Power your 220 volt equipment using ordinary 110 volt outlets

I ran across the link to this this contraption on another site. It requires that you run 2 separate extension cords to outlets on different phases to obtain 220 volts. Will wonders never cease [Linked Image]

http://www.quick220.com/

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How do I use the Quick 220 Voltage Converter? Click here for pictures.
First, connect a power cord from the Quick 220 Voltage Converter to a standard 110 volt outlet.
Next, connect a second power cord from the Quick 220 Voltage Converter to an independent 110 volt outlet.
220 volts is now available at the 220 volt outlet on the rear panel of the Quick 220 Voltage Converter. Plug in and use your 220 volts.
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What do you mean by "independent 110 volt outlets?"
Technically, the AC voltage of the two outlets are 180 degrees out of phase. Practically, you find the "independent outlet" by moving the second power cord to different outlets until the green light on the front panel goes on. About half the outlets in a building will be "independent" of the other half.

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What size power cords should I use?
Use heavy duty, 12-3 AWG power cords with 3 prong plugs. These are available at most hardware and home centers.

Choose cord lengths which are appropriate for your purpose. You may choose to have one short and one long, depending on your outlet locations. The length of the two extension cords, added together, should not exceed 50 feet.

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How much power can I draw from the 220 volt outlet on the Quick 220 Voltage Converter?
The Quick 220 Voltage Converter will supply 15 or 20 amperes on a continuous basis, depending upon the model selected.
If your equipment is rated in watts, 15 amperes is the same as 3300 watts continuous and 20 amperes is the same as 4400 watts continuous.
If motors don't show an ampere rating, as a rule of thumb, use 15 ampere models for motors up to 3 horsepower, and 20 ampere models for motors up to 4 horsepower.
For the 15 ampere (3300 watt) systems, momentary loads of 75 amperes or 16,500 watts can be supported. For the 20 ampere (4400 watt) systems, the momentary load is 100 amperes (22,000 watts). Momentary loads are often encountered when starting motors or when powering up electronic equipment.
One can not draw more current (amperes) from the wall outlet than its circuit breaker or fuse rating. This includes the current required by your 220 volt load plus any 110 volt item which may share the same circuit: lamps, stereos, hair dryers, etc. It may be necessary to disconnect the lamps, stereos, hair dryers, etc., if you trip a circuit breaker and need to reset it..
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How much power does the Quick 220 Voltage Converter consume in converting 110 volts to 220 volts?
Power consumption to operate the Quick 220 Power Converter is 4 watts (or 0.02 ampere), about the same as a child's night light.

The total actual power consumption is the power required by your 220 volt equipment plus 4 watts (or 0.02 ampere). For example, Your equipment consumes 2000 watts, plus 4 watts for the Quick 220 Voltage Converter, is a total of 2004 watts.

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Safety?

To protect people and equipment, the Quick 220 Voltage Converter's safety interlock blocks all power to the 220 volt outlet until electrical connections are complete and correct. As an added safety feature, internal test circuits are employed to assure wiring and polarity are correct.

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How large is the Quick 220 Voltage Converter?
About 6 inches wide by 6 inches deep by 4 inches high. It weighs less than 5 pounds.

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How do I connect to the Quick 220 Voltage Converter?

It is supplied with 2 standard, 3 prong, 110 volt connectors on the rear panel for input voltages and one 220 volt outlet for the output. Connect your 110 volt extension cords to the Quick 220 Voltage Converter, connect your 220 volt appliance.

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What is meant by 110 volts and 220 volts?

110 volts is the electrical voltage supplied at the standard wall outlet in the United States. More accurately, it ranges between 108 and 132 volts, 60 Hertz alternating current, single phase.
220 volts ranges between 216 and 264 volts, 60 Hertz alternating current, single phase.
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[This message has been edited by txsparky (edited 10-23-2003).]

Uh oh my breaker keeps tripping! Guess I'll install a bigger one for my handy dandy volatage converter!

I'm afraid I'm going to read about some idiot using this in the newspaper pretty soon [Linked Image]

Can't you do that without that thing?
2 extension cords(Gasp!) pluged into to differt sides of the breaker panel will give you 220 Volts right now just splice them into the desierd 220 outlet and wahla am I wrong so what does that thing do that is so special?

