Fwd: Dangerous way of getting 220V from 110V outlets

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>It's even patented. > >There's a serious shock hazard here. If you have a load plugged in >its 220V socket and turned on, and you pull out of the wall one of >the extension cords, you will have a male power plug with a hot prong >waiting to shock you. Right next to the ground prong of that plug. (snip)

For those who do spark-stuff, this was kicking around the antique radio ng.

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Reply to
jim rozen
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I did a simple version in about 1960 so a friend could use his 220v compressor in a house that didn't have any 220V outlets.

It's amazing you can patent such an obvious simple idea that has probably been used thousands of times in the past.

Dick

Reply to
D.B.

Reply to
Eric R Snow

Not necessarily. There is an interlock built into it. They say " [its] safety interlock blocks all power to the 220 volt outlet until electrical connections are complete and correct." Probably is a relay since it consumes 4w.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Engelhardt

Reply to
D.B.

They're asking over $100 for this piece of crap that anyone can build for five bucks, an outlet receptacle in a box with the black wires of two cords connected to the "hots", one ground connected and a 240v pilot light across the "hots" Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

Reply to
Gerald Miller

It's even patented.

No patent was found under the current manufacturer.

Reply to
Peter H.

On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 03:48:46 GMT, Gerald Miller brought forth from the murky depths:

No, they're asking $130 or $210 for that same crap.

Also, in older homes (60's on back), all the outlets are on one leg and all the lights on another. That box will never work with any home using that style of electrical scheme. In newer homes, the balancing is better, but most rooms have only one leg connected to the outlets. You'd have to string extension cords (hence their modus operandi) to other rooms every time. Not too cool.

My bogus gadget meter is pegged on BOGUS!

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

IF the home is wired according to code, there Will be split circuit receptacles, particularly at the kitchen counter. By CODE, these are ballanced - one on one side, one on the other. IN THIS SITUATION they are safe. Particularly if the fuses are in pullout blocks, or linked breakers are used. Still overpriced, and I can't believe a patent would be issued. I did it years ago.

Reply to
clare

Sure it's bogus BS but Wow! You gotta love the way they packaged this product. (two male plugs wired to one female plug with a 4 watt bulb wired across the hot lines in a box) They must have apprenticed under a Snake Oil seller! "All for a pittance".

It's kinda neat how they cover their ass by saying:

" 3. The "220 VOLT" lamp on the front panel lights immediately when you have 220 volts. If it does not light, remove one of the power cords from the wall outlet, and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp lights."

*and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp lights* *and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp lights*

Not the seller's fault if an individual does not have a 220V service and

*can't find* a second circuit that will deliver the 220 to the lamp and plugin, to make it work. (^:

Bill D

Reply to
Bill

: Larry Jaques wrote:

: > On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 03:48:46 GMT, Gerald Miller : > brought forth from the murky depths: : >

: > >On 24 Oct 2003 11:10:25 -0700, jim rozen : > >wrote: : > >

: > >>In article , Robert Casey says... : > >>>

: > >>>

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>

: > >They're asking over $100 for this piece of crap that anyone can build : > >for five bucks, an outlet receptacle in a box with the black wires of : > >two cords connected to the "hots", one ground connected and a 240v : > >pilot light across the "hots" : >

: > No, they're asking $130 or $210 for that same crap. : >

: > Also, in older homes (60's on back), all the outlets are on one leg : > and all the lights on another. That box will never work with any home : > using that style of electrical scheme. In newer homes, the balancing : > is better, but most rooms have only one leg connected to the outlets. : > You'd have to string extension cords (hence their modus operandi) to : > other rooms every time. Not too cool. : >

: > My bogus gadget meter is pegged on BOGUS!

: Sure it's bogus BS but Wow! You gotta love the way they packaged this : product. (two male plugs wired to one female plug with a 4 watt bulb wired : across the hot lines in a box) They must have apprenticed under a Snake : Oil seller! "All for a pittance".

: It's kinda neat how they cover their ass by saying:

: " 3. The "220 VOLT" lamp on the front panel lights immediately when you : have 220 volts. If it does not light, remove one of the power cords from : the wall outlet, and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp : lights."

: *and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp lights* : *and plug it into different outlets until it the lamp lights*

: Not the seller's fault if an individual does not have a 220V service and : *can't find* a second circuit that will deliver the 220 to the lamp and : plugin, to make it work. (^:

: Bill D

-- Howard Eisenhauer on ************************************** * * Chebucto Community Network * Can't think of anything cute * Halifax Nova Scotia * to put in here * * * snipped-for-privacy@chebucto.ns.ca **************************************

Reply to
Howard Eisenhauer

Splits only came into use in the mid '60s, but I never saw a house wired with receptacles on one leg and lights on the other. When I rewired my house in '78, I ended up with thirteen fuses feeding the kitchen. I haven't done this house fully yet, but it only had two circuits for each level. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

The first house my dad owned, purchased in 1957, had 2 fuses.All lights (5 or 6 drop cords) on one side, all receptacles (I think 3 0r

4) on the other side. All knob and tube wiring. 30 amp service? Anyway, Dad being an electrician, that was the first thing to be changed.
Reply to
clare

When we got hydro in '48, there were a couple of "Electricians" who would wire the whole house for IIRC $200. The "Inspector" would let them away with a two fuse 30A disconnect 'service panel' fed by two #10 wires in 3/4 conduit. I don't recall how they handled the meter, which at that time, went between the main disconnect and the fuse panel. The stuff hit the fan a couple years down the road when people started getting used to having electricity and bought a few appliances, such as electric stoves. My Dad was considered an idiot for putting in such a heavy duty service ( 75A., 220V. ) Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

I agree, its bull. My electronics shop teacher told us about 220 circuit crossover effects in 1975. Rocket science it ain't. But come to think of it, patent examiners are not exactly rocket scientists themselves :)

Reply to
Scott Moore

The 220 breakers are dual, and break the entire circuit. But you have to assume by the site that the box attempts to prevent that.

Bottom line is this unit is for people afraid to open their circuit box and do the job right.

Reply to
Scott Moore

I don't know. For instance, I am in the process of wiring my shop, and its very tempting to say you will only use one phase in there. After all, you could get across two plugs.

However, that would also defeat the idea of ballancing the load there, and make it that much more likely that you will trip a breaker while operating that nice arc welder.

Reply to
Scott Moore

That's an interesting comment Scott. I have oh so often heard people speak of balancing the load. What are the concerns about this balanced load issue?

Bill D

Reply to
Bill

balancing the load. What are the concerns about this balanced load issue?

If the load is balanced, there's zero net current in the neutral leg. That almost never happens in practice, of course, so the neutral leg has to be sized to handle some net current. In a completely unbalanced case, it has to be as large as either of the hot legs. Balancing the load doesn't actually reduce the required size of the neutral because the Code requires it to be sized for the fully unbalanced case.

Of course if the load is completely unbalanced, then you're only using half of the main breaker. If you balance the load, you get to use both sides of the main, and can draw up to twice as much total 110 volt current as you could if it were totally unbalanced.

Note that every other breaker in a row in a normal entrance box is on the opposite leg. So just filling the rows with equal size

110 breakers automatically balances the box. Of course any 220 breaker is automatically balanced since it connects to both hot legs.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Coffman

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