Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [voltage]

136 questions
18
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5 answers

What type of cable should I bury for a small utility shed?

I'm putting a 8x16 utility shed in my back yard. It will be 100 ft from the service panel. I want to run the supply line under ground. There will be one 4ft fluorescent light and two 120V receptacles. Which kind of wire would be best for this…
user110936
13
votes
4 answers

Confusion over 220 and 230 volt outlets

We have a 220 outlet for our A/C. We are shopping for a new unit and all I am see is 230 volts on the units. Will we have to rewire with a new outlet for a new A/C?
Shelia Abshire
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Can a 240V light fixture be used in the US with a 120V light bulb?

The title is pretty much my entire question. If I order a 240V lamp from Europe that takes removable light bulbs, can I simply use a 120V light bulb? I understand that I would change the plug for a plug-in light, but this particular question is for…
Wynne
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9
votes
4 answers

Half of house power voltage drops during storms

Very recently, about half my house’s power outlets drops in voltage during storms. Each time it’s the same circuits that are losing power, upstairs bed and bath, downstairs router, and a couple other rooms. The basement and living room never lose…
Henry Dorsey
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9
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3 answers

Can I replace a bulb with one with more watt?

I have a lamp (from IKEA) that had a light bulb 3W 200lm 67lm/W 26mA I bought a light bulb that says 4W=35W 230LM Can I replace with that light bulb or even with higher watt? I mean is the only difference the electricity consumption or should I be…
Jim
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8
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2 answers

Why bother referencing neutral to ground in residential transformer?

I'm going to list the 3 scenarios for electrocution I can think up for both a residential transformer with grounded neutral and an isolated transformer. I find that the grounded neutral transformer has one more scenario in which I get electrocuted…
natsuki_2002
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What is the best way to wire for 120 volt & 240 volt remote power on a saltwater dock that is located 800 feet from the house main panel?

I have a saltwater dock that extends 625 feet from shoreline with an elevated junction box at the dock entrance, which is located an additional 175 feet from the dock entrance to the main panel of my house. I plan to completely renovate the house…
RM Carolina
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7
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2 answers

Why does one phase of my buildings mains line show a significant amount of voltage (~60V) when it goes down?

The other day one of the phases of our power faulted and the fuse tripped on the power company side. I measured the voltage at 60-65V. Lights were flickering, and some devices kept running (like a dell computer, it was perfectly happy at 60V). How…
Voltage Spike
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6
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5 answers

Is it possible to downconvert 30A/240V to 15A/110V by replacing a circuit breaker?

I recently moved into a new apartment with... "curious" wiring. There is a single 15 amp/110 volt outlet that is directly wired to a 30 amp / 240v breaker. I suspect there used to be a drier and when it was removed the landlord changed the plug…
RalphORama
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6
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3 answers

Which terminal to use on my multimeter

I have read the manual for my new multimeter but unsure which (red) terminal to use for what. The meter has one VΩmA fused 500 mA max terminal and one Unfused 10A Max terminal. I just want to measure the voltage of a wall outlet. Which terminal do I…
Christian
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5
votes
4 answers

Should the voltage of L1/N and L2/N sum to the same voltage as L1/L2?

I have a smart meter that is complaining the voltage is too high. When I use my AC volt meter on the two lines, I get 229. But when I do just L1 to N or L2 to N i get 129 and 131. I thought the voltages were supposed to add up, so I would expect…
DAB
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5
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2 answers

If using an old 240v cable to make two 120v circuits, is there a risk of overheating the shared neutral return?

I've seen discussions of using an old 240V wire (two hots, a neutral, and a ground) and reconfiguring it to have two 120V circuits. As an example, if it is a 20A cable, you could have two 20A circuits, each one using one of the two phases and both…
brentonstrine
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Why am I measuring 60v at some outlets?

The house I bought a couple years ago had a couple outlets in a small room in the basement that didn't work. Now I'm troubleshooting them. It's a finished basement so I can't tear down walls. There's a lot of troubleshooting already complete so I'll…
Jason
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4
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3 answers

Is it possible to convert a (US) 240V 20A outlet into a single 120V 20A outlet using an adapter cable?

The adapter shown in the picture is described by the seller as "4-Prong 220V 14-50p Outlet Plug to 120V 5-20R/15R Female Adapter Power Cord for 20V [sic] 15/20Amp Household W/Breaker". What I would like to do (if it is feasible and safe) is to…
mr blint
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When running a bigger wire to deal with voltage drop on a 240V circuit, do I now need to run a neutral as well?

I am running wire for a 240 V, 20 A split-system AC over a hundred feet and the voltage drops below the allowed NEC 5% voltage drop. So I have to step down the a wire a gauge and run a #10 wire which will allow me to send the correct voltage.…
Samuel Lee
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