My wife and I recently moved from the St Louis area to the East Valley area of Phoenix, AZ. We’re having a home built, and we’re a year out from moving in. Until then, we’re staying with my father-in-law in a small house (read: no space for a TS). I need 220v power to use the saw, but only 110v is available in the garage. Rather than re-wire an existing outlet or run a new line, I thought about using a voltage converter, like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Rockstone-3000-Watt-Transformer-Converter/dp/B00J0CF8W4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=voltage%2Bconverter%2B110%2Bto%2B220&qid=1640356386&s=electronics&sr=1-3&th=1
Has anyone ever used one to power a TS?
I own a three hp cabinet saw and only use it sparingly (mostly use hand tools), so it’s not in use all day, every day, and it sits on a mobile base so that I can move it around the garage.
More info: The saw requires 220/240 v and 14 amps, which equates to over 3k watts. So a 5k unit is needed. My new shop will be pre-wired for the TS, so I can sell this unit when we move into the new home. Also, believe it or not, the circuit box’s here in AZ are on the OUTSIDE of the houses! To get the power at dad’s, I’d have to fish the line through the wall, bring it into the circuit box, install the new breaker, blah, blah, blah ($$$). You get the picture. Anyway, your thoughts?
Replies
Yes it will work as long as you can supply 120v, 30 amps.
He would need to run a wire to do that typical 120v outlets are at best wired for 20A with 12ga wire.
Before doing that I might suggest a portable generator. At least with a portable generator you will find other uses for it later on. Many a contractor runs their table saw off of a generator on job sites. The only real draw back is the noise.
Adding the 220v plug in the garage probably isn't much more than the transformer (which seems unlikely to provide the power needs you have). Another approach: Buy 110v contractor's saw to use while working out of this temporary space. Sell it when you move. Easy and cheap.
If the fuse box is on the outside of the garage wall, putting a 220v outlet on the inside garage wall would be super easy, and should be very cheap.
John_C2: I thought of doing this. I'll have to check the box and make sure there is space for a 220v circuit. Not today though - it's pouring and with the box outside - no thanks. I'll check tomorrow.
If there is enough space, I'll see what I'll see and maybe it won't be too difficult.
Something is fishy about this product.
Watts are watts. If the output is 5000 watts then the input needs to be (at least) 5000 watts.
Your garage receptacle provides either 1800 watts or 2400 watts depending if it's 15 amp or 20 amp.
Where does the Rockstone voltage converter get the extra wattage?
Mike
How many eggnogs by now ?
Another idea? Plug the saw into the dryer outlet (after changing the plug end)? Laundry room right next to the garage - "the laundry will just have to wait, Dear."
Also, I found out that there are two outlets in the garage that are surface mounted, and both outlets are on a dedicated circuit. If the wire can handle the load, all I need to do is use the neutral (white) as the second hot (heat shrink red tubing on them), switch out the breaker, and replace the receptacles. Or eliminate one of them - I'll only need one. If the wiring can't handle the load, I can easily fish the proper wire through to the breaker panel using the existing pathway and have at it.
Reusing the existing 12 or 14 gauge wiring for a 15 amp 240V circuit, as you propose, would be easy as long as there’s room in the breaker box for the double pole breaker.
Instead of changing the plug on the saw there are adapters to convert the 4 wire dryer to a regular 240V outlet like your table saw. Might be easier if your saw has a molded plug.
In house wiring, white is usually negative.
With AC there is no fixed negative. White is usually the neutral wire and black (and red for 240V) is the hot.
I would probably just make a 240 v extension cord to go to the dryer outlet, with appropriate receptacle and plug to connect at each end. Otherwise I'd run a new 240 v circuit. Messing with the 110 circuits is uncertain, and could kill someone later.
That can work. I've done the same with a garage that did not have power. Had to run extension cables. You can get quite significant voltage drop so worth investing in a a good quality thick conductor cable. The lights would dim when I switched on my contractor saw!
Also make sure you unwind the whole cable as cable reels get very hot in use otherwise and can melt.
I am fortunate enough to live where 240V is the norm so running up to 3KW tools is just easy.
No experience with a power converter like described, but no way would I take any shortcuts with the power feed for my 3hp cabinet saw and risk hurting the motor or electronics. If both garage outlets are on dedicated circuits (no other lights or outlets), it would seem repurposing one would give you a very good and safe option if done properly. Extension cords to a dryer take effort and are inconvenient in several ways. To make room in the panel, an electrician could replace some breakers with “thin line” type breakers as they are half the size of standard breakers in order to make room for a double pole and wire up a 220 outlet as well. I would confirm the breaker size for the outlets and what is specified for you saw, as some saws that require 14 amps may have start-up draw a lot higher which might lead to tripping, depending, if only on a 15 amp breaker. The owners manual should state the breaker size along with the amps, etc. Continually tripping a circuit is dangerous and probably also not great for your saw’s motor. Given its someone else’s house, you might want an electrician to do the final hook-ups and get it permitted/inspected. I have done 220 installation in my shops and made 22ov extension cords as well and can assure you there is a lot of really poor, unclear and/or outright wrong and dangerous information and opinions on the internet about wiring requirements and how-to, so be very cautious. If you find out the outlets aren’t dedicated, don’t have enough amps on the breaker or you don’t want to hire an electrician, then the extension cord to the dryer would be safest.
As @MikeInOhio says, you are short of power here.
Essentially you need to pull twice as many amps on 110 as on 220 as power = volts x amps.
You can double the voltage, but you'll still be limited to (breaker rated max current x 110) Watts (minus a little lost in the transformer)
If you have a 30A breaker on the circuit you plan to use (and it was installed by an electrician) then you should be good. Anything less than that will blow all the time. You really need 40A on the breaker though as stall currents and start up current can be considerably higher and may be enough to blow a breaker that can only just handle the running current.
I think the best advice was to buy another saw and sell it when you move.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and thank you for all of your responses. Tomorrow I will review the options available in the circuit panel and the wire gage of the circuits in the garage. I will either run new wiring and add the correct breakers or use the dryer plug option. After further research on the voltage converters, it is not the way to go. More than likely, it would damage the saw motor if I did. I'll report back when I get the saw put together and running.
Today, I get to assemble a mobile base unit that Santa left under the tree! Merry Christmas!
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