I'm trying to think of all the code violations involved here and don't know even know where to start. How about using parrellel #12 for the nuetral (assuming the equipment has line to nuetral loads).

Did anyone see a UL, ETL, or CSA listing?

Roger

Or handle ties on the breakers?

I admit to having done this (using two plugs to get 220V from 110V outlets) but I wouldn't set such a thing loose on the public. I connected both green wires together to get the ground for the 220V socket, and one black wire to one of the hot contacts of the 220V socket, and the other black wire to the other. *HOWEVER* there is a serious safety hazard in that if one of the plugs to the wall plugs is pulled, and the other not, and if the load is still turned on, you have a male plug with a hot prong to shock you. So I do not recommend that anyone ever do this. I did not connect the neutrals together or to anything else.

I inquired about the UL listing. This was their response.

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To: Donnie McMayon

Thank you for your inquiry concerning the Quick 220 Voltage Converter.
Since this product is manufactured on a semi-custom basis, it is not UL
listed. All electrical components are UL listed

For the cost of one of those items. A homeowner would be a lot better off to hire
a qualified electrician to install a 220v
circuit i would think.

V I O L A T I O N!!

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406.6 Attachment Plugs.

All attachment plugs and cord connectors shall be listed for the purpose and marked with the manufacturer’s name or identification and voltage and ampere ratings.

(A) Attachment plugs and cord connectors shall be constructed so that there are no exposed current-carrying parts except the prongs, blades, or pins. The cover for wire terminations shall be a part that is essential for the operation of an attachment plug or connector (dead-front construction).

(B) Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or pins are not energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle.

No receptacle shall be installed so as to require an energized attachment plug as its source of supply.

The FAQ txsparky posted leads me to believe that the plugs are not energized until both are inserted with the correct polarity. (Some electronics could do that for you.)

I smell lawsuit.

Especially from some tom-fool who doesn't know to pull both extension cords out of the wall sockets at the same time and/or disconnect them from the inlets on the device first and then gets bitten.

Someone on a USE-Net newsgroup said a similar device was marketed in Canada years ago and was later BANNED and RECALLED by the government there.

Hey....one last note! I notice this is made by an outfit called "Diamond H". I hope there's no relation to that turn-of-the-century Diamond H company that used to manufacture those surface-mount brass & porcelain "turn key" switches for lights.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 10-24-2003).]

A little electronics could certainly arrange switching so that if one power lead is left unconnected its pins would not be energized.

I wonder what the difference is between the 15 and 20A versions. Heavier relay contacts for the switching and a 6-20 receptacle instead of 6-15 maybe.

It's hard to justify the $80 extra on the 20A model for that. Still, $130 for the basic model is a waste of money.

I notice they neglect to inform potential buyers that they're going to have problems if one or both circuits are GFCI protected.

[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 10-24-2003).]

sven, I thought that was H&H?

Hart and Hedgeman, then Arrow Hart and Hedgeman, now Cooper?

[This message has been edited by sparked (edited 10-28-2003).]

I have seen home made versions of this before.

Roadies or stage hands what ever you want call them use a home made version.

Usually 2 NEMA 5-15 male cord caps running into a 30 amp 3 wire dryer outlet or a 50 amp 3 wire range outlet.

This will power a dimmer rack and the roadie just does not crank up all dimmer banks at once.

I have seen DJs, and small rock shows use this method.

If you open the box I imagine the only "electronics" will be for the indicating LEDs.

Can you imagine the problems with back-feed if one of the breakers were to trip?

Blessings, Mark

Look at this device.
[Linked Image from mobile-mart.com]

and then go here to read up on it.
http://www.mobile-mart.com/dogadapt2.htm

This one will make your hair stand up on end. You have to scroll all the way down to the end of the page.

It's intended for use by people who drive RVs (caravans).

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 10-27-2003).]

I've seen those cheater boxes in RV catalogs before.

Safety issues aside, $78 seems a bit steep for a receptacle in a box and two short cords and caps.

I wonder how they handle the neutral in the box: Paralleled, or the receptacle just connected to one incoming grounded conductor?