If you own any machine or machines PLEASE vote in this poll... that means you!

[Van Huskey]

I want to know if you have all single pahse machines or if you own a 3ph machine.


I posted a poll about how people run their three phase machines recently and initially I just wanted to know exactly that, but putting in the single phase option got me thinking about what percentage of people here have a three phase machine, I am thinking the way the other poll was set up prevents us from gleaning that info from that poll.

[david paul miller]

all single phase

[Ron Bontz]

Does my PM3520B count. Has it's own converter box. They should put them on drill presses.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I guess you only want woodworking machines and my three phase well pump doesn't count. :)

[Van Huskey]

Does my PM3520B count. Has it's own converter box. They should put them on drill presses.


That is an interesting question but I say no to the lathes WITH stock VFDs since they are designed to run on single phase outlet power. Some people do use VFDs on DPs for speed control when converting 3ph machines but the only attempt for a commercial product I know of was the failed Delta. I think DPs work fine with a good quality Reeves drive since they don't need reverse and you can get a full speed range with no belt changes and keep constant HP which allows lower HP motors. People will spend a lot more on a lathe than a DP.

[Mike Henderson]

If you have a machine with a three phase motor driven by a VFD with single phase input, does that count as a single phase machine or a three phase machine. The reason I ask is that some lathes come with a built in VFD but are described as single phase machines. The three phase in "under the covers" so the user doesn't know about it.

So if that doesn't count as a three phase machine, does a lathe that I installed a VFD and a three phase motor count as a three phase machine or a single phase machine?

Mike

[Van Huskey]

If you have a machine with a three phase motor driven by a VFD with single phase input, does that count as a single phase machine or a three phase machine. The reason I ask is that some lathes come with a built in VFD but are described as single phase machines. The three phase in "under the covers" so the user doesn't know about it.

So if that doesn't count as a three phase machine, does a lathe that I installed a VFD and a three phase motor count as a three phase machine or a single phase machine?

Mike

I was trying to clear that up, if the lathe was sold new with a VFD then I consider it single phase, if you bought say a PM90 that was three phase and use a VFD to power it I consider that 3ph.

I acn think of one other troublesome area, we will see if it crops up as well.

[Larry Whitlow]

I don't think so, but don't really know. What is a three phase motor?

[mreza Salav]

Well, I have bought a 3phase motor bandsaw and it is being shipped tomorrow (and hopefully arrive here on Friday).
So technically I don't have one in my shop yet but will vote yes once I get it (I am excited about the big toy :D

[Damon Stathatos]

To answer your question, 'do you own any three phase machines,?' ...yes I do. The majority of my machines are three phase. I was fortunate enough to move my garage shop into a large facility that had an abundance of three phase power (former defense contractor building with multiple 'panels' (four total) all 220-240 or 440-480 three phase. All of the subsequent machines I purchased were three phase and it was somewhat of a bother to have to cluster my moved garage shop (220v) single phase machines into a small area wired for such (OK, I'm lazy and didn't want to rewire to spread them out...it works).

I'm not sure why you are polling but if it is because you have an option to bring three phase in or to move to a location with three phase...don't walk...run.....and DO IT !!!! Why you ask? Because (usually) three phase machines are industrial machines and built to run 24/7 (exaggerated but you get the point). You already know all of this. Another thing you already know is that it's the greatest 'sale' or 'secret' or 'opportunity' out there. You buy three phase machines for, literally, pennies (yes, pennies...not nickels...not dimes...but pennies) on the dollar compared to single phase. And you already know the reason why, because when a nice single phase machine comes up for sale, you're competing against 100% of the population out there but when a three phase machine comes up for sale, you're only competing against a 'puny' percent of the population.

So maybe you're curious as to what that 'puny' percentage is?
The reason for your poll?
That's my guess.
How close am I?

Last point...dang vfd's...they're beginning to drive up the price of the old three phase beauties!

235474

[Van Huskey]

I don't think so, but don't really know. What is a three phase motor?

