Running on 240V American?

[ICBM]

I was wondering if I can run a regular power supply on American 240V. Now all the current supplies here in the states say they run on 110-240V, however I wasn't sure if the 240V was only for the European standard.

Here in the states, our 240V is using 3 wires, hot-hot-ground. Europe(as I understand it) is running 3 wires, but they are hot-neutral-ground. Since the difference in the wiring(one wire with 240V vs 2 wires with 120V) I wasn't sure if it was acceptable, and I have been looking for hours to find an answer. Anyone know?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I know this doesn't answer your question but, why would you?

 

[StinkyPinky]

I was wondering if I can run a regular power supply on American 240V. Now all the current supplies here in the states say they run on 110-240V, however I wasn't sure if the 240V was only for the European standard.

Here in the states, our 240V is using 3 wires, hot-hot-ground. Europe(as I understand it) is running 3 wires, but they are hot-neutral-ground. Since the difference in the wiring(one wire with 240V vs 2 wires with 120V) I wasn't sure if it was acceptable, and I have been looking for hours to find an answer. Anyone know?

Australia/NZ also use 240V. Maybe you can look at what their wiring is.

 

[HOOfan 1]

check this thread out

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3947

 

[PreferLinux]

Australia/NZ also use 240V. Maybe you can look at what their wiring is.

Hot (phase), Neutral, Ground.

 

[Meghan54]

Still cannot see the point in it for a home computer setup....at all.

 

[Aluvus]

Still cannot see the point in it for a home computer setup....at all.

Setting up a computer in a former laundry room, wired for a dryer?

 

[jiffylube1024]

Not sure if it would work or not, but if you do try it - make sure to check the back of your PSU if it has a ~110V / ~220V switch or not. Some PSU's are auto-sensing, while others have a switch. Make sure that if you have the switch you set it correctly before you try anything!

 

[jiffylube1024]

Actually, after reading that helpful link that Hoofan_1 posted, I would strongly recommend against trying it. It might work, but it sounds like it could be catastrophic if there is a short circuit or the PSU blows.

 

[RU482]

Setting up a computer in a former laundry room, wired for a dryer?

Isn't a dryer outlet just two 120V lines out of phase? Or to think of it another way, it just taps in to both sides of the electrical panel.

 

[ICBM]

One word, efficiency.

When I was a student worker, I remember us plugging in some of our departments servers in a dryer looking outlet, which was 240V. Not sure how the outlet was wired though.

Reading through the post it sounds to me there shouldn't be an issue. Nema 6-15 or 6-20 plugs are fairly common. Most windows unit air conditioners or mini split air conditioners run on 240V(hot-hot-ground). My biggest issue was whether a power supply could handle it. The US system should be able to handle any faults, so I am not worried about faults. It is still consider single phase, even though you have 2 hot wires. Both my AC, water well pump, booster pump, and hot water heater are listed as single phase 220V/240V.

Now I will need to find out if the Tripplite and APC 240V UPS systems can work with this way as well. Hopefully that will be easier to find out.

Found this one on Tripplite, SMX3000XLRT2U. Rated for 230V, is sold here in the US, and has a C19 plug which has cables to Nema L6-20. Looking at some other PDUs on their site shows them making them with L6-20 outlets built into the units. So this indicates to me that this is a legit way to hook a system up, AND it meets code. If someone has any info to the contrary let me know. I am making some assumptions here.

 

[alaricljs]

There is no difference between the 220 in a commercial or industrial setting and the 220 available from your home's electrical panel. As long as you have your outlets wired correctly for 220 and your PSU or UPS is auto-switching or has a switch and is set to the right voltage then you are good to go.

I work in a datacenter and have also done 110v and 220v residential electrical.

edit: some clarification... I'm speaking entirely about single phase 110/220. Once you get into multi-phase commercial is nothing like residential.

 

[PottedMeat]

what's the actual AC->DC conversion efficiency advantage for that power supply when going from 120VAC input to 220VAC input?

 

[Railgun]

2-3% depending on the PSU itself and the load percentage.

 

[compman25]

There is no difference between the 220 in a commercial or industrial setting and the 220 available from your home's electrical panel. As long as you have your outlets wired correctly for 220 and your PSU or UPS is auto-switching or has a switch and is set to the right voltage then you are good to go.

