If you could have 220V for your tank, would you?

[Delphinus]

Building my tank room, just wondering if I should string up a 220VAC circuit. The only things I have currently that could run on 220V instead of 120V is the halide ballasts (multi-tap). About the only advantage I could see is that the amperage draw is half since the voltage is double, but what is the real advantage to doing so? It's not like the energy consumption is reduced, I think it's just a loading issue. Plus I imagine that a 220V circuit takes up at least 2 slots in the breaker panel, so I'm sort of wondering if it's even worth it.

In a perfect world, would you want to have 220V available for your tank?

[mark]

120 vs 240volt, at the end of the day a watt is a watt and that's how you pay for electricity.

You would still end up needing 120v, haven't looked but thinking probably a lot easier to find heaters, pumps for reactor etc in 120v.

Can see running a 240v sub-panel then tapping off either side.

[michika]

I am electrically naive, so I am being responsible and not voting. However, QUICK! Someone nap a screen shot! Tony is working on his tank!

Nice to hear of some progress on your monster tank.

[michika]

Kevin says;

Its only beneficial to a tank if you buy 220v ballasts. That is the only thing in your system that will run on that voltage. Unless you buy european pumps.

[dsaundry]

It would be useful for some of the european equipment...

[Delphinus]

The ballasts I have, at least some of them, are multitap - I could run them on 220, 360 or 480 (or whatever the other voltages are).

But a watt is a watt. I still really don't know if there's a benefit to running one voltage over another.

Moot point anyhow now, looking at Home Depot though my jaw hit the floor when I saw the cost of copper. My plans to string 8 or 10 guage and use 20-amp breakers quickly dissipated. 14 guage and 15A will have to do, and this was already a dismaying cost for 200' of wire. Crazy.

Anyhow, so I more or less decided against running the 220V circuit on the spot then.

PS. Yeah, call the presses, I've been working on the tank project! I'll try updating the build thread soon.

[banditpowdercoat]

For my next tank, Im running split 120/240. So I'll have 2 circuits of 120, and a 240 source if I want to get some European stuff Dont cost no more, and splits the load up.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

For my next tank, Im running split 120/240. So I'll have 2 circuits of 120, and a 240 source if I want to get some European stuff Dont cost no more, and splits the load up.

how are you going to compensate for the change in cycles?

yes I agree, use individual plug GFI on each outlet so you only lose the circut that has the problem, if you have two of anything (pumps, lights, heaters ect) make sure they are on different circuts, this way if you lose one of your pumps the other will keep going.

Steve

[banditpowdercoat]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

how are you going to compensate for the change in cycles?

yes I agree, use individual plug GFI on each outlet so you only lose the circut that has the problem, if you have two of anything (pumps, lights, heaters ect) make sure they are on different circuts, this way if you lose one of your pumps the other will keep going.

Steve

What change in cycles??? 120/240 IS 110/220 It's the same. I have just allways called it 120/240 throughout my electrical carrier. But, if you were to measure voltage at alot of different peoples houses, you would find that it ranges between 110/220 and 120/240. There is no one SET voltage. It fluctuates

Think of the household power as 2 1.2v AA batteries put together end to end. Now take a wire from each end, the + and the - of the other one., and also one from between the middle of the two batteries.
Now, from one ouside wire to the center, it's 1.2v, across 1 of the batteries. Same for the other wire to the middle. Now from outside to outside wire, thats 2.4V. Both batteries added together. Thats like how your house 120/240(110/220) power system is. The Neutral wire is the center wire between the batteries. Between 1 wire and neutral =110, the other wire and neutral, 110 as well, but a different power supply basically. Between both wires, the power supplies add together and theres your 220.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

What change in cycles??? 120/240 IS 110/220 It's the same. I have just allways called it 120/240 throughout my electrical carrier. But, if you were to measure voltage at alot of different peoples houses, you would find that it ranges between 110/220 and 120/240. There is no one SET voltage. It fluctuates

He may be referring to the frequency, not voltage. Frequency in most countries using 220V such as Europe is 50 Hz vs. the 60 Hz we use for 110V in North America. Either way, it's not a big issue with most of the equipment we use for our tanks. There is some frequency sensitive equipment out there, mostly the more sensitive electronic components. Items such as pumps will actually run a little faster with 60 Hz as opposed to 50 Hz, but they'll run... They may even run a little cooler since at 60 Hz the sine wave is 'faster' and the dwell time at peak voltage is less. Downside is you may lose a little torque. Some electronic ballasts may not deal well with the change in frequency depending on circuitry design. I'd venture to say even some MH magnetic ballasts designed for 50 Hz may not drive your bulbs optimally since they work on the transformer/capacitor principle, which is frequency sensitive. The chararcteristics of such a circuit changes with frequency.