A 120V motor running at 82% efficiency and pulling 20 amps only puts out 2.6 HP. A continuous 4HP sweeper on household current ain't gonna happen.
You wouldn't hit 2.6hp on the household outlet anyways...unless you've got old wiring and a 20+amp breaker. Even a short burst over 10-12amps will throw a 10amp breaker. Has to, 'cause modern wiring is only rated for about 15amps, and it's awfully expensive to replace once it's installed.
So for those of you who tape your breakers open - don't.
:P
So for those of you who tape your breakers open - don't.
:P
never taping my breakers open again :fubby:
this thread hurts my brain!
this thread hurts my brain!
You wouldn't hit 2.6hp on the household outlet anyways...unless you've got old wiring and a 20+amp breaker. Even a short burst over 10-12amps will throw a 10amp breaker. Has to, 'cause modern wiring is only rated for about 15amps, and it's awfully expensive to replace once it's installed.
So for those of you who tape your breakers open - don't.
:P
That was just my point - you'd never hold 20 amps continuous on home wiring w/o tripping something and even then you're barely at half your goal.
So for those of you who tape your breakers open - don't.
:P
That was just my point - you'd never hold 20 amps continuous on home wiring w/o tripping something and even then you're barely at half your goal.
Two memorable breaker trips:
[1] University motors lab (where we had to sign a waiver assuming all liability, or we couldn't use the lab and hence fail) -- Friend using an alligator clip on a lead to a meter to find where his fault was. Accidentally shorted 200V supply to common ground. Threw 20amp breaker on bench and 100amp breaker to lab's supply. Alligator clip and leads welded together on bench. Nice 4' arc too.
[2] Summer job at power plant. Technicians closing breaker on generator (contact pad was 1'x1') with hot stick. Technicians realize too late that they wired two 2400V batteries wrong. Breaker opens instantly, but not before batteries ionize 1/4 of themselves, and a pure-metal exciter was on fire.
Yup, I love my desk job.
[1] University motors lab (where we had to sign a waiver assuming all liability, or we couldn't use the lab and hence fail) -- Friend using an alligator clip on a lead to a meter to find where his fault was. Accidentally shorted 200V supply to common ground. Threw 20amp breaker on bench and 100amp breaker to lab's supply. Alligator clip and leads welded together on bench. Nice 4' arc too.
[2] Summer job at power plant. Technicians closing breaker on generator (contact pad was 1'x1') with hot stick. Technicians realize too late that they wired two 2400V batteries wrong. Breaker opens instantly, but not before batteries ionize 1/4 of themselves, and a pure-metal exciter was on fire.
Yup, I love my desk job.
There are split phase 120V motors.
Heck, I have seen some odd stuff dealing with forign applications...like 50 cycle...even 400 cycle high torque motors.
Heck, I have seen some odd stuff dealing with forign applications...like 50 cycle...even 400 cycle high torque motors.
I forgot to ask..
PH, did that vac unit come equipped with a chrome reverse throzzle eductor? Cuz that would make a difference... :|
PH, did that vac unit come equipped with a chrome reverse throzzle eductor? Cuz that would make a difference... :|
Two memorable breaker trips:
[1] University motors lab (where we had to sign a waiver assuming all liability, or we couldn't use the lab and hence fail) -- Friend using an alligator clip on a lead to a meter to find where his fault was. Accidentally shorted 200V supply to common ground. Threw 20amp breaker on bench and 100amp breaker to lab's supply. Alligator clip and leads welded together on bench. Nice 4' arc too.
[2] Summer job at power plant. Technicians closing breaker on generator (contact pad was 1'x1') with hot stick. Technicians realize too late that they wired two 2400V batteries wrong. Breaker opens instantly, but not before batteries ionize 1/4 of themselves, and a pure-metal exciter was on fire.
Yup, I love my desk job.
My most memorable was when I was involved in making the 4.5 megawatt generator rig for Lucas (Star Wars) Industrial Light and Magic Co.
When we fired up the four generators and energized the switchgear trailer, we discovered that somone had used too long a screw in the cable raceway and pierced into a feed cable.... Lighting flash and thunderclap that about took us off our feet. Closest I have ever come to pooping my pants... :|
[1] University motors lab (where we had to sign a waiver assuming all liability, or we couldn't use the lab and hence fail) -- Friend using an alligator clip on a lead to a meter to find where his fault was. Accidentally shorted 200V supply to common ground. Threw 20amp breaker on bench and 100amp breaker to lab's supply. Alligator clip and leads welded together on bench. Nice 4' arc too.
[2] Summer job at power plant. Technicians closing breaker on generator (contact pad was 1'x1') with hot stick. Technicians realize too late that they wired two 2400V batteries wrong. Breaker opens instantly, but not before batteries ionize 1/4 of themselves, and a pure-metal exciter was on fire.
Yup, I love my desk job.
My most memorable was when I was involved in making the 4.5 megawatt generator rig for Lucas (Star Wars) Industrial Light and Magic Co.
When we fired up the four generators and energized the switchgear trailer, we discovered that somone had used too long a screw in the cable raceway and pierced into a feed cable.... Lighting flash and thunderclap that about took us off our feet. Closest I have ever come to pooping my pants... :|
But now it's funny, 'cause you didn't die.
:P
:P
Reminds me of how peoples attitudes have changed within the industry. I grew up respecting electricity but not being afraid of it as a magical unknown. My first job entailed replacing power cords on radios. In the late 40s, early 50s broken power cords were a common reason for a household radio to quit working. They usually came into the bottom of the chassis and attached to a terminal strip where we could measure the voltage to see if they were bad. Since the bench was a common area used by all the other techs finding the meter to do this was usually a search project. It was much easier to test for voltage using the split finger method. I simply found it normal to use my fingers to check for power on 110v circuits anywhere in the house like a light socket or both sides of an outlet. Today that seems to horrify many electrical workers. It's only 110 and you do need to find out if your body resistance is such that you can do it, some people do find it too painful but others like myself just feel a slight tickle.
When I bought a house with apartments in it I found I needed power in a vacant apartment to work on it because the power company pulls the meter when someone moves out. I would backfeed power into that fusebox from my own panel. For the first 30 years no one ever complained, the power company workers were used to having it spit at them when they plugged in the new meter if it happened to be on the opposite phase when someone did that. I'm quite certain I was not the only person who backfed to get power to a vacant apartment and they were used to it spitting at them as the 15 amp breaker popped. In recent years they have threatened to disrupt my service if it happens again. What a bunch of wusses we've become.
When I bought a house with apartments in it I found I needed power in a vacant apartment to work on it because the power company pulls the meter when someone moves out. I would backfeed power into that fusebox from my own panel. For the first 30 years no one ever complained, the power company workers were used to having it spit at them when they plugged in the new meter if it happened to be on the opposite phase when someone did that. I'm quite certain I was not the only person who backfed to get power to a vacant apartment and they were used to it spitting at them as the 15 amp breaker popped. In recent years they have threatened to disrupt my service if it happens again. What a bunch of wusses we've become.
The dude points being tallied up in this thread is ginormous.
/just sayin'
//my dude point account ain't high enough to contribute anything... I know just enough about amps & volts to keep from starting my travel trailer wiring on fire :|
/just sayin'
//my dude point account ain't high enough to contribute anything... I know just enough about amps & volts to keep from starting my travel trailer wiring on fire :|
Uhhhh.... I gather that may not be 100% true....
:umno:
:umno: