Blower wiring - Is split 220 kosher?

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Tony, Rocco,

Points well taken I will ad a third variation For the economy DIY'r that will show Two motors wired to HF router controllers. I think this will convert the general layouts of the said designs. Please remember these are just basic starting points for those that want to put pictures to the earlier portions of the thread.

As Rocco Said My variac will go to 140VAC which will overdrive the motor a good bit. As you can see in the first drawing we use the 240VAC Payne device to run two motors.

I Hope this helps.

Rick

[106-1194218389]

Do you think it would be possible to run 2 motors off one breaker and 1 speed controller?

[49-1183904562]

John;

What voltage supply would you be using?
And what are the voltage requirment of the motors?

Rick

[106-1194218389]

I am really considering these motors: Domel Model 496.3.720-2 2-stage 120 volt 5.7 inch thru flow vacuum motor.
Motor Specs

Motor Type: Thru Flow
Bearings: Double Ball Bearing
Water-lift: 116.9 inches
Maximum Air Flow: 144.1 CFM
Maximum Air Watts: 1685
Peak Amps: 14.35
You will get up to 30% longer life from Domel motors and a two year warranty.

Using 220 volt supply wired to a sub box on the flow bench itself.

Thanks,
John

[106-1194218389]

If I ground my system to a water pipe in the house do I stand a chance of electrocuting anyone if something fails? It would be strictly the green ground wire. Just take a ground from each of my motor housings and hook to a common grounding bar and then ground that bar to one of my copper water pipes in the house. Would it be better to run the wire outside and drive a copper rod into the ground and ground it there?

[Dave W]

[106-1194218389]

I do not have anything yet. I was going to put a breaker box right on the flow bench and connect a breaker through a switch to each motor. In my house I have 6/3 wiring to a dryer outlet and was thinking of coming off that outlet with a 6/3 cable to the breaker box on my bench.

[Dave W]

[106-1194218389]

[Dave W]

There is a good chance that the ground wire was cut off because dryers and ranges used the neutral to bond the frame of the equipment back then.

4 motors at full load running on just one hot leg should be calculated at 56 amps.

If you split and run 2 motors on the black and 2 on the red and tie all the whites together than you will draw 28 amps on each hot leg and neutral.

Probably the cheapest and easiest way to go would be to run SER aluminum #2-2-2-4 , 100 amp sub feed cable from your main box and to a welding receptacle surface mounted, then come out of your breaker panel on you bench with # 6 SJ cord and plug it in. #2 SER is rated for 75 amps for 60 degree circuit breakers and it is a heck of alot cheaper that copper right now.

After you run the wire have an electrician stop buy and hook it in the panel for ya. Find one that likes racing.

What type of electric box is it?

[106-1194218389]

Dave,
I looked again at my wire and the wire to the dryer is 10/3 like you thought - I looked closely and the printing was 10/3 it was just kind of smeared together to look like 6/3. I went further down the wire and saw a clear 10/3. You suggested aluminum wire. Can you mix aluminum and copper? I thought that was a no no.

Also I am planning on having 2 motors on each leg so that will be just 28 amps per leg. What size wire can I get away with then? I was just heading to home depot for a scouting trip. It is one of the few stores I can go "shop" in like my wife does in Walmart and just wander and think of what I am going to do "someday"

[Dave W]

[106-1194218389]

I need some input from you guys on wire gauge and whether to use a solid wire or multi-strand when wireing the bench itself. When wiring a car the state that muli-strand is what you should use in comparison to a single solid wire. When wiring the bench itself to the motors from the service box on the bench should I go solid single strand or muli-strand wire? What gauge would you suggest? The wires on the motors theirselves looks small 16 or so gauge. I doubt 14 even but I will measure.
John

[Otto]

my electrician recomended stranded 12 gauge so thats what i used. mostly for vibration and air movement internally in unit

[Tony]

Single strand solid wire should only ever be used where the wire will never be disturbed or moved once it has been installed. This might be in a ceiling, under a floor, inside a wall, somewhere like that.

Multi stranded flexible wire MUST always be used where the wire may move around, such as appliance cords, in a vehicle, inside equipment, and similar places.