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What Is 3 Phase Power and Is It Useful?: Whirlpool

This document discusses 3 phase power and whether it is useful to have in a home. 3 phase power provides three separate 240 volt power supplies that can be used to power high power devices like air conditioners or welders. It requires special 3 phase appliances that can connect to each power supply. While it is useful for heavy machinery, large air conditioners, and provides backup power if one phase fails, it is becoming harder for homes to obtain 3 phase power from utilities. The forum discussants debate the technical aspects of 3 phase power and its applications.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
105 views12 pages

What Is 3 Phase Power and Is It Useful?: Whirlpool

This document discusses 3 phase power and whether it is useful to have in a home. 3 phase power provides three separate 240 volt power supplies that can be used to power high power devices like air conditioners or welders. It requires special 3 phase appliances that can connect to each power supply. While it is useful for heavy machinery, large air conditioners, and provides backup power if one phase fails, it is becoming harder for homes to obtain 3 phase power from utilities. The forum discussants debate the technical aspects of 3 phase power and its applications.

Uploaded by

far333
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is 3 phase power and is it useful?

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Whirlpool Forums Archive Home What is 3 phase power and is it useful?


User # 453345

Z. Z. Charles
For um Regular

221 post s

I saw a propert y adv er t ised w it h 3 phase pow er t o t he gar age and house. I have no idea w hat is special about t his or why it is useful. What is it for? And w ould a house w it h 3 phase pow er need special elect r ical appliances? 3 phase is used for high pow er devices, large duct ed air con, lar ge w elder or com pr essor . You would have nor m al 230 v olt power as w ell. Just t hink of it as hav ing t hree separat e supplies t o t he house. Ther e ar e t hen " special" appliances t hat connect t o each supply t o get enough pow er t o work ( e.g. An a/ c or welder ) .

r eference: whr l.pl/ RdrzOx post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 11am AEST

User # 116389

Whir lpool Ent husiast

Barneyb

696 post s

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrzQD post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 11am AEST

User # 58394

Whir lpool Forum s Addict

Nublah

3051 post s

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrzW4 post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST

User # 254944

Whir lpool Forum s Addict

communist

2882 post s

m y underst anding ( t he expert s will corr ect m e if i'm wr ong) single phase elect r icit y com es int o y our house w it h 2 w ires ( 1 act ive and 1 neut ral) 3- phase com es int o y our house wit h 4 w ir es ( 3 act iv es and 1 neut r al) so because 3 phase has 3 x 240 volt w ires com ing int o t he house it has 3 t im es t he pot ent ial cur rent av ailable for your appliances t o use, so it can be used t o power high pow er ed equipm ent lik e duct ed air condit ioner s.

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrzZT post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST edit ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST r efer ence: whrl.pl/ Rdr z1f post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST edit ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST

User # 36221

Whir lpool Forum s Addict User # 20630

User #36221 rugger

5602 post s

.
com m u n ist w r it e s...

18274 post s

Whir lpool Forum s Addict

3- phase com es int o y our house wit h 4 w ir es ( 3 act iv es and 1 neut r al) This. How ev er , each phase is 120 degrees shift ed, so t her e is alway s a st r ong posit ive and st rong negat ive sour ce of energy, allow ing sm oot h delivery of large am ount s of AC pow er . Edit : I n part icular , 3 phase m ot ors m ake good use of 3 phase power. ht t p: / / en.wikipedia.or g/ wiki/ Thr eephase_elect r ic_pow er
( ht t p: / / en.w ikipedia.org/ w iki/ Thr eephase_elect ric_pow er)
r eference: whr l.pl/ Rdrz40 post ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST edit ed 2013- Jan- 21, 12pm AEST

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What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 2 of 12

User # 205875 726 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

Rolloff2k

3 Phase can be up t o 50am ps or m ore a nor m al out let is 240v/ 10am p = 2400 w at t s of pow er dr aw. Lar ge elect r ical appliances or light ing would blow a st andar d out let 's cir cuit breaker or fuse. e.g. a par can ( light ing can) t hat bands use can dr aw 1000w each. I f you have 10 cans t hat 's 10,000w .

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdrz6Z post ed 2013Jan- 21, 12pm AEST reference: whrl.pl/ Rdrz65 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 12pm AEST reference: whrl.pl/ Rdrz7n post ed 2013Jan- 21, 12pm AEST

UncleMurphy
For um Regular User # 36221 5602 post s

User # 445393 278 post s

Does it m ean hav ing 3 elect ricit y m et er s = 3 Phase?

Un cle M u r ph y w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict User # 20630 18274 post s

User #36221

Does it m ean hav ing 3 elect ricit y m et er s = 3 Phase? no.


