Golden_HVAC wrote:
Pianotuna,
While most will not have the technical skills to wire up a voltage booster, you can save some money by doing it yourself. I built one with a 500 watt 'buck/booste' transformer. It is rated at about 42 amps at 12 volts. They also sell a 16 volt version. I figure that if the voltage input is 108, then the increase is about 11 volts, to bring it up to 119 - give or take a little.
When I was living on a ranch, with the main electric panel about 300' away, I was plugged into the well house, and that wire was about #8. So voltage drop was about 1 volt per amp that I would draw. So unboosted 120 volts became 132 volts, and it would drop by about 12- 15 amps depending on if the microwave or air conditioner was running. I used solar for the batteries, and never charged them in the summer with shore power.
I plugged in my refrigerator directly to the power post - so it will never be boosted, because high voltage is REALLY bad for the refrigerator electric heater. 132 volts will take the typical 2.5 amp heater up to about 3A X 132V = 396 watts! That is enough to crack a heat exchanger ammonia line.
You will have the skills to wire up this booster transformer. It comes with line drawings, and when I wired mine up the first time, I got output of 108, so I had to move a couple of wires to get 132 volts.
http://www.grainger.com/product/SQUARE-D-Buck-Boost-Transformer-WP157564/_/N-/Ntt-buck+boost+transformers?nls=0&sst=subset&suggestConfigId=6&s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/1H275_AS01?$smthumb$
Mine will not change voltage automatically, but I have a three way switch on the outlet, so I can change from boosted to input line, depending on my needs. I do unplug it before making the voltage change. I bought a 12" long 30 amp cord from Camping World near my home, and a 30 amp receptacle and deep metal box from my local Home Depot. I had the couple of feet of #10 wire to use inside the box and to to the transformer from the plug and receptacle.
Basically the input neutral goes to the output receptacle, and the high voltage on the transformer. Then the input black wire goes to the 3 way switch and high voltage input on the transformer. Low voltage on the transformer also goes to the three way switch. Other side of the low voltage goes to the input black wire (and other side of the input high voltage). So the input black wire + 12 volts (or +16 if you select that model transformer) goes to the 3 way switch, and to the black output side of the receptacle.
Good luck!
Fred.
The last place you want to buy a Buck Boost Trans form is Grainger. They rape you! Purchase off of Ebay, Amazon etc... any brand will do , you do not need to go with Sq. D, I have used over 15 of just about every brand and in 20 years have only had 1 Acme 2 KVA go bad!
