Elementary electrical question

[David Song]

I'm very confused about few things electrical.

-Normal(standard) house hold electrical outlet is how many volts?

-I see that some power tools vary from 110,115,220,230 voltage and this confuses me like crazy. Let's say I get a drill press that decribes 115V/230V, does this mean it can run on either or? or is one default and the other I have to rig?

-IF standard house hold voltage was 110V, can i just plug in 115V system or do I need to change somthing?

-IF 110V and 115V can be interchanged without any modification to the tool or house electrical system, why would one manufacturer in USA state 115V on one of their tool and 110V for the other?

-I'm in a building that is roughly 75 years old. If I get a dust collector that states 220V, how do I make this work?

Thanks!

[David G Baker]

Best suggestion, hire an electrician. If you really want to know about electricity we can probably give you a lot of general information but in my opinion, there are quite a few very informative books on the subject, give them a try. The borgs have some that are quite good.

[Joe Chritz]

110/115 is essentially the same thing. Household voltage isn't exact and without measuring it at the point of use it isn't possible to tell what it is.

A 220V power is both hots (the power from the street comes in on two hots and a neutral, each hot is 110 volts +/- to the neutral). The house almost certainly has 220 capability but it may involved a new circuit to the power box.

On an old house you could still be dealing with fuses and an inspection by an electrician may be in order before you start messing around with new circuits.

Motors that are dual voltage can be switched to operate at either but it involves a simple wire change inside the motor. A 115/230 or 110/220 can be ran on 110 at some amp draw or 220 at half the amp draw.

Clear as mud?

Joe

[Sonny Edmonds]

Are you in the USA, David?
If so, 120 and 240 are the nominal voltages supplied to residences. That will work for anything rated 110, 115 or 120. And likewise for anything rated for 220, 230, or 240 volts.
60 Hertz is the frequency. And single phase.

Don't buy anything 3 phase, unless you are going to do some special stuff with rotational phase converters or the like.

If you are in another country where 50 hertz current is the norm, things are usually different.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'm very confused about few things electrical.

-Normal(standard) house hold electrical outlet is how many volts?

We say 120V. This could really vary by quite a bit (10% or more). 110V, 115V, 120V are all refering to the same thing, which is nominal 120V, but the exact value varries a bit and doesn't really matter that much.

-I see that some power tools vary from 110,115,220,230 voltage and this confuses me like crazy. Let's say I get a drill press that decribes 115V/230V, does this mean it can run on either or? or is one default and the other I have to rig?

Again, 110 or 115 (or 120) refers to the same thing. Likewise, 220 or 230 or 240 is the same thing. If you have a machine that says 115V/230V, it means it can run on either, but you have to make some change in connection at the motor junction box on order to determine which one. Usually, 120V and 240V plug are different shapes, so if you can plug it inito a standard (120V) outlet, you can reasonably assume that the motor is currently connected to run at 120V.

-IF standard house hold voltage was 110V, can i just plug in 115V system or do I need to change somthing?

115 and 110 are the same idea. If the plug on your drill press fits a standard wall outlet, you can assume that the motor is wired for 110/115/120v, and fire it up.

-IF 110V and 115V can be interchanged without any modification to the tool or house electrical system, why would one manufacturer in USA state 115V on one of their tool and 110V for the other?

I don't think there is any reasonable explanation for why no one has just agreed on standard nomenclature

-I'm in a building that is roughly 75 years old. If I get a dust collector that states 220V, how do I make this work?

Age of the building doesn't really matter. You need a 240V outlet available, though - do you have one? If so, plug the DC in and it'll work
If not, you'll need to have a new 240V outlet ran from your main breaker box. Depending on how far from the main breaker box you want to place the dust collector, it should be a relatively inexpensive job to have an electrician do.

Thanks!

[David Song]

I'm in USA. The Still City Drill press I got states 115/230V. Do I need to do somthing to this drillpress before I plug in and use it? or am I good to go after assembly?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David...typically in the owners manual it will tell you how the device or power tool was wired when it was shipped. Typically it will give a drawing and written instructions on how to wire the motor ..one way for 120....another way for 240.....You can refer to those instructions to see how you drill press is currently wired.

It's been my understanding that in earlier years, the voltage supplied by the power providers was 110 or 220....as the quality of electrical lines and transformers improved, the supplied voltage became 120 and 240 vac.

The actual value your house outlets might measure might differ slightly....say 118vac instead of 120 vac because of slight resistances in the line or increased current loads on that particular phase. You don't have to be too concerned about those subtle differences in most cases.

If you aren't comfortable or knowledgeable about electricity, a licensed electrician is really the way to handle such matters. While not an electrician, I have worked with electronics since 1969. When I built my shop, I did all the electrical to the local code and had it inspected. The code requirements vary from the national standards to local standards. The code is there for the safety of the homeowner and business owner.