Rolloff2 k w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

rugger

3 Phase can be up t o 50am ps or m ore a nor m al out let is 240v/ 10am p = 2400 w at t s of pow er dr aw. Not hing st opping a nor m al out let fr om going t o 50 am ps ... j ust need t o use bigger wir es and fuses and plugs. St oves gener ally go a lot higher t han 10 am ps, hence m uch bigger fuses. 3 phase is generally easier t hough t o do t his t hough, and m any of t he applicat ions it is used for have direct devices t hat can use 3 phase m or e efficient ly t han single phase.
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdrz8a post ed 2013Jan- 21, 12pm AEST

User # 205875 726 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

r u gg e r w r it e s...

Rolloff2k

r ugger... Not hing st opping a nor m al out let fr om going t o 50 am ps ... j ust need t o use bigger wir es and fuses and plugs. Not Quit e DI Y st uff St oves gener ally go a lot higher t han 10 am ps, hence m uch bigger fuses. That would be a 15 am p line and fuse
reference: whrl.pl/ RdrAb3 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 1pm AEST

User # 254841 287 post s For um Regular

DZA888

Only useful for pow er ing heavy m achiner y or big Air cons. Also pot ent ially useful in t he event of a single phase out age in t he st r eet . eg. t he 'whit e' phase m ay die, so y ou m ay st ill have power t o part of y our house. Ther es no need for special appliances.
reference: whr l.pl/ RdrAiv post ed 2013Jan- 21, 1pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

r u gg e r w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

Not hing st opping a nor m al out let fr om going t o 50 am ps Except for t he fact t hat a norm al out let can't handle m ore t han 10 am ps. 50 am ps t hr ough one would burn your house dow n in no t im e, don't m ake silly com m ent s if y ou don't know what you're t alking about . The w iring t o a st andar d out let alm ost alw ays can already handle m ore t han 10 am ps. I t 's t he out let it self which can't handle it , it will get t oo hot and bur n out .
reference: whr l.pl/ RdrABR post ed 2013Jan- 21, 2pm AEST

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What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 3 of 12

User # 20630 18274 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

D a zzle d! w r it e s...

rugger

Except for t he fact t hat a norm al out let can't handle m ore t han 10 am ps. 50 am ps t hr ough one would burn your house dow n in no t im e, don't m ake silly com m ent s if y ou don't know what you're t alking about . Oops, Meant t o say t hat t her e is not hing st opping single phase dev ices from using 50 am ps, of cour se t hey w ould have t o use a suit able wir es and connect ions.

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr AH2 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 2pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 2pm AEST

Whirlpool For um s Addict

chiefdeville

User # 189100 4884 post s

Un cle M u r ph y w r it e s...

Does it m ean hav ing 3 elect ricit y m et er s = 3 Phase? No But does anyone have any decent pics of 3 Phase elect r icit y m et ers? My boar d w as upgraded alt hough t o be fair I haven't act ually look ed at it so unsur e what t he visual difference is
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr ALg post ed 2013Jan- 21, 3pm AEST reference: whr l.pl/ RdrAMi post ed 2013Jan- 21, 3pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

Whirlpool For um s Addict User # 335858 post s 91

Jason132

I t 's possible t o have 3 m et er s on 3 phase boar ds. I act ually have 2 phase at m y hom e, and hav e 3 m et ers. 1 for each phase and 1 for t he off peak. I f your a hom e handy m an and t he house has a shed you'll j um p at t he chance of it having 3 Phase. By t he ask ing of t he quest ion I 'd say your not int o t he hom e handym an st uff. But , t here is t he bonus of A/ C and ot her appliances t hat can run on 3 Phase cost of t he usage is t he dr iv ing fact or , cheaper t o r un.

reccymech
For um Regular

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrA3k post ed 2013Jan- 21, 4pm AEST reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr A5Q post ed 2013Jan- 21, 4pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 4pm AEST

User # 157150 1160 post s

D a zzle d! w r it e s...

hugojay
Whirlpool Ent husiast

I t 's possible t o have 3 m et er s on 3 phase boar ds. I have 3 phase power and 3 m et ers. Act ually I have 4 m et er s. ( Solar GFI T m et er as well)

User # 302620 6142 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

t25

i hav e it , and love it . even sold power t o t he neighbour w ho needed it t o polish up som e t err azzo. it s gr eat for running t hings like lift s, air com pressors, and w or kshop equipm ent t hat r equire good solid pow er . basically y our com m er cial st uff. from w hat ive been t old by west ern pow er ( dont quot e m e on t his, as t his is w hat i w as t old by t he sparkie) it is act ually get t ing harder and harder t o get 3 phase power in a r esident ial ar ea.
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr A8Y post ed 2013Jan- 21, 4pm AEST

User # 21809 1871 post s

t 2 5 w r it e s...

smeagols ghost
Whirlpool Ent husiast

it is act ually get t ing harder and har der t o get 3 phase power in a r esident ial ar ea. Ut ilit ies ar e becom ing m or e st r ingent on t he condit ions for at inst alling it for free t hen t hey w her e in t he past . So t here is a bit of a gam e going on bet w een ut ilit ies and spar kies t hat know t he "r ight wor ds" To t he OP, if it is av ailable it is a good t hing, you m ight not want it now but it is r eally handy t o hav e it sit t ing t her e for fut ur e use.

