208-277v timeclocks on 120-240

[brantmacga]

I was on a pool install a few days ago and before installing the pool contractor supplied timeclock, i checked the voltage as always and it was listed as a 208-277v timeclock (printed on the clock motor). i told the pool contractor it wouldn't work and just installed the housing and hardwired everything until he could get a new one to swap the internals with.

anyway, i met with the contractor today for something else and he said the supplier he got the timeclock from said that's what everyone's using now on pool pumps, no matter the voltage. so i'm scheduled to go down there next week and install the same timeclock, and then reschedule another trip to change to a 120-240 once this 208-277 burns out.

i'm not missing something am i? i think they assume it works because it has a picture of a swimming pool on the box (intermatic) and says "used for pool pumps".

 

[alfiesauce]

Makes me go Hmmm....
Just because a Big Mac looks so tastey on TV doesn't make it any better when you actually buy one...
Is this an electronic time clock? Because if it's a mechanical driven one then it shouldn't hurt it to give it a 120V acid test. But I'd bring along a 120V one in your truck and save the extra trip. That way when you let the smoke out of the one they supplied you can replace it with the proper one right away.

 

[brantmacga]

mechanical timeclock

 

[emahler]

what's your circuit voltage? 208V? 240V? 120V?

whats the wiring diagram on the 208-277V?

 

[alfiesauce]

I was just looking on the intermatic website through their pool and spa catalog and I think I found the clock they gave you.
If you are not supplying 208V or 277V to this clock mechanism then it is not going to work. You shouldn't hurt it by hooking up 120 to it, but it won't keep time very well either. If you can, bring the proper clock for the system to save yourself a trip or deal with it before you leave. Unless your getting paid for the trip cause then your guaranteed an extra trip charge.
no.. don't do that

 

[quogueelectric]

I was just looking on the intermatic website through their pool and spa catalog and I think I found the clock they gave you.
If you are not supplying 208V or 277V to this clock mechanism then it is not going to work. You shouldn't hurt it by hooking up 120 to it, but it won't keep time very well either. If you can, bring the proper clock for the system to save yourself a trip or deal with it before you leave. Unless your getting paid for the trip cause then your guaranteed an extra trip charge.
no.. don't do that

Just a phone call to get the model number of the clock then look up the pdf file and see what you need . Not a big deal in my opinion.

 

[quogueelectric]

Just annother note I have been on jobs where they sent out 277 photocells for temp light I tried to wire them 240 and they worked fine. I am not saying it is right but it was temporary and it worked fine. The newer stuff is probably multi voltage like the ballasts.

 

[frenchelectrican]

The 208-277v timeclock will be wired either L-N or L-L depending on the voltage it get involded and normally with 208 and 240 wire the timer motor circuit on L-L format but if you have 277V system then hook in L-N format { this kind of voltage you will never see in resdentail area unless somone have really oddball set up }

Merci,Marc

 

[broadgage]

I would expect a mechanical timeswitch to be driven by a small simple motor.

Since the unit is described as 208/277 volt I would expect it to work fine on a 120/240 volt supply, provided of course that is wired line to line and subjected to 240 volts.
I doubt that it would work on 120 volts.

Since the clock motor is designed for range of voltage, I cant see a voltage in the middle of the range being a problem.

I very much doubt that such a small simple motor contains any internal changeover circuitry for 208 or 277 volts. It would simply be designed to run on either voltage, and therefore on anything in between also.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Since the unit is described as 208/277 volt

The op wrote 208-277 volts that to me means it will work on any voltage from 208 to 277 volts. The clock will not know the difference if a neutral is used versus a line to line connection as long as the voltage falls in that range. That's my guess anyway.:smile:

 

[alfiesauce]

oohh.. I was asuming he was supplying 120V for the clock motor....

 

[kbsparky]

If he only has 120 Volt supply available, simply replace the time clock motor with one rated for 120 Volts. They carry those at our local supply house, and it's a 5 minute job to swap out the timer motor.

If a 240 Volt supply is available, then using a unit rated for 208-277 is Standard Operating Procedure....

 

[brantmacga]

the supply is 240v because its operating a 240v pump; clock takes power from the line terminals of the pump supply. my assumption was that it wouldn't function properly very long because we have timeclocks that say specifically 120v and 240v; i did not know that 208-277v clock voltage was a range. the pool contractor checked two that were removed from other recent jobs that no longer work, and they were 208-277v clocks.

 

[quogueelectric]

The bigest problem with modern electronic time clocks is you have to be aware of the contact ratings some are only 5 amps that they are suitable for the load being switched.