I work in a datacenter and have also done 110v and 220v residential electrical.

edit: some clarification... I'm speaking entirely about single phase 110/220. Once you get into multi-phase commercial is nothing like residential.

There must be some difference because around this part of the USA we have been on 120/240 for quite a long time.

 

[alaricljs]

There must be some difference because around this part of the USA we have been on 120/240 for quite a long time.

Someday take a multimeter to it... You might be lucky to get 105

 

[PreferLinux]

Someday take a multimeter to it... You might be lucky to get 105

Yes, ours is meant to be 240 V (AFAIK), but we get 234 V most of the time.

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah as others have mentioned efficiency is higher with 220, although I don't think the difference is huge. SPCR sometimes tests PSU efficiency at both voltages and IIRC it's usually 2-3% more efficient as another member suggested. Probably not worth the cost and hassle of wiring a computer to a 220 outlet unless it's a really high end gaming system or something that sucks up a lot of power.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

we got 220v 16a residential our industrial is 330v

 

[compman25]

Someday take a multimeter to it... You might be lucky to get 105

118 here

 

[Yellowbeard]

Non US 220v is not 60hz IIRC. It's 50hz. This probably won't make much if any difference in a PSU but it could make a difference where in devices where frequency matters.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Someday take a multimeter to it... You might be lucky to get 105

119V here. I have good power

 

[PreferLinux]

Non US 220v is not 60hz IIRC. It's 50hz. This probably won't make much if any difference in a PSU but it could make a difference where in devices where frequency matters.

Won't matter for the PSU, I'd say. I've read of normal PSUs being run off 340 V DC, but I suspect that was the older, non-aPFC ones.

 

[Mark R]

Won't matter for the PSU, I'd say. I've read of normal PSUs being run off 340 V DC, but I suspect that was the older, non-aPFC ones.

I suspect even an aPFC PSU will run fine off 340 V DC. The aPFC circuit actually runs on DC anyway, as it is after the rectifier in the PSU.

Not just that, the aPFC circuit is just a step-up DC-DC converter, which is able to shape its input current into a sine-wave (actually a rectified sine-wave). The aPFC circuit takes 150-350 V DC, and regulates it up to 385 V DC for the rest of the PSU.

As has been stated earlier in the thread, the aPFC circuit has significantly improved efficiency at higher input voltage. The main source of loss in a DC-DC step-up converter is resistance of the boost inductor coil. Current in the inductor equals power/input voltage. Doubling the input voltage, will reduce I2R by a factor of 4, greatly reducing heat production in the aPFC circuit.

(The boosted, regulated voltage for the rest of the PSU - 385 V as opposed to 320-340 V - also means lower currents in the rest of the PSU, with lower I2R losses and generally improved efficiency, which in an optimally designed PSU should fully compensate for any losses in the aPFC circuit).

 

[PreferLinux]

I suspect even an aPFC PSU will run fine off 340 V DC. The aPFC circuit actually runs on DC anyway, as it is after the rectifier in the PSU.

Not just that, the aPFC circuit is just a step-up DC-DC converter, which is able to shape its input current into a sine-wave (actually a rectified sine-wave). The aPFC circuit takes 150-350 V DC, and regulates it up to 385 V DC for the rest of the PSU.

As has been stated earlier in the thread, the aPFC circuit has significantly improved efficiency at higher input voltage. The main source of loss in a DC-DC step-up converter is resistance of the boost inductor coil. Current in the inductor equals power/input voltage. Doubling the input voltage, will reduce I2R by a factor of 4, greatly reducing heat production in the aPFC circuit.

(The boosted, regulated voltage for the rest of the PSU - 385 V as opposed to 320-340 V - also means lower currents in the rest of the PSU, with lower I2R losses and generally improved efficiency, which in an optimally designed PSU should fully compensate for any losses in the aPFC circuit).

I agree. If I'd thought about it a little more, I would probably have come to the same conclusion. (I was just thinking about it being pure DC, whereas the aPFC usually deals with a rectified sine-wave. But I should have realised that the aPFC will probably get its waveform from the rectified input voltage, not any internal source.)