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr Blj post ed 2013Jan- 21, 5pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 5pm AEST

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Page 4 of 12

User # 44043 1150 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

Driftabout

I t 's alway s been a issue depending on w ere you live and t he size of t ransfor m er init ially set up on your line. Som e people in t as could get it no problem s, ot hers were t old t hey w ould have t o pay t o hav e a higher r at ed KVA pad or pole t op t ransfor m er inst alled. I f you can get 415V / 3 phase rem em ber all t hose higher am ps add up t o m any m or e kWhrs you could pot ent ially be paying for , w it h regular use of cour se. Also check if t here is any addit ional net w or k charge by y our pr ov ider of choice.
reference: whr l.pl/ RdrBoR post ed 2013Jan- 21, 5pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

Basically t he w ay i ex plain it is, t hat st andar d single phase has an act iv e and a neut ral, which in " wat er pipe" analogy , t he act ive pushes and pulls ( sw it ching m any t im es a second) while t he neut ral j ust provides an "exit " point for t he pushing and pulling t o be done but doesnt do any work . But wit h m ult iple phases, you have one act iv e pushing w hile j oined t o anot her act ive in sync t hat s pulling, and vice versa. I .e one pum ps t he ot her pulls, so you get t w ice as m uch power , and so act iv e t o act ive will give you over 400 volt s, a lot m ore oom ph. I m agine blowing on one end of a hose, y ou w ill push X am ount of air t hr ough. Now have a fr iend suck on t he ot her end while you blow , youll m ove alot m or e air ( elect r ons) . 3 phase syst em s don't st r ict ly need a neut r al but alm ost alw ay s do due t o st andar d 240v com ponent s inside t he appliance. I f you look at high volt age pow er lines t her e will oft en j ust be t hree phase lines and no neut ral. The phases t hem selves act as t he " ret ur n" line. Here's a couple pics of m y "t wo phase" board and m e m easuring 430 v olt s phase t o phase at t he m ain sw it ch: ( 430 is j ust w hat I happen t o m easure at m y place on t his day, it differ s locat ion t o locat ion) ht t p: / / im ageshack.us/ phot o/ m y- im ages/ 716/ 20130121185245.j pg
( ht t p: / / im ageshack.us/ phot o/ m y - im ages/ 716/ 20130121185245.j pg)

ht t p: / / im ageshack.us/ phot o/ m y- im ages/ 545/ 20130121185654.j pg/


( ht t p: / / im ageshack.us/ phot o/ m y - im ages/ 545/ 20130121185654.j pg/ )

I should not e t hat m y house is 50 years old and r at her t han upgr ade t he consum er m ains t o a large single phase cable, at som e point an ext ra phase w as sim ply added ( or possibly done t hat w ay fr om t he st ar t ) , w it h t he load from m y house spread evenly over t he t w o phases. Ther e is no special appliance or anyt hing t hat act ually uses t wo phases or t he 430 v olt . Having 2 phases it is t his possible t o have a "br own out ", where t he st reet drops a single line/ phase and I lose power t o w hat ever is on t hat phase, i.e half t he power point s, but t he rest w or k fine.

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrBq4 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

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User # 205715 112 post s For um Regular

t 2 5 w r it e s...

z28

it is act ually get t ing harder and har der t o get 3 phase power in a r esident ial ar ea I don't k now m uch about ot her ut ilit ies but for West er n Power, t his st at em ent is not t r ue. You paid m or e for 3- phase m et er and cable from t he green pillar t o t he m et er. Ther e is alway s 3 - phase cable running dow n t he st reet , in nor m al inst allat ion, one phase serv es t wo houses, t he next phase ser ves t he next t wo houses and t he last phase ser ves t he next t wo houses and t hen t he sequence r epeat s. This is t o balance out t he pow er on t hese phases. 3- phase power is nor m ally used for lar ge ( power - hungry ) equipm ent such as air- con, welder ... Just com par e one- st roke law nm ower and t hree- st r ok e lawnm ower ( if t here is a t hing) . I t is easier t o st ar t t he lat t er and it is m uch quiet er . Sim ilarly for 3- phase m ot ors. Obv iously it is no point t o have 3- phase supply if you don't use it . So it is also m ore cost ly t o inst all 3 - phase powerpoint and y ou also need 4 - cor e cable t o connect t he pow er point hence t he cost st art s t o escalat e. FYI , all single- phase power point s ( norm al powerpoint s) in a r esident ial housing use only one phase even if you have t hr ee- phase supply . I n larger com plex such as fact or ies, t her e m ight be different phases going t o different part s of t he building but t hen t hey should be labelled clearly ( R,W,B) ...
reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr Bt M post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST reference: whr l.pl/ RdrBv0 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

User # 73835 post s

426

For um Regular

John T

415 volt 3 phase power is act ually quit e com m on in WA houses built befor e t he lat e 1970s. I t was m ainly used for elect ric inst ant hot w at er heat er s. My old house had t his. Ther e w as only one m et er box but t hr ee quit e lar ge fuses ser vicing each phase for t he hot wat er ser vice.

