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230v motors on 208v 3phase

4/25/14       
Correy Smith

Curious if anyone here has run 230v 3ph euro motors on a 208v . I talked with SCM and Griggio and they say that just switch the lead on the transformer for the controls and I should be all set. Both said that the motors are designed for higher temps and long working hours. A one man shop should have no troubles.
I talked with a Co. that makes electrical components about building me a buck boost for my 100A four wire panel. He said he would not run any motor on a voltage that was not correct for the motor. To be fair he has commercial interest in selling me the transformers. So......
I am headed in the direction on trying it and seeing how things go but curious if this is common.
Any thoughts anyone? thanks.

4/25/14       #2: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Brian T

Most services have variations in power to begin with. The service into my building is called 230 we transform some machinery to 460. When applying an actual meter to the main terminal you will find variations. Most of our power actually comes in around 215-225 volt or a low 230. There is no perfect voltage as my electrician explained it to me.
He is the head electrician for the local power plant supplying more then 250,000 people so I trust what he tells me.

My power feeds have run on both high and low 230 systems in the 4 different shops they have been in for the last 20 years and still run strong. Most have thousands of hours on them. 3 steffs and a delta.

I would talk to a good commercial electrician in your area first and have him test to see what your actual voltage is.

It is true that running a motor on a low power draw will kill it prematurely but that is usually if its on to small a breaker or you can overload it on an oversized breaker.

4/26/14       #3: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Correy Smith

yeah ,it's just you will be running a motor with a specified amperage at a higher amperage. The motor will run on what ever voltage you feed it as long as the mag starter will stick in and start the motor.
The over load should also protect it during operation I would hope. Never hit that limit with the European motors. Though have with Baldor and Leeson. But they are only 3 and 5hp.

Seems like it's going to be o.k.. The griggio thicknesser has a 208v tap directly on the control transformer so it if the macghine was manufactured with a 208V tap you could assume that the motor would be fine run on 208V though rated 230v OR all the machines come with tramsformersd with both taps and the 208V motor was an option which this is not.... LOL
My service is a pretty constant 208V line to ground. Fortunately I did over size my wire when we wired the space.

Thanks.

4/27/14       #4: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Bill

Most motors specify +\- 10%. That's 23 volts so you should be ok. Running at a lower voltage will make it run hot. After you run it for as long as you run it how hot is it?

4/27/14       #5: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Correy Smith

Hello Bill thanks for the response.
I think you spot on. The scm and griggio both have taps on the transformers for either a lower voltage ( griggio has a 208v tap) or in the case of the scm it has a +20 and a -20 tap.
I am now trying to figure out if I move the lead on the transformer from the 230v to the +20 or move the lead in the "0" tap over to +20 to add 20v OR if I need to move it to -20 as I have 20v less and this lets me run on 20 less instead of hiving me an additional 20v.........
Thanks for any help......

4/27/14       #6: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Leo G

I run all my machines on 208v. I have a separate boost transformer for my tablesaw. Everything else is on 208v.

Never had a problem, been there nearly a decade.

4/27/14       #7: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Correy Smith

thanks Leo, that's the kind of thing I like to hear. What are you running on the 208?
Why did the TS need the buck boost?
cheers

4/27/14       #8: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Leo G

I run standard shop equipment. 2 unisaws, 3 shapers, edge sander, dust collector, planer and jointer.

Rest of the stuff is 120v

When I setup shop I had the same worries as you. So I got the boost transformer for my most used pc of equipment, my tablesaw. I still use it because I have it.

4/28/14       #9: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Bill

We are also 208V and run LOTS of equipment on it. If I order new I get 208 and some things are still 230 and they say it is OK.

4/28/14       #10: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Correy Smith

Thanks Guys, The planer started right up,, controls work great. It had a 208tap on the transformer.

The jointer...... is tripping a safety ... gonna have to call scm. Maybe I can just turn the breaker up a bit . If it's getting resistance from the voltage drop then I might be asking a few extra amps at start up. Odd thing is the breaker ( a 1A fused switch in the machine) pops right as you turn on the main not the cutter head.
Thanks for the comments.

5/1/14       #11: 230v motors on 208v 3phase ...
Correy Smith

Problems resolved. There was another mechanical fuse in the back that had tripped and couldn't see it had. Unsure why it had, maybe during the move????,,,
MAchines perform much better than on the RPCs.


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