Simply it is a motor that requires 3ph power to operate properly, it does not need start or run caps and can be smaller for a specific output as well.

3ph power is a type of polyphase power transmission used on most power grids since it is more economical to move the energy and also uses smaller conductors.

It involves the "hot" condutors which carry alternating currents at the same frequency but with their waves offset so the peaks arrive at different times each offset from the other two by a third or two thirds of a wave. This makes gives it a smooth energy delivery vs single phase. 3ph power does not need a neutral since the load is connected between phases. The other major benefits are the simpler motor design mentioned before and it also reduces motor vibration due to the linear nature of the delivery into a balanced load. Three phase is chosen since it is the lowest phase order which accomplishes the above goals.

The fact that producing 3ph from single phase has become more widespread, cheaper and the quality of the "power" has become better results in hobbyists or small shops without commercial 3ph power being able to resonably buy and use large (or small) 3ph machines that have historically gone for literally pennies on the dollar. I just bought a Northfield jointer with 10 hobbyists lifetimes of use left in it for 7% of what it would cost to buy a new one.

[Van Huskey]

So maybe you're curious as to what that 'puny' percentage is?
The reason for your poll?
That's my guess.
How close am I?

Last point...dang vfd's...they're beginning to drive up the price of the old three phase beauties!

235474

My other poll made me mor curious, I am finding more of us have 3ph machines than I expected...

Thats some serious juice you got coming in there!!!! <JELOUS!

[Rick Potter]

One three phase. My Felder KF700 came with a factory inverter installed so it could be run on single phase. I have the only variable speed table saw in town.

Rick Potter

[Rick Fisher]

I have 4 .. A smallish SCM wide belt.. Felder Edge Sander, Griggio Jointer and a General Lathe .. The lathe is out of a school shop.

I have a 3 phase panel connected to a converter .. The cost to install a breaker and run a tec cable with plug and recepticle is higher than the cost of a VFD for the lathe.. I think Factorymotion is $119.00 for a 1hp Teco Westinghouse VFD .. The breaker alone is more than that in Canada.

As another poster said, 3 phase is awesome because the machinery is usually higher end, and it has a lousy resale value because so few people can run it .. VFD's are indeed wrecking it but only up to 3hp ... for now..

[Rich Engelhardt]

LOL!
I had to pick option 3 since it "didn't fit", less than the other two "didn't fit".

All my machines are single phase - but - only because they are 120 volt. I didn't want to skew the data...

[Metod Alif]

All single phase.

[Rod Sheridan]

I don't know Van, the single phase if it came from a factory with a vfd but 3 phase if you added a VFD????????????

How about "Does your machine have a 3 phase motor? yes/no"

I voted for 3 phase however I added a 3 phase motor/VFD to a used lathe that didn't have a motor or stand when Diann purchased it. Do I get to vote once for yes, once for no and once for it didn't have a motor?.........LOL..............Rod.

[J.R. Rutter]

I have at least one single phase machine :-)

[Thomas love]

Three phase Sander, Bandsaw, shapers, table saw, the rest 220 and 110 for hand held power tools. My shop is on my property and has 3 phase service.

[Van Huskey]

I don't know Van, the single phase if it came from a factory with a vfd but 3 phase if you added a VFD????????????

How about "Does your machine have a 3 phase motor? yes/no"

I voted for 3 phase however I added a 3 phase motor/VFD to a used lathe that didn't have a motor or stand when Diann purchased it. Do I get to vote once for yes, once for no and once for it didn't have a motor?.........LOL..............Rod.

I have a love hate relationship with polls...

The person that buys for instance buys a PM3520B or G0733 lathe never has to even give consideration to phase when buying one, I know people that own similar lathes that have no idea they have a 3ph motor. I am looking for insight into people not machines in this poll. The poll you propose is excellent, pure and probably would result in little or no confusion, however a bunch of factory VFD equipped lathe owners could significantly skew the results away from what I am interested in knowing. There is probably a better poll for me to get that information but I ain't that bright!

