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Connecting a 5500 W Heating Element: A Step-by-Step Guide
as the title says: i have a 5500 W heating element, rated for 240 Volts. now my electrician is a bit confused (i my self have not much knowledge anyway): here in Europe, 240 Volts have 16 Amp fuse, but this seems not to work, my friend said it needs minimum 400 Volt and about 22 Amps.So my question is: Can i connect the element to 400 volts ? even if it’s ratet only for 240 Volts? Maybe someone have experience in this? (Yes i already asked the vendor, dernord, but they will most probably tell me no, it’s ratet only for 240 Volts) But how can it then pull 5500 Watts? any ideas? Thank you very much!
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12 Replies
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No you can’t plug that into 400 volt. You’re friends doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about, it’s really questionable that an electrician would say that it needs 400v and 22 amps. It’s basic math to figure this out. This lapse in judgement he’s having could cause a lot of problems if you followed it through. It should run on 240 volt and draw 23 amps. This means it needs to be on a 30 (or maybe 25?) Amp circuit.
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I assume your friend is right, however you misunderstood him.You need to hook it up at one line of a 3-phase circuit mit 32 Amp Fuses in each phase.You would connect the element with on wire to e.g. line 1 and the other wire to neutral.The voltage between a 3-wire line and neutral is 240V. Only between individual lines (e.g. line 1 and line 2), you will get 400V which would blow your element.It must be fed with 240V only, however the fuse must be larger than 23 Amps. For this reason, use a single line of a 3-phase circuit protected by 32 Amps Fuses or breakers.
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In Australia we have similar situation . The GPO’s (General Purpose Outlets) are only rated at 10A and are protected by a 16A circuit Breaker .So no, we can’t use a 5500w element on a standard Domestic GPO either . I have just got a 6kw element and have had to get the electrician to run a special 32A curcuit to run it . I am sure it would be a similar situation in Europe . As has been mentioned , 400v would refer to a three phase circuit . Generally 3 phase circuit’s are wired with heavier cable to handle higher currents . And as mentioned , one phase to neutral on three-phases system is still 240v but due to the heavier cabling , able to handle the 23A of your element . I’m not sure about European houses , but certainly in Australia , it is extremely rare to have Three-phase available in a domestic home . I can’t see why your electrician can’t just install a dedicated 32A circuit to your distilling area .My recommended goto .wiki/index.ph … ion_Theory
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Thank you for the quick answers, i hope he can install it now. I admitt: I don’t have a clue, but my friend certainly has! Thats why i let him do it. I think Yummyrum is right, it sounds we have the same wiring, old houses are ratet 10A, newer houses, like where i live 16A. The “single line from a 3 phase circuits” sound right for me, but my friend will know… Hopefully it works, would be soooo nice to have a bit more power = shorter stripping timePS: maybe i will isolate the still, would be also an improvement timewise, wouldn’t it?
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I guess you meant insulate . Yes it will help heaps .My recommended goto .wiki/index.ph … ion_Theory
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A 16amp circuit that’s used for a long time will need to be derated to 80%That means the 16amps is actually 12.8amp, long story short a 240v 3000w element is the biggest possible.
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The Dernord 240v, 5500w element is single phase only and it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, 240v is 240v and watts are watts. As someone noted already this will draw 23 amps. Just divide the wattage by the voltage to determine the amperage. If your voltage runs lower, the current draw will increase to achieve the same power output. Your single phase outlet will measure 240 volts between the hots and 120 volts between each of those and the neutral. The element will connect to the two hot wires and it does not need the neutral. The ground terminal is to be connected to an earth ground. Wiring and circuit protection for this load needs to be adequately sized, just like an electric range, dryer, or water heater. If your normal household circuit is 10 or 16 amps then the wiring of that circuit would be equally inadequate for a higher current. Essentially you need a 30a circuit with appropriately sized wiring and terminations. This will be perfectly clear to any qualified electrician and they won’t be carrying on about it needing higher voltages and such. As someone else noted 3 phase power isn’t typical to residential supplies no matter the voltage. It is usually exclusive to industrial applications.
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Have you recognized that OP lives in Europe? Your assumptions are incorrect for Europe.
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Are you French? If so I may be able to offer some help having successfully wired my home to the French standards as confirmed by the Consuel.If your house is wired with the standard European sockets (schuko / French / cee7) then the 16A rating is peak, not continuous. Pulling the maximum (3650w from memory) for a long period will heat the plug and may cause permanent damage to plug or socket. “Permanent damage” potentially including flames and molten plastic depending on the quality of your installation!If it’s possible to do, running a dedicated 32A circuit to your stilling area will offer upgrade options in the future as well as ensuring that the wiring is up to the workload.I can’t speak for other countries but in France domestic 3 -phase, while not very common, is far from unheard of especially in larger houses or old farmhouses.”I have a potstill that smears like a fresh plowed coon on the highway” – JimboA little spoon feeding *For New & Novice Distillers
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Have you recognized that OP lives in Europe? Your assumptions are incorrect for Europe.I did notice that the OP was in Europe and I certainly can’t speak to any of the electrical codes. My whole point was that this is a single phase element and that phase, power rating, voltage, and current, have the same relation anywhere, and the circuit must be properly sized, built, and protected per local code. All of this is instantly recognizable to a qualified electrician, irrespective of mine or any other comments. It won’t work correctly or safely with incorrect voltage and it won’t work safely on an undersized circuit. Nobody wants to see someone putting themselves, family, or property at risk by jury rigging something for hobby use. A “buddy who has some knowledge of this” or a forum aren’t reliable substitutes for someone qualified in the trade and familiar with current local codes. That was all I was getting at.
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A 16amp circuit that’s used for a long time will need to be derated to 80%That means the 16amps is actually 12.8amp, long story short a 240v 3000w element is the biggest possible.Quoting myself, since 3kw is kinda small for heat up.A 3800w heater and a controller. would work good on a 16amp 240 circuit.
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So, if 5500 watts are not possible, i would be happy with 2x 3800 Watt elements on two separate circuits (more expenses, “uff”). But i will wait if my friend has a solution with the 5500 watt element that i already have. For the moment, i will insulate the boiler and see how much improvement i get. Should i also insolate the riser and 2 elbows? (2″ Copper Tube) The last stripping run took about 2.45 hours, boiler full to the rim with close to 50 liters of sugar wash, and i had a very little puke so i had to turn power a bit back at the beginning.
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