User # 302620 6142 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

z2 8 w r it e s...

t25

So it is also m ore cost ly t o inst all 3- phase pow er point and you also need 4 cor e cable t o connect t he pow er point hence t he cost st art s t o escalat e. Why do t hey car e about cost s? im t he one paying for t he service. if i want it , t hey have t o inst all it . i didnt use 3 phase power for t he first 2 - 3yr s at m y new place. wasnt unt il a neighbour w ant ed it t hat i act ually t ur ned it on for t he fir st t im e ( t hat i sold him t he power t o r un his polisher )
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr Bwt post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

User # 205715 112 post s For um Regular

D r ift a b ou t w r it e s...

z28

I f you can get 415V / 3 phase rem em ber all t hose higher am ps add up t o m any m or e kWhrs you could pot ent ially be paying for , w it h regular use of cour se. This is not cor rect t he volt age for single phase is 240 V, w hile for t hr ee phase is 415 V ( phase- t o- phase) . I f y ou have 5 k W air - con, you w ould need 20.8 A for single phase supply and 12 A if 3 - phase supply is used. You only pay for 5 kW t hat you use you don't pay m or e. However in t his case 3phase supply is m ore adv ant ageous as less curr ent flow m eans less loss in t he cable and y our m achine will hav e less w ear and t ear .

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr BxA post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

User # 205715 112 post s For um Regular

t 2 5 w r it e s...

z28

Why do t hey car e about cost s? im t he one paying for t he service. if i want it , t hey have t o inst all it . I didn't say t hey car e. You pay for t he ser vice, t hey w ill inst all t he m et er . BTW, t he elect rical inst allat ion inside your house is not done by West er n Power ( I am t alking about West er n Pow er her e, no w her e else) , it is car ried out by elect rical cont ract or. What I said is m ainly for new or r ecent ly built houses. Old houses do have 3 phase inst allat ion as st andar d befor e 1970 or t her eabout .

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrByH post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

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User # 363658 4119 post s

z2 8 w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

t he volt age for single phase is 240 V The st andar d is act ually 230v in Aust r alia now, w it h som et hing like + 10% / 6% var iance allowed. I n som e part s it 's + 10% / - 2% . This m eans t hat t he 250v phase t o neut r al/ 430v phase t o phase i'm curr ent ly m easuring is wit hin spec.
reference: whrl.pl/ RdrBBO post ed 2013Jan- 21, 6pm AEST

User # 192210 1892 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

hoofie

For m ost hom e ow ners having a 3 phase supply is of lit t le benefit , apar t from t he abilit y t o run big- ar se air - condit ioner s For anyone t hough w ho likes t o use welders, com pr essor s, lat hes, m illing m achines, bandsaws et c et c it s fant ast ic as you can put bigger m achines in w it hout worr ying about convert er s et c.
z2 8 w r it e s...
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr BJo post ed 2013Jan- 21, 7pm AEST

User # 369990 6016 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

jwbam

Just com par e one- st rok e law nm ower and t hree- st r oke lawnm ow er ( if t her e is a t hing) . I t is easier t o st art t he lat t er and it is m uch quiet er I t 's act ually m or e like a 2- cylinder V- Tw in m ot orcycle engine vs a 6 - cy linder V6 car engine. Each of 2 cylinders j ust pushes t he crank shaft dow n, separ at ed by 180 degr ees lik e a bicycle pedal each cylinder t aking over aft er t he ot her has pushed all t he w ay dow n. Wit h a V6, each cylinder 's push overlaps wit h t he one before and t he one aft er , so t here is a sm oot h t r ansit ion fr om one t o t he next . I nst ead of j ust pushing one crank down, t hey w or k t oget her pushing t he crank shaft r ound and r ound. Also wit h a single phase, you hav e t he t wo wires car ry ing curr ent t hat alt ernat es bet ween 100% in one direct ion and 100% t he ot her dir ect ion and is 0 in bet w een. Whereas w it h 3 phase, each w ir e st ill alt er nat es, but som e funct ion as posit ive while t he ot her as negat ive, so t he 3 w ires alm ost cancel each ot her out , y ou don't need t o have 2 wires per phase = 6, j ust 3 as for each wire t he ot her 2 will com plet e t he circuit .

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrBNk post ed 2013Jan- 21, 7pm AEST

Z. Z. Charles
For um Regular

User # 453345 221 post s

sm e a g ols g h ost w r it e s...

To t he OP, if it is av ailable it is a good t hing, you m ight not want it now but it is r eally handy t o hav e it sit t ing t her e for fut ur e use. Yeah, could be. This t hr ead has been very enlight ening for m e.