[Rod Sheridan]

I know, it's really tough to determine exactly what catagories to include.

I'm in the process of building a band saw mill and it will have a 3 phase motor with VFD because I can normally obtain free 3 phase motors. I'll just borrow the VFD from Diann's lathe for those rare occasions I need to use the band saw mill...Rod.

[Van Huskey]

I know, it's really tough to determine exactly what catagories to include.

I'm in the process of building a band saw mill and it will have a 3 phase motor with VFD because I can normally obtain free 3 phase motors. I'll just borrow the VFD from Diann's lathe for those rare occasions I need to use the band saw mill...Rod.


I hope you are documenting the build!

[Ryan Hellmer]

I built a rotary converter and fell off the wagon. Most of my shop is now three phase.

About the sawmill build, if you can get three phase motors for free, you ought to build a rotary converter. As a bandsawmill owner/operater I don't think you'd get much done with less than 10 HP and even a 5 HP vfd will set you back a pretty penny.

Someday I hope to upgrade to a 20HP converter (already have the idler) and hardwire a 3-phase load center into the shop. Someday...

Ryan

[Van Huskey]

Someday I hope to upgrade to a 20HP converter (already have the idler) and hardwire a 3-phase load center into the shop. Someday...

Ryan

Really jump off the cliff and get a digital phase converter!

[Alan Bienlein]

All single phase to date.

[Mike Heidrick]

3ph equipped - soon 30hp RPC and panel

[Van Huskey]

3ph equipped - soon 30hp RPC and panel

Which will give you the ability to create enough vacuum to pull the suck the moon to the earth!

[Rod Sheridan]

235515
I hope you are documenting the build!

Well, here it is to date. Of course since I'm down in Virginia at our earth station I'm getting zip accomplished on the saw mill..........Rod

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Ryan, I find that a 3 to 5 HP electric motor will saw as fast as I need.

The photo in a post above shows an 8 HP gas engine on it as my partner wants operate it in the bush, I want to operate it at town house in the city.

so it has a dual mount motor mount so we can swap the motor for the engine with a couple of bolts...........Rod.

[Chris Parks]

Alright Van I'll bite, why do you need to know?

[Van Huskey]

Alright Van I'll bite, why do you need to know?

My need to know is just pure curiosity. It is like the hundred other things I "need" to know in a day BUT the other 99 were quickly satisfied by "the Google machine". It started with the other poll when I realized more people here than I would have imagined owned and used 3ph powered machines. I would have guessed at most 10% but it appears to be significantly more. I knew the other poll was skewing the results since I wasn't interested in that exact info when I started that poll. In the past I skipped over ads for 3ph machines, any more I see it as an advantage in several ways.

BTW is it equally as difficult to get 3ph in Oz when you are talking about residential areas?

[Chris Parks]

No, not difficult at all if you are prepared to pay for it. In fact I think it available universally, certainly in the more heavily populated areas. Once upon a time before all the electricity supply was privatised all you had to do was demonstrate a certain use level per year and they hooked it up for nothing which is how I got it when our AC was installed. A lot of older homes have it due to hot water systems being three phase but that went out of fashion many years ago. It is fairly superfluous these days due to the ready availability of VFD's. All Clearvue installations use a three phase motor either driven through a VFD or straight from a power point.

[Dan Barber1]

I have a Delta/Rockwell unisaw made in the early 70's that's 3 phase with a rotary converter that I bought from the guy that sold me the saw. Everything else single phase 110. I bought the saw used about 15 years ago and it's still going. A great saw but it doesn't have nice things like a blade guard and splitter. But it sure has plenty of power. The only down side is the noise of the converter running all the time.

