Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask

220v through 110v 12 guage wire for 8 hours . is the wiring any good?

Asked Mar 20, 2012, 12:21 PM — 5 Answers
local power company put 220 through the house . I noticed it when a power strip was smoking. my house is a 60's era no ground system. should there be concerns about the house ?

5 Answers
kryostar's Avatar
kryostar Posts: 108, Reputation: 54
Junior Member
 
#2

Mar 20, 2012, 01:00 PM
you shouldn't have any problems with the house wiring the breakers are there to protect it,as for appliances like your plug strip,could be toast.I had a similar incident happen a tree branch fell and knocked off the ground on the pole the voltage went up and down i checked it with a meter when i saw my lights burn bright and then out.anyway lost my comp. tv,sterio,printer,etc.but the house wiring was fine.220v is just two 110v legs on one circuit.the power company must have energized your neutral leg.
Helpful
tkrussell's Avatar
tkrussell Posts: 9,673, Reputation: 3698
Senior Electrical & Lighting Expert
 
#3

Mar 20, 2012, 04:26 PM


The wiring is fine, since due to Ohms Law, amperage is low when the voltage is high. The wiring can handle up to 600 volts, the amps was lower than the wire can handle.


Check every appliance for proper operation, any damaged or questionable should be reported to your insurance carrier, and possibly the utility.
Helpful
ebaines's Avatar
ebaines Posts: 10,053, Reputation: 5539
Expert
 
#4

Mar 21, 2012, 06:35 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkrussell View Post
The wiring is fine, since due to Ohms Law, amperage is low when the voltage is high.
This is try only if the devices that are plugged in are smart enough to draw constant power regardless of voltage. But items like light bulbs and electric motors aren't that smart - they can be thought of as resistive elements, and hence obey Ohm's law V = iR. So if you double V (voltage) you get twice the current 'i' and the items draws 4 times the power (P = V^2/R).

Quote:
Originally Posted by tkrussell View Post
The wiring can handle up to 600 volts
Yes - this is the important point. The wiring should not be affected by carrying 220 volts.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tkrussell View Post
the amps was lower than the wire can handle.
Maybe, maybe not. However if the current was too high in the branch circuit then the circuit breaker should have tripped, which is what protects wiring from excessive current. If the breakers didn't trip I doubt that the wiring was adversely affected.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tkrussell View Post
Check every appliance for proper operation, any damaged or questionable should be reported to your insurance carrier, and possibly the utility.
Agreed! I would be concerned that appliances such as microwaves, TVs, etc may have been affected, although most modern electronic appliances have internal voltage regulators that can handle 220v. But I would bet things like light bulbs and electric motors that were on at the time of this event may be burned out.
Helpful
xtimothy's Avatar
xtimothy Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
New Member
 
#5

Mar 21, 2012, 09:57 AM
Thanks for the response.
Helpful
xtimothy's Avatar
xtimothy Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
New Member
 
#6

Mar 21, 2012, 09:59 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kryostar View Post
you shouldn't have any problems with the house wiring the breakers are there to protect it,as for appliances like your plug strip,could be toast.I had a similar incident happen a tree branch fell and knocked off the ground on the pole the voltage went up and down i checked it with a meter when i saw my lights burn bright and then out.anyway lost my comp. tv,sterio,printer,etc.but the house wiring was fine.220v is just two 110v legs on one circuit.the power company must have energized your neutral leg.
Thanks for the response.
Helpful

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.

Remove Text Formatting

Undo
Redo
 
Decrease Size
Increase Size
Bold
Italic
Underline
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Ordered List
Unordered List
Decrease Indent
Increase Indent
Insert Email Link
Wrap [QUOTE] tags around selected text
Wrap [CODE] tags around selected text
Wrap [HTML] tags around selected text
Wrap [PHP] tags around selected text
Wrap [YOUTUBE] tags around selected text
Notification Type:



Check out some similar questions!

Wiring 220v 50 amp 50 feet wire? [ 0 Answers ]

I want to move my hot tub. It is 220V and is wired currently with 2-6 gauge on leads, 10 gauge on ground and 12 gauge on neutral. Is this good?

House wiring from 220v to 120/110v [ 7 Answers ]

I am renovating my house in the Philippines and would like to rewire or wire portions of the house with 110v so I can use the appliances and tools that I bring with me from Canada. The power voltage in the Philippiines is 220v. I would like to install a sub-panel for my 110v distribution. Do I...

110v from a older three wire 220v circuit [ 1 Answers ]

I have an older home that has a 220v outlet for a dryer that is not being used. The three wires are a white, a black, and a bare wire ground. (no forth wire) I would like to use this circuit for a 110v outlet. The "dual space" breaker for this circuit has the white wire on one connection and...


View more Electrical Engineering questions Search