120VAC or 240 VAC

[MotoSook]

After too long (2 yrs since I made a deal to buy the lift!) I have finally gotten the lift into my garage! I was going over final details, and it occured to me that the motor for the hydraulic pump may have been wired to operate on 120 VAC. The nameplate on the motor is listed as 230 VAC, and the name plate on the lift is listed as 240 VAC. But I recall when I went to get the lift that there were only two wires going into the box, where I expected 3 wires (2 hot and one ground for 240 VAC).

I think the supplier of the motor wired it up for 120 VAC. There are three wires (labeled T1, T4 and T5) as you can see in the picture, and the direction of the shaft is determined by which pair gets twisted together (the cover plates shows two twisted and one free wire).

I tried calling the company on the name plate, but they are defunk and under a different name...with very poor phone contacts I'm trying to find the number for the PO....but I figured there were enough electricians on this board I'd get quick answer.

The two twisted pairs are the way they were when I picked up the lift. And the exposed screw on the switch is listed as "Common." There is another screw point under the tap, but it looks like it was never used.

It sure looks like 120VAC... I have both 120 VAC and 240 VAC available.

So can you guys confirm it is set up for 120 VAC?

And will 240 raise it that much quicker if I change the wires around for 240? How should I change the wires?


I hate electrons and they hate me, so figure I'd get edumecated before I let out the smoke.

[svandamme]

as the lift and motor are made of metal, you would want it grounded either way

if the motor has 2 seperate coils internally, you could wire it for either 240 or 120
combining the 2 coils , would double the resistance, one sequential circuit, which could be that twisted lead

or 2 seperate circuits, both at normal resistance

only way to be absolutely sure, is to untwist the leads, and check if you can identify 2 seperate coils... with an ohm meter...

[svandamme]

for instance

2 coils, each 250 ohms, 2 parallel circuits @ 120 VAC

1 combined coil, at 500 ohms @240 vac

both would draw .48 amps , around 115 watt, give or take


do it the other way around, and you'de have

1 combined coil, 500 ohm @ 120 VAC .24 amp, 28.2 watt > low power

2 parallel coils, 250 ohm @ 240 VAC 0.96 amp 230.4 watt > meltdown

[imcarthur]

Can you take a closeup pic of the plate in the picture? That lists the specifications of the motor. That will tell all.

Ian

[MBAtarga]

Using 240 vs 120 won't make the motor/lift faster.
It will decrease the current draw on the circuit, by approximately 1/2.
If you've got plenty of 240 circuits, that's what I'd recommend.

[9dreizig]

Souk, I"m with imcarther look at the motor plate.. I certainly wouldn't wire 240 to a 120V motor , could overheat and the insulation may not be rated for the higher voltage..
Todd

[MotoSook]

Hi guys,

The nameplate on the motor says 208-230 Volts, 11 Amps, single phase 60 hz.

The thing that threw me for a loop was the twisted pair. The cover plate on the junction box shows that at least two of the wires need to be twisted to change the direction of the motor. I'm pretty sure the two wires that are currently twisted together need to be that way. But with the switch taped up like it is, and the screw indicated as common, I'm all confused.

So with two wires twisted, and one going to the switch, do I put one hot wire to the twisted pair, one hot wire to the switch and the ground to the chassis?

[MotoSook]

I think I found the info that clears up my understanding of a 240 circuit:

Now for the quick explanation of 240 / 220 volt house current; Appliances which use straight 240 current (such as electric water heaters, or rotary phase converters) also have three wires:


1) A black wire which is often known as the "hot" wire, which carries the current in to the fixture.
2) Another "hot" wire which may be blue, red or white (if it is white the code actually requires it to painted or otherwise marked one of the other colors, but often it is not) which also carries current in to the fixture.
3) A bare copper wire called the ground, the sole function of which is to enhance user safety.

That's it, no neutral. Now, if you are paying attention, then you are probably wondering "If there isn't a neutral wire then how is the circuit completed?" The answer is that when one hot wire is negative, then the other is positive, so the two hot wires complete the circuit together because they are "out of phase". This is why 240 volt circuits connect to double pole breakers that are essentially two single pole breakers tied together. In the main panel, every other breaker is out of phase with the adjoining breakers. So, in essence 240 volt wiring is powered by 2 - 120 volt hot wires that are 180 degrees out of phase.

So by the above, I should put one hot wire to the twisted pair shown in the picture, and one to the switch which would complete the circuit. The ground is then tied to the chassis, the screw in the back of the terminal box.

Is that right? If so, then the P.O. didn't have a ground wire to the motor chassis.

[rick-l]

Wire it to the the voltage on the nameplate.

Some where on the motor is a diagram of how to wire it up. If not an internet search on the motor manufacturer is in order. Is it under the terminal box cover plate? Notice the T1 T2 etc. markings on the wires.

You need a Double pole, motor rated switch for for your motor on 220. Put the ground wire under that green screw.

I'd also buy a couple of wire nuts.

[MotoSook]

Got it! My 13 yr old step son and I re-route the 240 circuit to where the lift needed it this afternoon. Bent some EMT and pulled the wires in a couple of hours and voila!

[Joeaksa]

Good to see! We all need one of those!

[Normy]

What is that motor on the stand in the background?

N

[MotoSook]

Originally Posted by Normy

What is that motor on the stand in the background?

N

It's a BMW M20B25 from an E30. Not sure what I want to do with it right now...

[Jim Richards]

Now that you've got it up, shouldn't you be tearing some parts out of Fat Ba$tard? Muhahahaha!

[onewhippedpuppy]

You lucky SOB!

[MotoSook]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Now that you've got it up, shouldn't you be tearing some parts out of Fat Ba$tard? Muhahahaha!

That's why Fat B is on the lift MUhhhahhhaaaa muh ..cough cough

[einreb]

Originally Posted by Normy

What is that motor on the stand in the background?

N

M20B25?

EDIT: I missed souks response... I sure as hell couldnt have identified it from tht distance but knew he had one sitting around.

BTW... souk... when you come to your senses and realize that you will never build up the E30 and want to sell it dirt cheap, let me know.

[MotoSook]

Originally Posted by einreb

M20B25?

Yep, you sure you don't want it Bern? Complete drivetrain I need to clear out the garage.