ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area 120vs240 lighting

Pot grower's myth:
"If I run my lights at 240v it will cost less than at 120v right?"

Why is balancing better at 240?? If I run 2 120 v circuits on different phases, how is that any different than a single 240v circuit??

I had made my statement about meters based upon information I had been told by an old timer many years ago and I never actually confirmed it. He insisted that we always keep our load evenly distributed in the panel, which always makes perfect sense to me. HIS logic however was that if one leg has say, 60 amps running on it and 35 on the other that the meter would register the higher leg and bill that usage. Like I said, I never knew if this was true or if he was pulling my leg. I have just always done this since then.

Bob,


O.K., I'm with you now. Same load in amperes, not in watts.