[Homer Faucett]

My first "real" lathe was a Delta 1460 that came without a motor. I decided I wanted variable speed, and picked up a 2hp 3 phase motor and a vfd that would power it. After that, things went downhill, and I bought a Yates J180 bs with a 3 ph motor, and, more recently, an old Delta 17" DP with a 3 ph motor. The ability to buy quality older machines at a great discount is nice . . . but I don't think I'll venture above anything larger than 3 horsepower for a while. Oh yeah, forgot to add that I picked up a Nova 3000 lathe that I am currently retrofitting to 3 phase/vfd.

[Matt Meiser]

I have only single phase machines now but I've previously had 2 3-phase machines . One was a jointer I bought with a 3-phase motor and swapped out a single phase motor. The other was a lathe that I bought with no motor and put a 3-phase motor in with a VFD for variable speed.

[Van Huskey]

BTW Rod, very nice start, look forward to seeing the progress and results!

[Jeff Duncan]

Soooo.....I wonder if some people who voted in the first poll, won't post in this second poll, feeling it's redundant.....thereby giving a false result:confused:

Sorry, just had to mess with ya:cool:

JeffD.....who voted in both;)

[Van Huskey]

Soooo.....I wonder if some people who voted in the first poll, won't post in this second poll, feeling it's redundant.....thereby giving a false result:confused:

Sorry, just had to mess with ya:cool:

JeffD.....who voted in both;)

No pickin'! Keep it up and I will come to your shop and put Harbor Freight stickers over the Martin, TIR will magically jump to .107 inches, I've seen it happen... :p

[Joe Isley]

I have both.
I have 3 3ph machines, 2 machines that I changed from 3 ph to single phase, I didn't know about VFD's or I would have about all 3 phase machines.
The rest are single phase, 12 machines, I also have 1 three phase machine, 3/4 hp that I will probably change to single phase when finished restoring.

[Mike Cruz]

4 are three phase, the rest is single phase. All three phase are run off their own VFDs. This gives me speed control when/where needed, but also gives me soft start, braking, and a bunch of other options. Three phase machines are: Two lathes, band saw, belt/disc sander.

[kenneth kayser]

It might be better to ask if one has 3 phase power. Then, if the power comes from the line or from a converter. Then, if the converter delivers 2/3 of 3 phase power (static converter)or 100% of three phase power (rotary converter). How about speed control 3 phase?

[Van Huskey]

It might be better to ask if one has 3 phase power. Then, if the power comes from the line or from a converter. Then, if the converter delivers 2/3 of 3 phase power (static converter)or 100% of three phase power (rotary converter). How about speed control 3 phase?

That is essentially what I did in the poll that inspired this one, I was curious how people ran their 3ph machines, SPC, RPC, VFD, utility company etc.

[mreza Salav]

Ok, now I can say I have a 3-phase machine but cannot run it yet as don't have a phase convertor (nor 3-phase power). A VFD is in order soon.

[Ronald Blue]

Single phase at this time.

[george wilson]

Most of my metal working machines are 3 phase. Someone asked what 3 phase is. It gives the motor 3 impulses per revolution. Single phase gives 1. The difference in the quality of surfaces a lathe will produce on metal is very evident with 3 phase motors. But,you must use rotary phase converters rather than static converters to get true 3 phase (and full H.P. to the motor. Static converters deliver only about 3/4(or so) of the true power of the motor.

[William Cummins]

Well I would have voted but there was no option for most or all 3 phase machines! All of my stationary machines are 3 phase and 480V too. I have VFD's on 7 machines so far and I will be adding more as time goes by (not for phase conversion as I have 3 phase power, but the other features of them). I in fact will not buy a single phase machine, and will not knowingly purchase a low voltage one either.

William....

[Seth Poorman]

I have a edge sander , tablesaw , Lathe , and shaper w/ 3ph motors , I run them w/ a rotory ph converter.
my other machines another tablesaw , jointer , bandsaw , and planer are all single phase.

[Gary Herrmann]

One 3ph machine. A 20" DP waiting for me to buy the converter.

[Van Huskey]

One 3ph machine. A 20" DP waiting for me to buy the converter.

What DP? If it is a PM 1200 I'm super jelous, it is one of the machines on my "hit list". The again a Clausing would make me even more jelous.

