Strostkovy
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2017
Granted this situation is my fault, since I assumed a three wire oven used two hots and a ground, not two hots and a neutral (which is also now illegal, so I get to buy a new cord and receptacle). But at what point can we stop running neutral wires? They aren't very useful these days.
It's long been my opinion (and I think the opinion of many) that machine tools running on 208 or 240 volts and requiring a neutral connection for the controls is lazy. It's cheaper to add in a transformer for the half amp or so you need (or just use 240V based controls on capacitive dropped timers and such) than to run a 6 gauge or larger neutral everywhere. It just doesn't justify the copper or the conduit. Residential appliance makers seem to disagree, but I haven't yet met a single person happy with their modern appliances anyway.
But now that I get to shove an extra 6 gauge wire in conduit already at 36% fill, I started wondering what I have that needs neutral. The answer is a space heater, old oscilloscope, toaster, microwave, and heat gun totaling maybe $300 in value. Everything else I have runs fine on 240 with nothing other than a different cord.
So given the advantages of double the power for the same amount of wire, and running fewer wires, and being able to use true 240 delta for all 3 phase stuff, why not just ditch the neutral in general? I honestly like having double pole breakers because it lets you have only 120VAC to ground instead of 240 directly as well.
So, as I would like to at some point grow my business to being able to get a new tilt up shop built, would it be a bad idea just to get 240 delta (Probably wye for ground)? Is there any reason other than strictly 120V appliances to run a neutral connection to anything?
Also, is it to code to install European sockets for 240, since it's readily available?
It's long been my opinion (and I think the opinion of many) that machine tools running on 208 or 240 volts and requiring a neutral connection for the controls is lazy. It's cheaper to add in a transformer for the half amp or so you need (or just use 240V based controls on capacitive dropped timers and such) than to run a 6 gauge or larger neutral everywhere. It just doesn't justify the copper or the conduit. Residential appliance makers seem to disagree, but I haven't yet met a single person happy with their modern appliances anyway.
But now that I get to shove an extra 6 gauge wire in conduit already at 36% fill, I started wondering what I have that needs neutral. The answer is a space heater, old oscilloscope, toaster, microwave, and heat gun totaling maybe $300 in value. Everything else I have runs fine on 240 with nothing other than a different cord.
So given the advantages of double the power for the same amount of wire, and running fewer wires, and being able to use true 240 delta for all 3 phase stuff, why not just ditch the neutral in general? I honestly like having double pole breakers because it lets you have only 120VAC to ground instead of 240 directly as well.
So, as I would like to at some point grow my business to being able to get a new tilt up shop built, would it be a bad idea just to get 240 delta (Probably wye for ground)? Is there any reason other than strictly 120V appliances to run a neutral connection to anything?
Also, is it to code to install European sockets for 240, since it's readily available?