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr BOE post ed 2013Jan- 21, 7pm AEST

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User # 368135 3818 post s

blaME ?
Whirlpool Ent husiast

3 phase best for m ot ors, lar ge and sm all, and heavy loads like wat er heat ers. The r eason w hy it wor ks well for m ot ors is t hat t he pow er [ gener ally] com es o o from a 3 phase r ot at ing m achine [ a gener at or ] . Each phase is 120 and 240 o in r elat ion t o t he ot her phases. One rot at ion = 360 . Each phase has it 's own o sine w ave, 'out of phase' by t hat 120 . A 3 phase m ot or is easily put int o a r ever se dir ect ion by sim ply sw apping t w o supply cables. The only problem can be t he loss of one phase especially under load. Mot or prot ect ion overload relay s cover t his possibilit y . A 3 phase m ot or is a very sim ple device t hat requir es no bias windings, like a single phase m ot or, t o get it r ot at ing in a discret e direct ion. Wit hout bias a single phase m ot or w ill sit in a st alled condit ion, t rying t o t ur n oner way and t hen t he ot her as t he AC sine w ave cycles. As such, a single phase m ot or less efficient and requir es m or e equipm ent t o have it funct ion corr ect ly , especially if t he m ot or has t o st art under load, lik e a refriger at ion com pr essor . The 3 phase m ot or rot at es in har m ony w it h t he generat or, nat ur ally. Som e w elder s use a m ot or t o t urn a low volt age generat or/ alt er nat or . You do not w eld at volt age like 240V or 415V [ or w hat ev er t he supposed 'St andar d' is.] We have a 2 phase supply in t his hom e, originally for a w at er heat er load. [ gas now ] I t 's an old 1950's build. The only negat iv e t o t his is t hat it will cost m e m ore for prot ect ion r elays, prot ect ion against a bodgy supply net w or k t hat can go under volt age and overv olt age. I do not t r ust t he level of net w or k prot ect ion t hat SP Ausnet have in place and under st and t hey spend bugga all in m aint aining net work int egrit y, r at her t heir int er est s ar e elsew here. ps. The w at er/ plum bing flow analogy doesn't alw ays apply! Elect r icit y will r un up a slope j ust as fast as it will r un dow n a slope.

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr BWY post ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST

User # 44043 1150 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

z2 8 w r it e s...

Driftabout

This is not cor rect t he volt age for single phase is 240 V, w hile for t hr ee phase is 415 V ( phase- t o- phase) . You norm ally go 3 phase if you need t he ex t ra am ps.
D r ift a b ou t w r it e s...

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr BZk post ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

You norm ally go 3 phase if you need t he ex t ra am ps. 3 phase devices can use less am ps t han single phase due t o higher v olt age. He is cor r ect . I f you have less volt age t han y ou need m or e am ps t o do t he equivalent am ount of work. Welder s oft en r un on som et hing like 1 or 2 volt s but an incredible am ount of cur rent is used inst ead t o m elt t he m et al.
reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr B19 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST

User # 86750 post s

169

Z. Z. Ch a r le s w r it e s...

For um Regular

Catbuster

What is it for ? Any plans t o buy an elect r ic car? 3- phase power can handle som e of t he specialised elect r ic bat t er y char ges so you could cut y our rechar ge t im e dow n fr om bet ween 4 12 hours ( depending on vehicle m ake and bat t er y) t o 2 3 hours. I know t he Holden Volt has an opt ion for a fast er r echarger if you have a 3 phase power supply. I guess as we m ove fur t her int o t he " green" t echnology field you can ex pect m or e opt ions for 3 phase r echar gers t o com e out . Might be handy t o have a house wit h t hat capabilit y .
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr B3B post ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST

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26/05/2013

What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 8 of 12

User # 44043 1150 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

D a zzle d! w r it e s...

Driftabout

3 phase devices can use less am ps t han single phase due t o higher v olt age. He is cor r ect . My bad, I t hink in KVA rat ings ie t he am ount of ener gy you have available. I spend m y life playing wit h 415V, 6.6kV ( m ost ly dr iv es) 14kV ( gen out ) , 22k V, 220kV all of w hich is 3 phase, so I lose sight of t his dom est ic st uff w e have 3 phase power for our A/ C I t hink it 's 18kw . and t he builder said t o get it put int o m y shed, so I did best t hing I did, I got a new t able saw , 3 phase cut s t hr ough 3 inch hardwood like but t er, and it 's so m uch less noise t han a 240 volt s t able saw.
D r ift a b ou t w r it e s...

reference: whrl. pl/ Rdr B5o post ed 2013Jan- 21, 8pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 9pm AEST

User # 240258 684 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

nutbagbob

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrB7M post ed 2013Jan- 21, 9pm AEST