[Sam Layton]

I have two. I purchased a used Vega edge sander with a 3hp, three phase motor. I added a VFD and it works great. I also have a Powermatic lathe that is three phase, and came with a VFD. I try to only buy single phase.

Sam

[Mike Heidrick]

The again a Clausing would make me even more jelous.

;) On my list of nice ines to get as well.

[Van Huskey]

;) On my list of nice ines to get as well.

If you noticed Sam listed another one on my hit list that YOU have already checked off!!! The next post will probably be a 10hp PM180 with a Byrd head then my jelousy will have reached maximum capacity.

[Van Huskey]

Looks like it has leveled out and there is a pretty large N so it seems a little over 20% of people here have 3ph machines. More than I would have expected.

[Glenn Ancona]

Old shop was single phase w/ rotary inverter. New diggs are 3 phase supply w/ single phase panel split off - it was a must when finding a new place. It has opened up options for some bigger HP machine purchases and others that are only built three phase.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Moak jointer on hitachi vfd
duro lathe on hitachi vfd
AO smith pool pump motor on teco vfd

OT-- Van: 2 wk ago I passed up on a $1k clausing dp. You are living in the wrong LA.

Ruperto

[Van Huskey]

OT-- Van: 2 wk ago I passed up on a $1k clausing dp. You are living in the wrong LA.

Ruperto

I have noticed that LA has been having a lot of good deals on nice machines lately.

[David Conrad]

all single, but both 120 and 240.

[Dan T Jones]

singel phase

[Dave Parkis]

I only have one for now, my Delta 8" jointer that I got at a high school auction. Cost me $100 for the jointer and another $150 for the VFD and wiring. Not too shabby.

[Dave Cav]

My thickness planer (PM 180), 12/14" Delta table saw, PM 65 table saw, Millbury tenoner, Newman mortiser, and Delta 6x6 drill press are all three phase, run from individual VFDs. The Delta 12" RAS, Acme edge sander, jointer, 17" BS, both Delta shapers and air compressor are all 220, and the 14" BS, Delta 24" scroll saw and smaller (non-Arn) DP are 110.

[Tim Offutt]

It is my planer, a couple drill presses and a whole slew of metal working equipment. Before VFD's there were very few people interested in the old three phase machines so they were very cheap.

When I started I had a 15 hp rotary phase converter. After a few years on the converter I needed more capacity and also more consistent power for a couple machining centers so I had REMC run three phase to the building. Cost a couple grand spread over the bill for two years as minimum charge per month. It actually cost me nothing because I was using the minimum amount already. It costs more per KW hour but the machines run better. Best thing I ever did.



.

[Floyd Cox]

all single phase

[ken carroll]

Oliver 159 lathe 3ph
PM-66 3ph
Oliver 270 saw 3ph

Sharpe Mill 3ph
Sheldon lathe 3ph

Everything else 1ph.


Metalworking stuff run off a RPC, WW stuff run off a second RPC.

[David Hostetler]

100% 110V single phase. No desire to go 3 phase whatsoever. Bargains that can be had on three phase equipment are quickly overshadowed by the expense of converting the power.

[Kirk Poore]

100% 110V single phase. No desire to go 3 phase whatsoever. Bargains that can be had on three phase equipment are quickly overshadowed by the expense of converting the power.

That's not the experience I've had with my 7 3ph machines.

Kirk

[Van Huskey]

100% 110V single phase. No desire to go 3 phase whatsoever. Bargains that can be had on three phase equipment are quickly overshadowed by the expense of converting the power.

I am curious, have you shopped the 3ph conversion market lately? A single machine up to 3hp can be run for ~$175 or cheaper with a Chinese drive and a 1 man shop (running only one machine at a time) could have a dozen 3ph machines up to 5hp and run them for about $700 with an off the shelf solution and well under $500 for one you piece together. There was a day and time when the 3ph conversion equipment was expensive and crude, the advances in the last few years have been amazing, you may want to check it out.

