Flash Dryer question

[Logoman]

I have a Flash that has been sitting in the back unused but someone has cut the plug off. How can I tell if it is a 110 or 220? There are no markings on the unit anywhere

[IntegrityShirts]

Does it have a plate on it anywhere with stamped info?  How big is it?  Post a pic of the cut wires and I could make a guess!

[Northland]

Here's an easy, safe way to test:
Put a 120v plug on it and plug it in.... if it gets as hot as you would normally expect, it's a 120 volt flash.
If it's a 240 volt flash it will only get to 1/4 th of expected temperature (half the current x half the voltage = 1/4 the wattage).

If you have an ohmeter, take a reading and post it... I think these are pretty much straight resistance devices and you should be able to tell by the resistance value:
An 1800 watt, 120 volt flash would be about 8 ohms.
An 2400 watt, 240 volt flash would be about  24 ohms.

[screenxpress]

Wouldn't the 110 have a 3 wire cord and the 220 a 4?

[Inkworks]

4 wire only if it's 120/240 Ie: a 110 control circuit and a 220 heating element. Or if it's 3 phase.

[screenxpress]

4 wire only if it's 120/240 Ie: a 110 control circuit and a 220 heating element. Or if it's 3 phase.

LOL.  I think that pretty much enforces what I had said. 

3 wire HAS to be 110 and 4 wire HAS to be 220 (even with a 110 control).  And 3 phase would be 220 and still 4 wire. 

Unless, of course someone wants to run a 220 circuit with 3 wires and provide the ground with their body 

Update:  Okay, I'm behind the times.....120/240.

[Inkworks]

Many 220 items will be 3 wire, not four. My compressor, my batch oven, my old conveyor. (220= Black/Red/Ground) (110/220= Black/Red/White/ground) The black and red are both hot, but out of phase with each other, so you get 220 between them. Between either hot and the white wire you get 110. My old flash was straight 220 and was 3 wire.


I'm sure many/most 220 flashes are 4 wire, but it's not an absolute, and 4 wires could also indicate 3-phase. I've even seen a few that have used a transformer in them to split out the 110, or even a few hack jobs that used the ground as the white wire. If you feel like getting stumped, pull the top plate off your main breaker panel and check out how the ground and white wire are connected by a bridge in there.....

Sorry, not meaning to be obtuse, just want to cover all the bases for the OP.

Go with Northlands suggestion and you're pretty safe, at worst it just won't heat up very much.

[TCT]

X2 what Northlands said.

I also have flashes, compressor, dryer, heat presses ect. that are 220v single phase that are all 3 wire. 2 hot, 1 ground.

One other thought, is you might be able to take the cover off where the wire enters the flash and see if it is printed on any of the switches, relays, fans, timers ect. if they are 220 or 110.

All said, pics would defenatly help! I love doing electricial work, you are either right or WRONG with a ZAP!

[Gilligan]

Yeah my beast (Antec's top of the line with Autobase) is 3 wire 220... unless it needs 110 then there is no need for a center tap (neutral).  My dryer uses the center tap only for the control panel/circuit other than that it runs only 2 conductors through the mercury switch to the panels. 110 controls the mecury switch.

Now on the other hand 4 conductors does guarantee that it's 220v

[Inkworks]

.......or 4 conductors could mean 3 phase, just like my big flashes were before I converted them to single phase 200 with.... wait for it------>3 wires. They have transformers to convert 220 to 110 to power the relays and fans.

[Gilligan]

3 phase would equal not 120v

3 phase flash would just be kind of stupid... what a waste unless it's just designed for a 3 phase building but I'm still skeptic on why it needs to be 3 phase.

Monty suggested that you could use smaller conductors ergo equaling a cheaper copper run... but adding that conductor cost more than the larger less conductor version and plus the breakers are more expensive.

[Binkspot]

4 wire could be single phase 220 in some cases. If the comtrols were 120vac you would have two each hot legs to the element, netural (to run the 120 controler) and a ground. You would steal power from one of the hots and connect the N to the controler to make it run.

[TCT]

Just get us a damn pic!