Distance Allowable on Electric Run Question

[Defective]

How about running 240V on that same wire & a 2:1 transformer at the gate? Cut the current (& therefore the line loss) in half. This would give you a total of 16 amps available at 114V with 4.95% loss on a 10 ga. wire.

 

[DieselPower]

Where would he get a single phase of 240 volts? Unless he has 3 phase at his place all he has is two 120 volt leg's in his breaker pannel. Normal house hook up's for 240 volts are two leg's of 120 volts which is more or less 2 phase. If he has 3 phase he would have one leg with a higher voltage but most people don't have 3 phase.

 

[Inspector507]

Where would he get a single phase of 240 volts? Unless he has 3 phase at his place all he has is two 120 volt leg's in his breaker pannel. Normal house hook up's for 240 volts are two leg's of 120 volts which is more or less 2 phase. If he has 3 phase he would have one leg with a higher voltage but most people don't have 3 phase.

I can get single phase 240V out of my panel all day long. Never heard of a residential 2 phase service.

 

[tommu56]

Two Phase is a old industrial power that had 4 wires.
I it was used primarilly in boston, chiacago and philly mostly before 3 phase was out there

Homes have a 220v center tapped ground system 110v from each leg to ground / neutral.

tommu56

 

[Defective]

Yup...

Just run the two hots from the panel (properly breakered of course).

<teaching mode>
Fun fact for the day: Power transmission lines run much higher voltage than needed at the destination. This is why you see those big grey cans on the poles. These are transformers to get 220 volts when they branch off to houses & such. Ohm's law says that current and voltage are inversely proportional.
</teaching mode>

Can you imagine the size of the wires needed to provide sufficient current for a whole neighbourhood if the lines were carrying 220 volts?

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have two projects for this spring... Hoped to do them myself... But I wanted to make sure I have everything calculated...

I would like to put up an electric gate on our property. that would place it about 700' from the main house. Can 10 Guage hooked to 110 deliver close to that at 15 Amps. I think the gate is rated at 2 amp draw.

Second, the wife want a green house. There is a 220 line running out to an old well head. I was thinking of tying into that and splitting it to give her two 15Amp 110V legs out there. It is around 200' from the house. The line is newer (past few years, yellow jacket, so I think 10 guage).

I checked a couple of websites and it looks like my drop would be only a few volts. Not sure that anything we are using would be affected.

But, for whatever reason, I seem to remember someone telling me you cannot exceed 100' run.

Love some comments on this before I tell the wife it is a go on the projects.

Carl

Both should work ok. 15A for a gate is excessive so I assume that is to allow startup surge without flipping the breaker. Voltage to the motor will be a little low, but assuming it starts ok, it will not suffer from the intermitent nature of the usage. The greenhouse is a short enuf run to be quite forgiving in the amt of V sag. All low drains would be fine - lights, fans, motors up to 1/2 horse. - -A microwave ~ probably. Resistance heaters are continuous high drain, but they arent very particular of their power. You just wouldnt get their full rating due wire losses - still useable. In general, Id just be vigilent as to the nature of the power demand on the circuit and its approx balance across the two 110V legs.
Larry

 

[LarryD]

Second, the wife want a green house. There is a 220 line running out to an old well head. I was thinking of tying into that and splitting it to give her two 15Amp 110V legs out there. It is around 200' from the house. The line is newer (past few years, yellow jacket, so I think 10 guage).

Is that cable buired out to the old well head? I haven't seen UF cable with a yellow jacket but I haven't seen everything.

My neighbor had an issue with an outdoor light that was plugged into a GFCI outlet. The outlet kept tripping. When we looked at the wire, it was indoor Romex direct buried and I think the jacket was letting moisture in, just my opinion. After we changed the cable to UF, no more problems. If you're gonna put outlets in a green house, they should be GFCI. Now if the supply side has an issue I don't know how the GFCI will react...I'll have to think on that one.