220Vac single pole, to work in US 220Vac double pole

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the wiring and compatibility of a 220Vac single pole system with the US 220Vac double pole system. Participants explore the implications of the wiring configuration, including the identification of wires and the need for proper grounding, as well as the challenges of interpreting provided diagrams.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the yellow wire is likely not a true ground but rather a control circuit common, indicating a requirement for 220V instead of the 120V typically found in US single-phase systems.
  • There is mention of the unusual wiring configuration, with two hot wires on different poles of the relay, which some believe may indicate a mis-purposed 3-phase plus ground relay.
  • One participant questions the interpretation of a wiring diagram provided by the manufacturer, expressing concern over the lack of clarity and the absence of a schematic.
  • Another participant notes the labeling of one wire as "Fire," suggesting it may be appropriate, while also discussing the US split-phase system of 120V and 240V.
  • There is a proposal that in the US system, one would connect the two hot wires from the 240V output to the labeled wires, with one serving as phase/hot and the other as neutral, drawing parallels to European wiring practices.
  • A later reply emphasizes the necessity of consulting a qualified electrician for resolution, indicating the complexity of the issue.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the interpretation of the wiring and the necessity of a schematic. There is no consensus on the best approach to connect the system, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of the wiring configuration.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in the available information, including the lack of a clear wiring diagram and the potential misinterpretation of wire functions. Participants acknowledge the complexity of the situation without reaching a definitive solution.

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TL;DR
Hello, I need help. I have a printing machine and dryer unit that I purchased from China. It came wired as 220Vac single pole. How do i make it work with the US 220Vac double pole. attached are 2 pics of what I'm dealing with. Thank you in advance.
16697.jpeg
16797.jpeg
 
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You'll need to ask the manufacturer/vendor.

The yellow wire is too small to be the earth/ground for the entire machine, and isn't going through the main relay so it's probably the control circuit common/ground, not a true full-system ground. So it probably requires 220V, not the 120V of a single phase US hot.

The wiring is odd overall though, with two hot wires on different poles of the relay. It looks like a mis-purposed 3-phase plus ground relay.
 
16627.jpeg

russ_watters said:
You'll need to ask the manufacturer/vendor.

The yellow wire is too small to be the earth/ground for the entire machine, and isn't going through the main relay so it's probably the control circuit common/ground, not a true full-system ground. So it probably requires 220V, not the 120V of a single phase US hot.

The wiring is odd overall though, with two hot wires on different poles of the relay. It looks like a mis-purposed 3-phase plus ground relay.
this is what they sent me,,, as one currently in use.. using the 220Vac single pole
 
chriskoz said:
View attachment 290886

this is what they sent me,,, as one currently in use.. using the 220Vac single pole
How are we supposed to interpret that? They won't send you a wiring diagram?
 
I like how one wire is labeled "Fire". It may be appropriate.
 
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I was about to comment on the phase wire being labeled "fire" but @Vanadium 50 beat me to it.

@chriskoz other members will correct me but wasn't the US split phase system 120v and 240v instead of 220?
Anyway for most applications that require 230/240v as is common here in Europe for all applications, in the US one then uses the two "hot" wires of the split phase system because you effectively have a neutral and 120v on either side of the neutral so if you use one live and one neutral you get 120v but if you use both live wires you get 240.
But without at least a simple schematic just looking from pictures it is next to impossible to tell you the best/right solution in your case.

is the picture in your post #3 your own or one that they sent you ?
It seems that the brown in that picture is meant live/phase and the blue is neutral, the green is grounding.

I don't want to guess here but for the US system I think most likely you have to take the two hot wires from the 240v output and connect one to the RED or Chinese labeled "fire" wire and the other to the neutral or blue or Chinese labeled "zero" wire , that would seem most logical

In the US 240v case you then take one wire and that becomes your "phase/hot" while the other live wire becomes your "neutral" as is used in Europe and elsewhere.
 
Last edited:
You NEED a qualified electrician to figure this out. This problem is something that we cannot properly solve via the internet. Thread closed.
 
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