Convert a 240V L1 to a 120V L1?

Alejandro Erickson

What I didn't realise when I asked if the 240V/50Hz L1 would work on power converted from 120V/60Hz, is that I would need to rewire my house with a 30A plugs to use it!

New question: Can the 120V parts listed on the Londinium store be installed on a 240V Londinium? Do you sell all the parts that I will need?

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/177-120v-1400w-immersion-element-for-the-londinium-i

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/154-120v-60hz-coil-only-for-inlet-solenoid

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/160-120v-60hz-piston-pump-for-londinium-i

How about the LEDs?

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/133-white-led-lamp

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/135-red-led-lamp

https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/134-blue-led-lamp

What else would I need?

Reiss Gunson

hi there!

most homes built in the last 30 years in the States will have 240V to the distribution board as a minimum. Most of those will have pulled at least one 240V spur from the distribution board into the house as you need 240V to run heavy draw devices like air conditioning and swimming pool pumps and heaters and the like

you would also need to replace the Gicar if you were planning to convert it to 120V

and you will need the 38mm socket to change the element, and the service kit which has the element gasket in it

in the first instance i would check that a 240V spur doesnt exist, and secondly the cost of having one pulled from the board

Alejandro Erickson

Okay... I assume I can get the 120V Gicar too. I'm going to look at the house first. I will have time, since the L1 is taking the 3-month slow boat.

The LEDs?

Thanks for your attention, Reese.

Reiss Gunson

hi alejandro

yes, that part is here; https://londiniumespresso.com/store/product/142-gicar-control-unit-for-londinium-i

you will notice that the option is a bit weird as it refers to 1400W and a USA plug, which is clearly irrelevant, but i will ask kelsey my web guy to create a pure voltage only option, i.e. 120V, 240V rather than just the power & plug option that we are currently using

kind regards

reiss.

Frans Goddijn

Alejandro Erickson post=11610 wrote: What I didn't realise when I asked if the 240V/50Hz L1 would work on power converted from 120V/60Hz, is that I would need to rewire my house with a 30A plugs to use it!

In my calculations I estimate 6A for 240V and 13A for 110V so a fuse of 16A would seem sufficient? Where am I wrong?

240V X 6A = 1440 W
110V X 13 A = 1430 W

Alejandro Erickson

The UK heater is 2400W

Frans Goddijn

2400 W : 110V = 22 A

I don't get the 30A

But it's not important

Alejandro Erickson

30A with 8A of overdesigned safety, mostly to account for inefficiencies in my converter and unexpected surges in power draw.

Frans Goddijn

I see. That makes sense. If your transformer would transform 110V to 220V the machine would still work and the element would use less current. But if you can get 220V - 230V from the socket without need for a transformer that would be more ideal of course.

Alejandro Erickson

I would have thought it to be slightly different. The machine will draw 2400W from the converter, meaning that the converter needs a bit more than that from the wall. I could be wrong, but in any case, I need more power than my typical 15 or 20A breaker.

Reiss Gunson

the LEDs won't need to be changed to run on 120V.

Alejandro Erickson

Bump. My L1 is finally here!

I'm going to try something that might break it, but I have one more question that will help me avoid electrocution and any other injury or untimely death.

I will be using dual-phase 240v power from a dryer outlet in north america. One 120V HOT phase will power the L1's fused HOT terminal, and another 120V HOT phase (the other, phase, of course), will power the L1's NEUTRAL terminal. Ground will connect to ground.

My concern is about whether or not the L1's NEUTRAL parts are isolated from the user, since I will cause them to run at 120V potential difference from GROUND.

I understand that running the 50Hz L1 at 60Hz may affect the running of the controller and pump. We'll see what happens there.

Edit: I just opened it up and tested the resistance between various parts. The ground terminal goes straight to the body, so every part I can touch from the outside will have the same potential as ground, including the boiler itself. Looking at the wiring inside, where the mains power comes into the switch, it appears that the L1's NEUTRAL wire is isolated from ground (and they are isolated from each other in testing while machine is not plugged in). I'm very close to plugging this in again! wooooot!

James Shackelford

I have ran my 240V L1 off my dryer circuit without issue.

James

Alejandro Erickson

Great! How did you connect it?

James Shackelford

Alejandro,

Let me make the standard disclaimer... I am not a electrician, but I am an engineer with a good understanding of residential electrical....

So, 240v is comprised of 120v from each phase. That being said, that's why the 240V breakers in your electrical panel are double wide, to pick up a leg of each phase. I tapped into the dryer outlet box, and attached out three wires, two hots (120v each phase) and one return wire to the return. This corresponds to the three wires to your L1. hot hot neutral. Then, I installed a NEMA L6-20 receptacle in another box, and orders a NEMA L6-20 male cord for my L1 to plug into is.

However, I prior, as a temporary situation, I went to Home Depot and purchased 6 feet of 12 awg three wire "extension" cord wired, some ring terminal lugs, and a NEMA L6-20 female end, and connected the ring terminal inside my dryer as a "jumper".... just don't run the L1 and the dryer at the same time, you may or may not trip your breaker. I will send pictures of my "temp" solution later.

AGAIN, please be careful. This is my solution, at my own risk. If you are at all uncomfortable working with electricity, call an electrician and do it right.

Alejandro Erickson

How come you went with hot hot neutral instead of hot hot ground? I was going to leave the neutral open...

Also, my understanding is that polarity doesn't matter with respect to the hots. In this setting they are interchangeable?

This is what I have now. Note that the 13A fuse in the L1's cord is an essential part of the circuit, since the dryer outlet is probably 30A. Can't plug in dryer and L1 at the same time

James Shackelford

I used the hot hot neutral as I tied to it inside my dryer. Technically, either works as North American Electric code bonds the neutral and ground inside the electrical panel. Inside the dryer ALSO ties neutral to ground.... So, either worked.

Alejandro Erickson

Thanks! I will stick with ground.... but we have a huge anti-climax here because... my dad's dryer receptacle does not work :D. I will report back when if and when I get it fixed.

Alejandro Erickson

I'm very late on this update, but my L1 is now working at 240V in Canada. It was quite easy in the end, as I just wired it into the back of the stove! As mentioned previously, I ended up leaving neutral open and connecting the ground wire to the stove's ground. Works as it did in the UK