User # 314025 1192 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

frankfurts

My bad, I t hink in KVA rat ings ie t he am ount of ener gy you have available. I spend m y life playing wit h 415V, 6.6kV ( m ost ly dr iv es) 14kV ( gen out ) , 22k V, 220kV all of w hich is 3 phase, so I lose sight of t his dom est ic st uff KVA is t he t heor et ical pow er available not t aking int o account power fact or KW is t he act ual pow er available t o do work aft er P.F losses and is t he power consum ed by t he load on t he cir cuit I n short KVA= t heoret ical pow er KW= r eal power Also power or KW= Volt s X Am ps so at a higher volt age y ou need less curr ent t o do t he sam e work KW on a 3 phase circuit is KW= V x A x 1.732 so a 3 phase cir cuit can m ake up t he sam e power w it h m uch less curr ent .

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr B99 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 9pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 21, 9pm AEST reference: whrl. pl/ Rdr Chz post ed 2013Jan- 21, 9pm AEST reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr Cj e post ed 2013Jan- 21, 10pm AEST

User # 44043 1150 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

Driftabout

At t he end of t he day if you want gr unt , 3 phase is t he w ay t o go.

User # 302620 6142 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict User # 222264 774 post s

D r ift a b ou t w r it e s...

t25

At t he end of t he day if you want gr unt , 3 phase is t he w ay t o go. also go 3 phase if you want efficiency t oo.
D a zzle d! w r it e s...

bribri82
Whirlpool Ent husiast

I f you look at high volt age pow er lines t her e will oft en j ust be t hree phase lines and no neut ral. The phases t hem selves act as t he " ret ur n" line. not r eally. t he prim ar y side of t he t r ansform er s is w ir ed in a delt a, w hereas t he secondary side is wired in st ar configur at ion ( if y ou don't k now what I m ean, delt a is like a t r iangle. cant r eally dr aw a diagr am her e.) by being w ir ed in delt a, only 3 w ir es are needed. on t he secondar y side it is w ired in st ar w it h t he st ar point becom ing t he neut r al conduct or and also provides for t he MEN point of t he t ransfor m er.
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr Cv3 post ed 2013Jan- 21, 11pm AEST

User # 411384 153 post s Par t icipant

bla M E ? w r it e s...

nat23q

A 3 phase m ot or is easily put int o a reverse direct ion by sim ply swapping t wo supply cables I ncor rect phase sequence... a good idea if y ou w ant t o dest roy what ev er m ot or you are running

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr CPj post ed 2013Jan- 22, 6am AEST

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26/05/2013

What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 9 of 12

User # 314025 1192 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

n a t 2 3 q w r it e s...

frankfurts

I ncor rect phase sequence... a good idea if y ou w ant t o dest roy what ev er m ot or you are running Act ually he is cor rect . A t hree phase m ot or is r ev er sed by swapping 2 of t he phases ar ound.
fr a n k fu r t s w r it e s...

reference: whrl.pl/ RdrCQO post ed 2013Jan- 22, 7am AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 7am AEST

User # 411384 153 post s Par t icipant

nat23q

Act ually he is cor rect I 'm not disput ing t he t heory of swapping phases will m ak e t he m ot or t ur n in t he reverse, I 'm disupt ing act ually doing it ... y ou will hav e an incor rect phase sequence, t he m ot or will t urn t he wr ong way and bur n out t he brushes/ seize up. Ther e ar e som e except ions but gener ally it w ill wr eck t he m ot or.
n a t 2 3 q w r it e s...

reference: whrl.pl/ RdrCWT post ed 2013Jan- 22, 7am AEST

User # 41681 1347 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

Badman

t he m ot or will t urn t he wr ong way and bur n out t he brushes/ seize up. There ar e som e except ions but gener ally it will w reck t he m ot or. You'r e m or e likely t o dam age t he equipm ent it is connect ed t o, but in m ost cases t he equipm ent sim ply w on't funct ion, eg hydr aulic equipm ent using a 3ph pum p.
19 reference: whrl.pl/ RdrC5f post ed 2013Jan- 22, 8am AEST

User # 463645 post s

aurormaster
I 'm new here, please be nice

Hi all! I had m y house built wit h 3 - phase power since t he builder said I w ould need it if I want in inst all split s in m y house. But really hav e no idea w het her it 's really has, only a wr it t en confir m at ion fr om t he builder t hat t hey have done it . I s t here any way I could check ? I was reading t his t hread and saw som e have 3 m et ers, while I only see 1 m et er in m y house. I s t hat alr eady a red flag?

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrC5K post ed 2013Jan- 22, 8am AEST

Whirlpool For um s Addict

User #36221

User # 36221 5602 post s

a u r or m a st e r w r it e s...

