I will be running 1000W for 12 hours per day and have the option of
using 110 or 220v does it make a difference? is one way more economical
than the other?
using 110 or 220v does it make a difference? is one way more economical
than the other?
daveindigby said:I will be running 1000W for 12 hours per day and have the option of
using 110 or 220v does it make a difference? is one way more economical
than the other?
jdemaris said:daveindigby said:I will be running 1000W for 12 hours per day and have the option of
using 110 or 220v does it make a difference? is one way more economical
than the other?
The answer is "no", there is no difference in regard to economy. Using the lower voltage needs larger wires to prevent line-loss, that's all.
Highbeam said:Not so fast, you need twice as much current to get 1000 watts at 110 as you do at 220 so the line losses due to friction are double in a given wire size. Of course you might choose to reduce this effect by using smaller wire to match the smaller current and then your friction losses might be similar. The savings, or the economy, of using the 220 is smaller wire and wire is very expensive.
mkmh said:Just last week I went through this research as I had some electric heat installed in my basement. My research agrees with what has been said here. My electrician was telling me 220 would be far more efficient, but I overruled him on that .
The type of heater and the number of watts is what is typically the key. I went with three 1500 watt heaters. 2 are 120 V hard wired convection style and they heat their spaces up very quickly. The third is a 240 V hydronic baseboard electric heater also hard wired in. It definitely seems to heat up more slowly, but it produces nice even heat, and it is silent. It also seems to cycle less, presumably because the fluid in unit stays warm and radiates heat. All three units use nearly the same amount of energy to maintain a given temperature.
My understanding is that I would have had to step it up to the 240 volts if I had wanted anything more than 1500 watts, but for these spaces 1500 watts seems like it is going to work out well.
Hogwildz said:What brand of Hydronic are you using, and do you think its any better or worse than the electric ones?
I am thinking of it for back up heat & shoulder weather heat.
Gooserider said:Efficiency may depend somewhat on what the load is... I've been told that for a given mechanical load (i.e. an air compressor) an electric motor that can be wired for 110 or 220 will be SLIGHTLY more efficient when running on 220.