[Tom Veatch]

...
-Normal(standard) house hold electrical outlet is how many volts?

Standard residential voltage is currently a nominal 120 and 240 volts. Over the years the nominal voltage has varied leading to the confusion.

-I see that some power tools vary from 110,115,220,230 voltage and this confuses me like crazy. Let's say I get a drill press that decribes 115V/230V, does this mean it can run on either or? or is one default and the other I have to rig?

110,115,120 all refers to the current nominal standard 120v. A tool labeled as 115v/230v is equipped with a dual voltage motor. It will come from the factory wired for either 120v OR 240v. To use the other voltage, connections within the motor must be changed. A wiring diagram showing the changes will usually be shown in the tools owner's manual and inside the cover of the junction box on the motor.

IF standard house hold voltage was 110V, can i just plug in 115V system or do I need to change somthing?

110 and 115 are interchangeable. Both can be used on nominal 120v circuits.

-IF 110V and 115V can be interchanged without any modification to the tool or house electrical system, why would one manufacturer in USA state 115V on one of their tool and 110V for the other?

No idea, unless the tools were manufactured several years apart.

-I'm in a building that is roughly 75 years old. If I get a dust collector that states 220V, how do I make this work?

Use a 240 volt (current standard nominal voltage) circuit. If one with the proper amperage is not available, a new circuit of the proper size would have to be installed. That would almost certainly require an electrical permit and inspection and, depending on the local code enforcement authority, might require that the work be done by a licensed electrician (which is a good idea even if not required by local regulations).


Edit:
Wow! I must be an even slower typist that I thought. When I started composing, there was only one reply, now there's a whole bunch. Well at least, we all seem to agree on the major points.

[Roger Frazee]

I'm in USA. The Still City Drill press I got states 115/230V. Do I need to do something to this drillpress before I plug in and use it? or am I good to go after assembly?

I'm not sure how much you know about electrical from your questions might want to get a few books or professional help before wiring any branch circuits.

You need to know how the motor is wired from the factory. It will be either 115 or 230. If it has a plug on the end of the power cord.... let it be your guide. If it won't plug into a standard 120 volt outlet then it is wired for 240 volts.

They only make one 17" drill press (I just looked) it comes prewired 115 volts but double check ...should plug right in.

http://www.steelcitytoolworks.com/pr...y=4&tool=20520

As for your question on a single phase 240 volt DC it will wire up like...below... this if you use romex cable and cord and plug but you need to know the electrical requirements for the branch circuit for the particular unit to get things right. Post what your purchasing and we can be more accurate. The drawing is an example if it needs a 20 amp branch circuit. Click on the image to enlarge it.

[Sonny Edmonds]

I'm in USA. The Still City Drill press I got states 115/230V. Do I need to do somthing to this drillpress before I plug in and use it? or am I good to go after assembly?

Yes, you are good go go.
Plug it in, turn it on, and have fun with your new tool.
Secure the work before drilling.

[Rob Russell]

Secure the work before drilling.

Awww - you're no fun.

Everyone should learn that drilling a hole in the end of a 3-foot board may get you whacked!

[Rick Christopherson]

I don't think there is any reasonable explanation for why no one has just agreed on standard nomenclature

The reason why you see several different voltage values is because they are the rating for which the device is permitted to operate. In some cases this is the maximum value, and in other cases it is the minimum value. People have seen these numbers so much that they have mistakenly associated them with the power available at their outlet.

[Michael Wetzel]

I'm very confused about few things electrical.

-Normal(standard) house hold electrical outlet is how many volts?

-I see that some power tools vary from 110,115,220,230 voltage and this confuses me like crazy. Let's say I get a drill press that decribes 115V/230V, does this mean it can run on either or? or is one default and the other I have to rig?

-IF standard house hold voltage was 110V, can i just plug in 115V system or do I need to change somthing?

-IF 110V and 115V can be interchanged without any modification to the tool or house electrical system, why would one manufacturer in USA state 115V on one of their tool and 110V for the other?

-I'm in a building that is roughly 75 years old. If I get a dust collector that states 220V, how do I make this work?

Thanks!

110/115/120 is 110

220/230/240 is 220

115/230 - 110/220 - 120/240 = can run on 110 or 220 depending on the wiring. You will need to read the manual to see which is default. A standard wall plug SHOULD be 110. 220 has a different plug configuration.

If you buy a 220v dust collector, you need to have a 220 service to the building and a 220 breaker/outlet available.

[Chris Gombola]

David,
This is a good reference that will take you through the different basics such as voltage and amperage as well as give many, many great examples of calculating circuit load, running circuits, and wiring different receptables and swtiches, both 240 and 120. It covers outdoors topics as well as sub panels and panel work.

I find it invaluable and the pictures are excellent, you can see exactly what is going on in the description in vivid detail and color.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide.../dp/0865734291

It can be found at the local BORG as well.