Stupid question

Normal "home" current is 240V single-phase: 2 120V circuits in parallel.

To get anything else co$t$.

Thank you Sir....

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

i would figure they (the 2 120VAC legs) would have to be 180° so they could add up to 240 whence combined

The term phase is sometimes questioned but it is accurate for describing what is happening as long as we remember that the supply is indeed a single-phase supply that is provided by a center-tapped transformer. Each end of the transformer measures 120Vrms with respect to the center-tap (neutral) and since one end is positive when the other is negative the voltages add to give 240Vrms across the ends (hots). The voltages are out of phase with respect to the neutral. Billh

Putting it simply and I'll bust out the Fluke 93 when I get to the shop- if I tap both hots will my sine wave show a 180deg deviation on 60hz trace or would they be superimposed? Ch-a vs. Ch-b same center common obv. Gee, 36VDC blower starters seem much easier now, I can teach a monkey to fire up one of my engines but this makes me want to go back to school. I feel like a dork for not knowing this.

Thanks, Rob

The legs are 180 degrees out of phase, else your dryer and your stove would see 0V between "hot" and "the other hot" instead of the 240V that they want to see. Half of the 120V plugs are connected to one leg, the other half are connected to the other in a vain hope that they'll balance out. The "neutral" wire is the current return, it's grounded at the pole but the safety ground is (well, should be) run to a seperate ground at the meter or breaker box.

At the pole At your house

---------. ,------------------------------------------- hot )|( )|(--o---------------------------------------- neutral )|( | ---------' '--|---------------------------------------- the other hot | | .--- ground === | GND === GND created by Andy´s ASCII-Circuit v1.24.140803 Beta

They are in phase (that's why they call it single phase) so the voltages add up to 240. If you add +120 to -120 you get zero. And it is not really a parallel circuit. A parallel circuit would double your amperage not your voltage.

isn't the 240VAC measured across the zeroline, peak-to-peak?

They would look like this except they would be sine and not trianglar traces

/\ /\ / \ / \ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \/ \/ /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ \ / \ / \/ \/

Thanks guys, I guess my question is answered. I told him to contact an electrician, I don't know what he is up to but knowing him a fire is probable. This is like "Rocket Surgery" (At least I was right about the waveform pattern, I feel a bit redeemed). This is the guy I loan my plasma and cheap tig to so I felt some detective work in order. Needless to say, nothing is leaving the shop until his permit gets a green tag.

Have a good weekend,

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

Don Young wrote: By the same logic and under the same conditions, but using

this i (though) was understood; just how many degrees (°'s) would you say they are, in fact, out of phase?

They are 180 degrees out of phase. Billh

okay, BILL:

thanks (still on the right track here); could you say (to reinforce my limited-but-hopefully-correct-understanding) that with a 3 phase system each leg would be "out-of-phase" with respect to each other by 60°. just possibly can you introduce the term "lead" (as in this phase LEADS by 60°), and make a final comment as to wire color scheme.

TIA,

In a 3-phase system each leg is 120 degrees out of phase with each other (3x120=360 degrees). Although if you said phase C lagged phase A by 120 degrees it could also seen as leading by 240 degrees from the previous cycle. I can't comment on the wire color scheme. Normally for a piece of

3-phase equipment it doesn't matter which phase is connected to which terminal. 3-phase motors' direction of rotation is dependent on the phasing and if it turns in the wrong direction you just reverse any 2 wires (phases). In a large factory that uses 3 phase power the phases are all well identified such that any equipment like motors that are phase sensitive will operate correctly the first time.

Depending on your reference you can say any phase leads (is ahead of) or lags (follows behind) another phase.

HTH, Billh

BILL:

very good; clear, plain, fully understood. definitely the right track here: thank you

now, so as not to have to go through aprox. 60 postings (clipped & saved in my 3phase folder) what is the "wild" leg?

TIA

reinforce my

previous

wires

sensitive will

In a 240 volt 3 phase delta with a center tap, there is 120 volts between 2 legs and the center tap. The 3rd leg is the "wild leg", with

208 volts between it and the center tap. It's marked with orange tape or an orange wire...

oh, boy; (cringe, on verge of thinking here we go again): what is term "delta" and if all 3 legs are "equal" what's so special about the markedorange one?