[Chris Parks]

Further to Van's post re Chinese drives, a lot of can have different profiles for machines programmed into them or even for the same machine which increases their versatility. It is even possible to buy direct from the Chinese manufacturers, forget the middleman. Anyone who wants a direct contact with a manufacturer can contact me, don't worry they speak and write very passable English and treat me, who buys in very small numbers, like a priority customer. Just yesterday I had an unsolicited email from a manufacturer want to sell me some soft drives as he called them.

[Michael Arruda]

3 phase-
planer (Yates J180)
Jointer (Crescent 12")
Lathe (American 12" Longbed Speed Lathe)
Borer (Davis & Wells Horizontal Borer)
Compressor (Speedaire 5HP)
Mill (Hightower Bridgeport clone)
Dust Collector (Delta 4 bag)

Everything else is single phase. I had plans on a rotary phase converter but moved into a commercial space with 3 phase instead.

-Michael

PS- Stop telling everyone how easy it is to run 3phase on single- you're helping to drive the prices up for the rest of us!

[Van Huskey]

Interesting over time the percentage of folks with 3ph has dropped in the poll, I suppose because the more active you are here may mean you are more active in WWing in general and more likely to test the waters of 3ph and or you are more likely to have read about the benefits and ease of providing 3ph power in a non-commercial setting.

[John Hays]

Interesting over time the percentage of folks with 3ph has dropped in the poll, I suppose because the more active you are here may mean you are more active in WWing in general and more likely to test the waters of 3ph and or you are more likely to have read about the benefits and ease of providing 3ph power in a non-commercial setting.

Dude, I'm lucky to have any power at all in my shop (due to the strict electrical policies my town has), so I'm forced to only use single phase and like it! LOL

[Mike Cruz]

John, you can use single phase, but still have 3 phase machines. You just need a SPC, RPC, or VFD (or some other way to convert power from 1 ph to 3 ph). I only have 1 ph to my shop, yet I have three 3 phase machines...each one with its own VFD. Bottom line is that you can often get 3 phase machines for less money than a single phase machine, and that extra buffer allows you to add a VFD to it, which not only lets you use the machine on 1 ph, but gives you usefull operation options! Also, when each 3 ph machine has its own VFD, when/if you need to sell the machine, you can sell it as a "1 phase" unit. ;)

[Van Huskey]

Dude, I'm lucky to have any power at all in my shop (due to the strict electrical policies my town has), so I'm forced to only use single phase and like it! LOL

In a previous poll less than 20% of people that were using 3ph machines actually had 3ph power from the utility company. The cost and quality of this "manufactured" 3ph power has changed a lot in the last few years and allows us to run 3ph machines cheaply and effectively especially considering the cost of many of the industrial machines that have been on the used market in the last few years. IE you can run any 3hp or less 3ph machine on single phase for under $200 and closer to $100 if you shop and that is making full rated power. Plus, 3ph motor run smoother and last longer with fewer parts to break.

[John Hays]

@Mike & Van,

Yep, I know that you can use converters, but the guys down at city hall have a very out-of-date thought process about anything a homeowner wants to do to their own property around here.

For example, when I put my sub-panel in, I used an aluminum return feed and ran the ground wire to a piece of 6' rebar (completely buried) about two feet away from the panel (just outside the exterior wall). Overkill, right? Nope, the inspector made me replace the aluminum with copper and run the ground to the main panel. Needless to say, both my contractor and I were absolutely stunned.

But hey, I'll go down and ask them if I can use a VFD and see what they say... if they even know what a converter is. >.<

[Van Huskey]

@Mike & Van,

Yep, I know that you can use converters, but the guys down at city hall have a very out-of-date thought process about anything a homeowner wants to do to their own property around here.

For example, when I put my sub-panel in, I used an aluminum return feed and ran the ground wire to a piece of 6' rebar (completely buried) about two feet away from the panel (just outside the exterior wall). Overkill, right? Nope, the inspector made me replace the aluminum with copper and run the ground to the main panel. Needless to say, both my contractor and I were absolutely stunned.

