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208v vs 220v vs 240v

by Brant Runte Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

208V is *not* the same as 240V. 208V is the voltage between phases of a 3-phase “Y” circuit that is 120V from neutral to any hot. Also, is 208v the same as 220v? In NA, the terms 220V, 230V, and 240V all refer to the same system voltage level. However, 208V refers to a different system voltage level.

In North America, the terms 220V, 230V, and 240V all refer to the same system voltage level. However, 208V refers to a different system voltage level. In North America, the utility companies are required to deliver split phase 240VAC for residential use. That is two 120VAC (+/- 5 %) legs.Feb 17, 2021

Full Answer

How do you go from 208v to 230V?

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Can you get 220V from a 208v system?

Neither 110 nor 220 exist as service voltages anywhere that 208 might be a service voltage. The service voltages will be 240 or 208. 120 can be had from either. But, no, you can't get 240V from 208V without a boost transformer.

What is the difference between 240V and 208v?

Between 120 VAC and 230 VAC line voltage, the latter is significantly more efficient. To this one can also add the resistive losses from carrying double the amps over the house wiring for the same ...

Is 120V and 208v the same?

The difference between 120V and 208V practically is that 208V circuits tend to deliver more power and are (generally) designed to be more robust. One must take into account that only about 80% of the total power will be considered usable for a variety of reasons. Take two common examples:

Is 208V the same as 240V?

208V is *not* the same as 240V. 208V is the voltage between phases of a 3-phase “Y” circuit that is 120V from neutral to any hot. 480V is the voltage between phases of a 3-phase “Y” circuit that's 277V from hot to neutral.

Can 208V be used for 220V?

No. It would have to be a 240 Volt system. The reason why it's rated at 220 volts is because of the voltage drop in the branch circuit conductors.

Will 240V appliances work on 208V?

Most cooking appliances are rated at 240 volt. The nominal voltage is 240 volt, but homes may have 208V, 220V, or 240V power supply. Any appliance that is rated for 240 volts and can also be used on a 220V or 208V outlet.

Is 220V and 208V the same?

In North America, the terms 220V, 230V, and 240V all refer to the same system voltage level. However, 208V refers to a different system voltage level. In North America, the utility companies are required to deliver split phase 240VAC for residential use.

Is 208V single-phase or 3 phase?

120/208V single phase is derived from 208V three phase power. If viewed on an oscilloscope, the three voltage waveforms on the three “hot” conductors all peak at different times: each one is 120 degrees behind the next.

What is 208 volts used for?

The most common commercial building electric service in North America is 120/208 volt wye, which is used to power 120 volt plug loads, lighting, and smaller HVAC systems. In larger facilities the voltage is 277/480 volt and used to power single phase 277 volt lighting and larger HVAC loads.

Can I run a 240V motor on 208V?

Most 240V motors will run fine on 208V unless the voltage is on the low side; many are rated for both voltages.

Can you run a 240V water heater on 208V?

No code issues, unless the manufacturer's literature specifically states that it is for use only on a 240 volt system. But there is an operational concern. It will operate at 75% efficiency, and will heat water that much slower. The 75% is based on (208/240) squared.

What is the difference between a 208V and 240V power supply?

Apart from the obvious differences in overall voltage, 208 and 240v power supplies use the electrical company’s power differently. The motors also see entirely different sine waveforms.

How far out of phase are 208V motors?

The power legs of 208v motors are actually 120° out of phase. The distance between the sine waves isn’t totally opposite. They can’t reach their full potential if they don’t directly oppose each other, and the voltage is lower overall as a result. You can especially see this when you look at a graph.

What voltage is a split phase motor?

Single- and split-phase motors are usually 240v or 230v. Some split-phase power sources may be 220v, 120v, 115v, and so on, but higher-voltage applications are more common nowadays. You’ll probably see 240v the most often, but you may see some even higher voltages, like 245v or 246v.

Why is a single phase power called a split phase?

