120 work light on 240 equipment.

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:16 pm

Is it possible to wire a 120 volt work light to a 240 volt tool like a bandsaw?

If so how is it done?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:20 pm

More information needed! 1)bandsaw with a 220v motor? 2)Want to use a 120V 'light' using the asme power source? 3)what IS the power source and How is it connected?

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:26 pm

JPG40504 wrote:More information needed! 1)bandsaw with a 220v motor? 2)Want to use a 120V 'light' using the asme power source? 3)what IS the power source and How is it connected?

Yes! Motor on saw is 240. Like to wire a 120 lamp so all work with one cord.
Open to any ideas I don't know about. such thing as a 240 lamp?

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:58 am

cincinnati wrote:Is it possible to wire a 120 volt work light to a 240 volt tool like a bandsaw?

If so how is it done?

Yes, it is possible. Probably more trouble then it is worth. You wood have to jump wires from the supply line (more then one way to do this depending on each individual situation).

paul heller · Post by **paul heller** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:43 am

If your supply is 240 volt, then you can buy a transformer to drop the voltage to 120V for the light. Since the light won't draw many amps, you should be OK.

Paul

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:43 am

cincinnati wrote:Yes! Motor on saw is 240. Like to wire a 120 lamp so all work with one cord.
Open to any ideas I don't know about. such thing as a 240 lamp?

REPEAT "What is the power source"? i.e. How many wires are supplying the 240V device? Is it permanent wiring, or does it plug into a receptacle? If it plugs, how many prongs? Is it 'grounded'?

Why the questions are relevant. IF a NEUTRAL wire is present, wiring for the lamp is relatively simple. IF NO NEUTRAL wire is present like Tim said, It is probably more trouble than it is worth(Running a neutral from the breaker panel to the device). IF it is 'pluggable', the cord & plug are/become part of the 'problem/solution'.

If you were in Europe a 220V lamp is what they have!(but the bases differ!).

mikelst · Post by **mikelst** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:44 am

This is possible. If the tool has four wires they would include two power legs (120 lines that when combined this give the 240) a neutral and a ground. By wiring the neutral and one 120 line to a duplex box you would have a 120 outlet, or wiring the lamp to neutral and one of the power legs you could power on the lamp with the tool.

If you wire the lamp straight in the neutral should be wired to the body of the light receptacle and the hot line to the center post.

Personal recommendation, NEVER use a florescent lamp on a rotating tool. These lamps actually strobe at 120 time per second. It is therefore possible for a tool to look like it is siting still if the speed is a harmonic of 60hz. A potential for disaster if there ever was one.

I would personally go with the duplex box because then I could plug in other things if needed.

Mike

ryanbp01 · Post by **ryanbp01** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:32 pm

The original intent of this thread sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen. I wouldn't attempt it.
BPR

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:05 pm

ryanbp01 wrote:The original intent of this thread sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen. I wouldn't attempt it.
BPR

Tain't So! Done properly, there is no more 'fire hazard' than any other electrical installation done properly.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:17 pm

ryanbp01 wrote:The original intent of this thread sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen. I wouldn't attempt it.
BPR

I'd bet that your house wiring does exactly what is being discussed in this thread.

The base power feed is a 220VAC service to your main junction box. Each 110 vac feed out of that junction box is from one leg of the 220VAC. A good electrician balanced the load so that each side of the 220 VAC is providing about the same load as the other side.

All that is being discussed here is breaking out 110 VAC at a location other than at the main junction box. If the load was initially balanced before this 110 line is broken, it won't be balanced now.

And that is not necessarily so. If one has the wiring diagram or a breaker distribution diagram for the house, it can be determined which 220 leg should be used (the one with the least load).

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