort of torture test Dan puts his stuff through, the way he was talking about electronic ballasts is that they'd fry out within a year.

I'm lucky to not have so much equipment yet, I wouldn't mind getting a 240 volt lighting setup and selling the maristar I was planning on using. Perhaps I can get a dedicated DC4 or DC8 specially for 240v stuff that I can find and use.

 

[Vincerama2]

Honestly, I don't think it's worth it. 240V is great for woodworking tools with their big motors and for appliances (and their big motors), but I don't think it's worth the trouble really. Of course, I didn't go to the lighting meeting, so there must be something I don't know.

The way breaker panels work is that every other breaker slot is on alternating (ha ha!) "hot" lines. 240V breakers span TWO breaker slots. Pick up "Wiring Simplified" from Home Depot and give it a read. (for general electrical knowledge).



V

 

[jkreefer]

if you go 240v and plan on using a controller(Neptune ect.)you will have to do some electrical work with relays because the dc4,dc8 are 120v powerstrips, which isnt that hard but you have to know what your doing.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Yeah if you're going to make a move towards 220/240 with your lights, stick with your lights, you'll go through so many headaches trying to get 220v pumps and fixing your controller, and heaters, etc, and IMO there will be zero real benefit.

 

[brianbigoats]

220 would be great for a chiller if you could find a 220 chiller

 

[jkreefer]

I agree, chillers are probably our biggest draw