I s t here any way I could check ? Do you hav e overhead pow er cables? I f so how m any seperat e w ir es com ing int o your house? Ours looks like t his wit h 4 = 3 phase: ht t p: / / ww w.flickr .com / phot os/ m ichaelandlouise/ 8166130375/ in/ phot ost ream
( ht t p: / / w w w .flickr .com / phot os/ m ichaelandlouise/ 8166130375/ in/ phot ost r eam )
reference: whrl.pl/ RdrC6f post ed 2013Jan- 22, 8am AEST

User # 463645 post s

19

For ce fe d 4 w r it e s...

aurormaster
I 'm new here, please be nice

Do you hav e overhead pow er cables? No, I do not have any. I live in a new est at e and I t hink all pow er cables r un under .

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr C6N post ed 2013Jan- 22, 8am AEST reference: whr l.pl/ RdrC8K post ed 2013Jan- 22, 9am AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 11am AEST

User # 369990 6016 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

jwbam

Can you t ell m y looking at t he cir cuit breakers? The 3 phase boards at t he office are 3 in 1 t hree br eak er s linked t oget her. The m et er should be labelled single or t hr ee phase.

User # 314025 1192 post s Whirlpool Ent husiast

Ba d m a n w r it e s...

frankfurts

You'r e m or e likely t o dam age t he equipm ent it is connect ed t o, but in m ost cases t he equipm ent sim ply w on't funct ion, eg hydr aulic equipm ent using a 3ph pum p. This St andar d 'squir rel cage' 3 phase m ot ors are designed t o be reversed. I t s only gonna cause dam age if it s driving direct ion sensit ive equipm ent . Also st andard 3 phase m ot ors don't hav e brushes. That 's DC m ot ors ( or a slip ring induct ion m ot or but t hey 're not very com m on t hese days)
reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr Dag post ed 2013Jan- 22, 9am AEST

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26/05/2013

What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 10 of 12

User # 463645 post s

19

j w ba m w r it e s...

aurormaster
I 'm new here, please be nice

The 3 phase boards at t he office ar e 3 in 1 t hree br eak er s link ed t oget her The m et er should be labelled single or t hr ee phase. I 'll t ak e a pict ur e w hen I go hom e t onight . I had som e few pr oblem s w it h t he builder, and m y confidence wit h t hem is r unning r eally low. As an exam ple, I asked t o have alum inum flyscreens t o all open - able window s. When we checked dur ing pre- handover , none of it w er e inst alled.
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr Dav post ed 2013Jan- 22, 9am AEST

User # 205715 112 post s For um Regular

a u r or m a st e r w r it e s...

z28

No, I do not have any. I live in a new est at e and I t hink all pow er cables r un under . The cable r uns up behind t he wall and connect s t o t he m et er. I n t he m et er box , t here should be 3 fuse block s if t hey ar e 3 - phase. Also new m et er should have 3 red light s indicat ing all 3 - phases are liv e
reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr DnG post ed 2013Jan- 22, 10am AEST

User # 369990 6016 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

j w ba m w r it e s...

jwbam

Can you t ell m y looking at t he cir cuit breakers? The 3 phase boards at t he office are 3 in 1 t hree br eak er s linked t oget her. Pict ures of single, double and t hr ee- pole swit ches her e ht t p: / / updat es.clipsal.com / ClipsalOnline/ Thum bView.aspx? sear chMode= group&level= 4&code= 30002&ref= &sk ip= 0&first = 30
( ht t p: / / updat es.clipsal.com / ClipsalOnline/ Thum bView.aspx? searchMode= group&level= 4&code= 30002&ref= &skip= 0&first = 30)
reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr DAp post ed 2013Jan- 22, 11am AEST

I f you're on 3 phase, your m ain isolat or sw it ch should be a 3 pole one.


User # 363658 4119 post s

br ibr i8 2 w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

not r eally Well yeah, it 's m ore t echnical t han how i explained it but it s basically corr ect . Delt a configur at ions need no neut ral ev er yt hing is balanced. Why are only t hr ee wires needed? because ( sim plifying it her e) t he flow is phase t o phase and so on, not phase t o neut r al. So t he phases are sort of act ing as a ret ur n line in a w ay.
reference: whr l.pl/ RdrDNV post ed 2013Jan- 22, 12pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

a u r or m a st e r w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

I s t here any way I could check ? Look in y our board, you should have 3 large black fuses ( look like black box es) , t owar ds t he t op of t he box . You m ay alw ays not ice 3 differ ent colour ed w ir es going int o each, whit e, blue and r ed. You will also have a differ ent m ain swit ch which is designed t o cont r ol all 3 phases ay once, but t his will be harder for y ou t o spot . Look for t he fuses.
Rolloff2 k w r it e s...

