Greg1707
Senior Member
- Location
- Alexandria, VA
- Occupation
- Business owner Electrical contractor
Will most household ranges operate okay on 208 volts?
Electric range 208 volts
- Thread starter Greg1707
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mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
Yes. Most ranges have 120/208 listed on their tag as a secondary value. In most cases users will not even be able to tell the difference.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
The elements will not get as hot at 208V
Jberg73
Member
Of course they will, they'll just be pulling more current
Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
A range listed to operate at 240 volts will have an rated output approximately of 75% at 208 volts.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Heating elements are not motors, they're fixed-value resistors. If the R is constant and the V lower, the I and the P will be lower- that's Ohm's law.
Jberg73
Member
Yes, you're correct. I thought about it after I typed and had a smack myself in the forehead moment.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
So let's look at a 8000 watt range at 240V=== 8000/240 = 33.3 amps
Wattage at 208 is roughly 75% or 6000 watts
6000/208 = 29 amps
More accurately
R= 240/33 = 7.3
P= 208*208/7.3 = 5926 watts
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Looks like everyone beat me to it....
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
I think we've all done that at least once:slaphead:.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
They will not get as hot (equilibrium temperature) when energized continuously.
But they may be able to get pots just as hot for cooking purposes, just taking longer to reach working temperature.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Frank DuVal
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Engineer
Waiting for water to boil will be longer!
Waiting for the oven to preheat will be longer.
Once setpoint is reached, probably OK, as seen in thousands of thousands of situations in high rise buildings running 208 Y.
Waiting for the oven to preheat will be longer.
Once setpoint is reached, probably OK, as seen in thousands of thousands of situations in high rise buildings running 208 Y.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
And low rise. There are cities where the only thing available is 120/208- 120/240 is rare as hens teeth.
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
Ha, tell that to the ladies (and male cooks) in the kitchen.
At the parochial school my kids went to a person donated 2 ranges for the kitchen, school had 120/208 3 phase service.
The cooks complained so vigorously that I installed 2 ea 10 kVA autotransformers for them! That 25% power loss is very noticeable on a resistive stove.
Some induction cooktops will provide full heating capability for either voltage if the supply circuits can handle the increased amperage.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
If you are a serious cook, go with gas :thumbsup: I do here you though, it certainly is possible. But not enough to worry excessively IMO.
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