We also refer to single-phase power as split-phase power because the single-phase power can split into two separate, opposing phases. If you look at a waveform, you’ll notice three lines: two opposite sines and one flat line. The flat line is the center tap, and the sines are the split phases.

Can a split phase 240V motor drop voltage?

Voltage drop usually isn’t an issue for split-phase 240v systems. However, on 208v, the motors start with a lower voltage. Therefore, the same amount of drop will have a greater effect on the system.

What is phase power?

Although they roughly mean the same thing, they sound contradictory, so we’ll explain the names. “Phase” refers to the use of the original power from the utility. The power company offers three legs of power, so a single-phase system only derives its power from one of those legs.

Is 208 volt single phase?

As you could probably assume, power sources with 208 volts are NOT really single-phase. They require two legs of power from the power utility, whereas 240v motors and appliances only use one.

What is 120/208?

In the US: 120/208 means three phase - 120V L-N and 208V L-L. 120/240 is split phase - 120V L-N and 240V L-L. 110/220 and 115/230 are technically incorrect but get used occasionally to describe a 120/240 system.

What voltage was used in the UK in 1990?

Internationally UK and many of its former colonies used to have 240 V while rest of Europe used to have 220 V. In around 1990 the countries harmonized to 230 V though in case of Britain this largely was just on paper and they play with the tolerances. In Finland the voltage really was raised.

Is 230 over 220?

Now to Europe. Its said to be 230 over there not 220. Amplifiers with traditional iron transformers often have a dual primary that can be wired in parallel for 120 and series for 240 and the amplifier doesn’t know the difference on the inside.

How to tell the difference between 208V and 240V?

The difference between 208V three phase, and 240V single phase, is how the voltage is derived. 240V single phase is obtained by taking a single leg of three-phase power . 208V three phase is obtained by taking two legs of three-phase power.

What is 208V?

However, 208V refers to a different system voltage level. With electrical loads, the voltage will drop, hence the common reference to voltages below 120 and 240, such as 110, 115, 220, and 230.

What is the difference between 240 and 208 volts?

What is the difference between 208-volt and 240-volt? 240-volt is single-phase power, while 208-volt is 3-phase power. Phase refers to the method of delivery of the power load. Trying to make a single-phase tool or appliance work in a three-phase system can be a shocking experience, literally!

What is the advantage of using 240 volts?

There are some advantages to using 240-volt single-phase power. You can double the power available to a device without the need to increase wire size in most cases.

Why are 240 volts used for heating?

Typically, appliances with large power needs such as stoves, heating units, air-conditioning equipment, and hot water heaters are designed for 240-volt operation because the cost of getting the same performance from 120 volts pushes the price of the equipment higher.

Why is three phase power more efficient?

The transmission of three-phase power is more efficient because the load is spread over three wires. Systems that transmit large voltages across long distances can use smaller wire than a two-wire single-phase system.

How many streams does three phase power have?

Unlike single-phase power that has a trough in each cycle when the voltage is zero, three-phase power delivers power in three streams, or phases timed 120 degrees apart. At no time during the delivery cycle does the power drop to zero. This equates to a smoother power flow to electronic components.

What is the advantage of a three phase system?

More efficiency is realized in a three-phase electrical system. Motors tend to run cooler and last longer in a three-phase system. Much higher power loads can be accommodated in a three-phase system that is possible with a single-phase system.

What is three phase power?

Where higher loads and more power is required, three-phase power service comes into its own. Most commercial electrical installations are served by three-phase power. Businesses that operate large electrical equipment benefit from the ability to get more power through smaller gauge electrical wire.

Transmitting 208V vs 220V

  • Before going into details of the differences between these standard voltages, it is necessary to establish how to attain them. Typically, power companies step up the voltage of power to minimize losses during transmission. Then, step down the voltage to the levels and the number …
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Differences Between 208V and 220V

  • The previous section establishes that it is technically feasible to get either 208V or 220V to a device from a supply of 120V lines. Nevertheless, there are fundamental differences between 208V vs. 220V.
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Connection Types

  • There are ranges of connection types to achieve various voltage requirements of end-users. This section covers some of these connections.
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