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr DOC post ed 2013Jan- 22, 12pm AEST

User # 146966 628 post s

Whirlpool Ent husiast

Satch Boogie

3 Phase can be up t o 50am ps or m ore a nor m al out let is 240v/ 10am p = 2400 w at t s of pow er dr aw. 32am p single phase out let s are available. ht t p: / / ww w.elect riciansupplies.com .au/ shop/ index.php? m ain_page= product _info&cPat h= 55 9_324_133&pr oduct s_id= 612
( ht t p: / / w w w .elect r iciansupplies.com .au/ shop/ index.php? m ain_page= product _info&cPat h= 559_324_133&pr oduct s_id= 612)
reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr DTV post ed 2013Jan- 22, 12pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 12pm AEST

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26/05/2013

What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 11 of 12

User # 411384 153 post s Par t icipant

a u r or m a st e r w r it e s...

nat23q

I s t here any way I could check ? Most sim ple way is check how m any serv ice fuses t here are... 3 fuses 3 phase. They look lik e black box es r oughly t he size of a deck of car ds ( L x H, dept h m uch bigger) The link below is t he side v iew of one ht t p: / / ww w.ebay .com .au/ it m / Serv ice- Fuse- Back - Wir ed- Ant i- I nt r usionCar t ridge- NEW- / 190395009302 ( ht t p: / / ww w .ebay.com .au/ it m / Service- Fuse- Back- Wired
- Ant i- I nt rusion- Cart ridge- NEW- / 190395009302)
reference: whrl. pl/ Rdr D7e post ed 2013Jan- 22, 1pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 1pm AEST

edit : spelling
User # 363658 4119 post s

Sa t ch Boog ie w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

32am p single phase out let s are available. They are m eant for indust rial applicat ions i've nev er seen one inst alled in a house, norm al appliance plugs do not fit in t hose. Ev en t hough t hey are single phase you w ouldn't call t hem a " norm al out let " like t he post er you quot ed was referr ing t o. You would need t o inst all heavy dut y cir cuit and swit chboar d upgrades t o fit one of t hem .
D a zzle d! w r it e s...

reference: whr l.pl/ Rdr ECL post ed 2013Jan- 22, 3pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 3pm AEST reference: whr l.pl/ RdrFzN post ed 2013Jan- 22, 7pm AEST edit ed 2013Jan- 22, 7pm AEST

User # 146966 628 post s

Whirlpool Ent husiast

Satch Boogie

They are m eant for indust rial applicat ions i've nev er seen one inst alled in a house No m or e so t han a 3 phase out let . 6m m cable a 32am p cb and bob's your uncle. I 'm pret t y sur e we have 3 phase.... w hen som eone 5 houses down were chopping t rees down and it fell on a pow er line ( was like fir ewor ks and t hey werent licenced) we had no air con and no ov en and st ov e. every t hing else worked fine every one else in t he st eet had no power at all, so m aybe we wer e get t ing j ust one phase? I have no idea also but down in t he shed if som eone is using t he welder it flickers our light s indoors quit e badly, however t v, int ernet , et c every t hing else st ays on.

User # 309506 4537 post s Whirlpool For um s Addict

Stronger

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrFI e post ed 2013Jan- 22, 8pm AEST

User # 363658 4119 post s

Sa t ch Boog ie w r it e s...

Whirlpool For um s Addict

Jason132

6m m cable a 32am p cb and bob's your uncle. Assum ing t he t ot al load of ev er yt hing com bined isnt now t oo m uch. You can't j ust add circuit aft er cir cuit ( including t he br eak er s) . Event ually t here is t oo m uch load all up. But yes, t hat s basically it . What would you use it for t hough?

reference: whr l.pl/ RdrF29 post ed 2013Jan- 22, 9pm AEST

User # 146966 628 post s

D a zzle d! w r it e s...

Whirlpool Ent husiast

Satch Boogie

Assum ing t he t ot al load of ev er yt hing com bined isnt now t oo m uch. You can't j ust add circuit aft er cir cuit ( including t he br eak er s) . Event ually t here is t oo m uch load all up. Of course y ou have t o st ay below t he m ain breaker r at ing. Assum ing an 80A ser vice a 32A cir cuit could well be feasible. What would you use it for t hough? We have a few 32A single phase welders at work .

reference: whrl.pl/ Rdr Gba post ed 2013Jan- 22, 10pm AEST

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26/05/2013

What is 3 phase power and is it useful? - Home

Page 12 of 12

User # 463645 post s

19

j w ba m w r it e s...

aurormaster
I 'm new here, please be nice

Pict ures of single, double and t hr ee- pole swit ches her e ht t p: / / updat es.clipsal.com / ClipsalOnline/ Thum bView.aspx ? sear chMode= group&level= 4&code= 30002&ref= &sk ip= 0&first = 30
( ht t p: / / updat es.clipsal.com / ClipsalOnline/ Thum bView.aspx? searchMode= group&level= 4&code= 30002&ref= &skip= 0&first = 30)

I f you're on 3 phase, your m ain isolat or sw it ch should be a 3 pole one. I looked at m y board and I have 3 gr oups of circuit br eak er sw it ches, I j ust forgot t o t ak e a pict ur e.

reference: whrl.pl/ RdrGI h post ed 2013Jan- 23, 8am AEST

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26/05/2013

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