But hey, I'll go down and ask them if I can use a VFD and see what they say... if they even know what a converter is. >.<

Not surprised at all about the ground, grounding with iron is not a good idea, it corrodes... NEC requires copper, aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum for good reason and I am pretty sure in your situation only copper is allowed. They just prevented you or a subsequent homeowner from having a faulty and dangerously wired house, one day that rebar would have been nothing but iron oxide. Get another contractor!!!! (I just reread this, did the inspector allow/know you were using rebar? If he didn't spot the rebar you need to replace it with copper, it will fail someday.)

Most VFDs due to the fact that practically you need one per machine are usually not hard wired thus not directly governed by inspection and code they are just plugged into the wall via socket. Many new machines such as lathes come equipped with VFDs for speed control.

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, I can't imagine that a VFD would/could be under ANY jurisdiction. I mean, you wire it to the machine, but plug it into the wall. You can mount it on the machine, or on the wall. So, it could be considered part of the machine or separate.

That said, I used to live in a town that had more rules and regulations than any place on earth! So, I feel for you John. I know those city hall folks are on power trips and LOVE to regulate what kind of plants you can and can't put in front of your own house! That was probably the worst part of living in that city.

[Rod Sheridan]

Yeah, I can't imagine that a VFD would/could be under ANY jurisdiction. I mean, you wire it to the machine, but plug it into the wall. You can mount it on the machine, or on the wall. So, it could be considered part of the machine or separate.
.

The VFD is under the jurisdiction of the AHJ as you have modified the machine, hence it's electrical approval is void.

All equipment has to be approved to be used, so the AHJ could request a field inspection of the modified equipment prior to it being used.

Regards, Rod.

[Charles Lent]

Only single phase machines in my woodshop both 120 and 240 volt..

Charley

[Van Huskey]

The VFD is under the jurisdiction of the AHJ as you have modified the machine, hence it's electrical approval is void.

All equipment has to be approved to be used, so the AHJ could request a field inspection of the modified equipment prior to it being used.

Regards, Rod.

Rod, down here our machines don't have to be UL or any other entity approved in fact most of the are not. I know the ESA up north controls this MUCH tighter.

[John Hays]

Not surprised at all about the ground, grounding with iron is not a good idea, it corrodes...

Yeah, I thought about that so we checked the main panel ground before purchasing the materials for the sub-panel and guess what... it was connected to a piece of rebar! LOL

So, we figured it was up to code, since the house was built in 2006. When I pointed that fact out to the inspector, he said that the main panel ground was acceptable and standard procedure for our community's 'new construction' policies and I shouldn't worry about it. At that point my contractor and I just looked at each other and threw up our hands in disgust.

Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread... carry on. ;)

[Van Huskey]

Yeah, I thought about that so we checked the main panel ground before purchasing the materials for the sub-panel and guess what... it was connected to a piece of rebar! LOL

So, we figured it was up to code, since the house was built in 2006. When I pointed that fact out to the inspector, he said that the main panel ground was acceptable and standard procedure for our community's 'new construction' policies and I shouldn't worry about it. At that point my contractor and I just looked at each other and threw up our hands in disgust.

Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread... carry on. ;)

Don't worry about the thread jack, it is "my" thread!

The additional information does indeed make me leary! I have certainly seen jusrisdictions change codes over time but that one is a head scratcher, the rebar will fail at some point, the copper will too BUT the difference in time is HUGE.

[Mike Cruz]

Rod, not sure I completely understand this, but I'll defer to you and those who know better... But do you mean that whenever you buy a new machine, you have to get approval for it? If you want to change the motor (upgrade from 1 hp to 2 hp) you have to get approval? Eek...that would bite.

[Jake Helmboldt]

I don't think so, but don't really know. What is a three phase motor?

If you don't know then you don't have it. I'll let someone else describe the technical difference between single phase and three phase.