need a little help/ reassurance.

[jes25]

I've got a soft serve ice cream machine it has TWO 30A twistlock recp on it from the factory. single phase 208-230. I have 240V, I assume I am fine since there is no 230V.

These are the markings for the two sides of the ice cream machine.

1) Min circuit ampacity. 23A
Max fuse 30A

2) Min circuit ampacity 28A
Max fuse 35A

On the side 2 I do not want to fuse at 35A. Would 10 awg and a 30A breaker be sufficient. Is that what is meant by min circuit. ampacity?


I also have a coffee maker with a 30A dryer plug on it. The coffee maker is 25.8 amps. Would you say a coffee maker is continuous? I would guess not, so 25.8A on a 30A breaker and receptacle should be fine, Correct?

 

[charlie b]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

If it is rated at 208 ? 230, then you are not fine at 240. That fact that this is the only available power source does not make it "fine." You need to check with the manufacturer, to see if they will call it fine at 240 volts. If they do not, then you need either another power source or another ice cream machine. See 110.4.

The "minimum circuit ampacity" tells you that you need to provide a wire that has an ampacity of at least that value. Your MCA is 28 amps. The #10 you propose has an ampacity of 30. So that would be acceptable.

The definition of "continuous" requires that the maximum current be present for over 3 hours. A coffee pot draws its maximum current during brewing, and then the current drops down while it is just keeping the coffee warm. I would not call a coffee pot a "continuous load."

 

[websparky]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

Joe,

I agree, you should be OK.

 

[lucky1974]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

Hi, was reading the above post and was wondering if this would be a good scenario for a buck/boost transformer.Would like to hear from the experts.

 

[iwire]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

You definitely need to read the manual that comes with the machines.

I have done quite a few frozen beverage machines and some of them are very particular about the voltage. Some even have control transformers that you adjust taps on once the unit has be fired up to 'fine tune' the control voltage.

I have no idea at all why some of these machines are made so sensitive.

You may well have to use a buck boost transformer for these machines.

 

[jes25]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

When I said there is no 230V not only did I mean there is none available at the building I meant there is no transformers used that have this voltage available. I only see 208V or 240V. I figured the 230V was like how some disposals and such say 115V when it obviously works with 120V. With that said I will call the manufactuer.


Just to clarify. The Min Circ ampacity refers to wire and BREAKER. Correct?

Just a thought but could I pull The high leg (208V) and the neutral over to the machine. to get the 208V the machine needs? The high leg is left outside (not in this units service panel) but I could access it. Would this be legal code wise?

Thanks for all the Help. Love this site, I learn A TON.

 

[mhulbert]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

I could be mistaken, but I was always told that you can't use the 208 off of that sort of system. I believe my utility (PG&E) prohibits it.

 

[charlie b]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

Originally posted by jes25: Just to clarify. The Min Circ ampacity refers to wire and BREAKER. Correct?

Correct, "sort of."

This is a sloppy use of technical language, on the part of the manufacturers and many others. The word "ampacity" has nothing to do with breakers. But if you see "minimum 28 MCA," and if you give it a #10, and if you use a 20 amp breaker, you will have satisfied the MCA requirement, but the machine will frequently trip the breaker. So you might as well use a 30 amp breaker.

Just to clarify. Just a thought but could I pull The high leg (208V) and the neutral over to the machine. to get the 208V the machine needs? The high leg is left outside (not in this units service panel) but I could access it. Would this be legal code wise?

I don't see how you could possible do that. The conductors going to the machine must come from a panel, via a breaker. If the panel does not already accommodate that high leg wire, how are you going to protect the conductors? I swear I have actually seen something very much like this "ruse de guerre" applied in a real industrial application. What I am getting at is that I calculated a voltage drop of 10.44 volts with a 28 amp single-phase load going through 150 feet of #10. That would give your machine the 230 volts it needs.

 

[jes25]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

Charlie,I meant I would intall a new 3 phase panel to "access" the high leg.

Called the Tech dept. today and they said it would work with 240V.

 

[charlie b]

Re: need a little help/ reassurance.

I'm glad it worked out for you, despite my help.