Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobb
Thats good to know. We dont have any electrical issues currently. I want to take up welding and would also use the 2nd service for that as well as charging the or an ev if not get one of those security lights too.
I dont think I can get a 440 service. 
Isnt 220 3 phase 110 2 phase?  |
Level 2 should be fine if you have a 200A 220V (or 240V) service currently, like adding another electric stove. But many factors apply, local codes being a huge factor. Maybe an electrician looked at you service and believes an upgrade is needed of
something that I, in a general way, can say "should not be a problem" but if I saw your service and breaker box, I might say it needed an upgrade. Perhaps your meter and service drop is up to task, but you need a bigger main and box which holds more breakers. We have a "6 disconnect rule" around here, and using that I could
legally add another "main" parallel feed off the service drop which would feed a Level 2 EV charger. But that is sort of a "loophole". If it is still in effect, I do not do much residential anymore.
Most 220 (nearly ALL) is Single Phase around here.
110v is 1 leg of 220 with a neutral. 220 is 2 hot legs. It is just a center tapped transformer setup, but graphically and geometrically, it is 2 phase but we call it single phase. It comes off the big generators as single phase, and that is what counts. 2 phase actually looks like 4 phase on paper, but it is 2 legs of 2 phase at the generator, divided into 4 legs. Think of a PLUS (+) sign, with the center grounded. That would be the neutral.
It's kinda confusing, but what appears to be 2 phase is single phase. It is also possible to do some really weird geometric "tricks" with the 2 leg single phase and make effectively 3 phase from 1 phase
I had to do this once on the job, make a single phase transformer work for a 3 phase motor. It's called Open Delta, it has a "phantom leg" that is really not there, but the motor is none the wiser
Any 3 phase system for battery charging CAN be ran on single phase, the actual 3 phase input is for the added load, not that it needs 3 phase power. These charger manufacturers are just building equipment that fits the available systems. Single Phase systems are size limited, and the Level 3 chargers are apparently 3 phase for the loads. Prolly 90% PLUS of your US residential customers are on 200A services, or smaller. Single phase, 220V.