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Thread: Anyone savvy on buck and boost transformers?

  1. #16
    I think those transformers are technically autotransformers. More information at the link.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  2. #17
    Could you get two of these transformers and connect them back-to-back? HV1 and LV1 are your neutrals, HV2_xfmr1 and HV2_xfmr2 are your 264V hot legs, and LV2_xfmr1 and LV2_xfmr2 are your buck'd hot legs.

  3. #18
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    I had to install one on my slider as the line voltage was "right at that spot" just beyond the correct range and it kept shutting down. I don't recall now which direction I had to go, but Sam Blasco helped me figure out what was needed. I haven't had an issue since.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    I had to install one on my slider as the line voltage was "right at that spot" just beyond the correct range and it kept shutting down. I don't recall now which direction I had to go, but Sam Blasco helped me figure out what was needed. I haven't had an issue since.
    Thanks Jim. Maybe your slider manufacturer has the wrong controllers ;-P. We seem to be good back in business. Been running flawlessly since. I cant say it doesnt get under my skin that the utility company can get away with this but given our high speed internet, water supply systems, bridges, and so on, I guess it no shock to be paying a monster bill every month to a corporation that takes profits as opposed to investing in infrastructure upgrades.

    The shear cost to the local community in lighting, appliance failure, and so on, is astounding. Yet it falls on the consumer to install a costly transformer to make up for their profits.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    1,830
    Mark,

    If you have a need for neutral on your equipment, you will need two buck-boost transformers, one to lower the voltage of each hot leg with respect to the neutral, so each will reduce the voltage across the two hot legs by 1/2 of the 240 volt excess. If no need for neutral then just one buck-boost transformer will do.

    Again, I would consider doing the same for other voltage sensitive lighting and equipment in your shop.

    A transformer to drop the whole 400 amp service voltage would be great, but a big hit to the wallet. i suspected that it would be, even though it would be the best over all solution.

    Power companies run their distribution circuits at as high a voltage as they can in order to feed adequate voltage to their farthest away customers on each circuit, since there is voltage drop in their long wires, but although the customer at the far end will see lower voltage he will also see the most voltage fluctuation due to how much total load varies on that circuit at any given time. Being closer to the source may give you voltage that is very high, but it will fluctuate much less, making it easier to adjust with buck-boost transformers. Your measured line voltage is at least very stable, so you must be located very close to the power substation.

    My previous house was only 1700 feet from the power substation and I too suffered from excess voltage, but on a smaller scale, for the 20+ years that I lived there. Light bulbs and ballasts are what I had the most trouble with, but with them on many different circuits, it wasn't very practical to do anything about it. Adding buck-boost transformers to commercial building lighting circuits is usually much easier to do since they are usually grouped on only a few circuit breakers that feed only the lighting and could be moved to a small sub panel adjacent to the main panel with the power coming to it through buck-boost transformers..

    Charley

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Upland, CA
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    1,344
    Good Florescent Ballasts have no problem with that voltage. Typical ballasts in commercial florescents are 100-277v.

    A licensed electrician, who clearly wasn't familiar with commercial 240v 3 phase Delta power, wired all the florescents in one of my buildings to the 208v circuit 26 years ago. 4 ballasts out of 38 have failed in 26 years of 56 hour per week use.

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