The whole 220V vs. 120V vs. ? thing:

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First off, i know nothing about electricity---although i do know enough to stay the hell away and call a licenced electrician if nessesary.  So, you'll have to please dumb it down, WAY down for me.1) Why 220V vs. 120V not just in welding, but in general;   Most appliances are 120V.2) What would be involved in switching/adding a 220V outlet?  Please be very detailed.
Reply:water flow   can be used to explain electricity, to a point...think of volts as water pressure. some things need more pressure than others to make then work, so electricity is made available in different pressures. most homes have 220 volts and it is "split" at the main breaker box.. electric  ovens and clothes driers need  220 , but a table lamp needs  less power ( amps times volts =watts which is power)  ......so most likely, unless you are maxed out on your service(usually houses have a 100 or 200 amp service) you can run new wires from your panel to the new  outlet and hook it up to 220  in the panel.
Reply:As weldbead said :volts x amps =watts.Thats important because the amount of work done by electricity is relativeto the power (expressed in watts).If my 230v. range and water heater were made to  run on 115v. they would draw twice as much current(amps)and I would need bigger wire , breakers, etc.Things that consume large amounts of electricity(range,water heater,welder,etc) are usually run on 230v.Miller a/c-d/c Thunderbolt XLMillermatic 180 Purox O/ASmith Littletorch O/AHobart Champion Elite
Reply:Originally Posted by HELP!First off, i know nothing about electricity---although i do know enough to stay the hell away and call a licenced electrician if nessesary.  So, you'll have to please dumb it down, WAY down for me.1) Why 220V vs. 120V not just in welding, but in general;   Most appliances are 120V.2) What would be involved in switching/adding a 220V outlet?  Please be very detailed.
Reply:Think of it, alike to plumbing, in this way:Volts = the size of a water pipe.Current = the effort needed to push water through that pipe.Watts = the amount of water that comes out.A big pipe (220v) needs less effort (current) to produce 1 gallon (watt).A small pipe (120v) needs more effort (current) to produce the same gallon (watt).Bigger pipe, better efficiency.-az-Last edited by RedneckJazz; 02-24-2011 at 11:00 AM.
Reply:Well in this case and the case as in the average household and 120VAC/240VAC we're talking one 120 volt wire versus two 120 volt wires rather than upping the voltage on one wire. (yes I know it takes two wires to complete a 120 volt circuit)."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I agree with the previous poster in doubting the merits of trying to answer such general questions in detail.
Reply:Originally Posted by Sparky#1The easiest way to explain the two is amperage(current draw) which is what you pay for.
Reply:Originally Posted by KelvinSo how much does one amp normally cost?
Reply:So, why can't table lamps, t.v's, computers etc. run on the 220V?  If the "pipe" is bigger than these devices would simply draw less power and it should still work, thus simplifying everything?
Reply:Originally Posted by HELP!So, why can't table lamps, t.v's, computers etc. run on the 220V?  If the "pipe" is bigger than these devices would simply draw less power and it should still work, thus simplifying everything?
Reply:Originally Posted by HELP!So, why can't table lamps, t.v's, computers etc. run on the 220V?  If the "pipe" is bigger than these devices would simply draw less power and it should still work, thus simplifying everything?
Reply:Originally Posted by HELP!So, why can't table lamps, t.v's, computers etc. run on the 220V?  If the "pipe" is bigger than these devices would simply draw less power and it should still work, thus simplifying everything?
Reply:"these devices would simply draw less power"No, incorrect.Power is WATTS. (Gallons in the above analogy)A watt is a Watt, and a gallon is still a gallon.
Reply:Originally Posted by RedneckJazzPower is WATTS. (Gallons in the above analogy)
Reply:I too like the simplicity of our 240 volt power.  Most welders around the 200amp run on a 15 amp circuit and can be upgraded to 25amp .I have both 3 phase 80amp and a 25amp single in my garage to run my stuff.
Reply:It's not like adding a 220V outlet is really that big of a deal.  If you are serious about welding, you will have a dedicated area for it as you need equipment, a welding table and a generally fireproof shop.  Putting a 220 outlet into it is pretty trivial.  Sure you can't move the unit around anywhere in the county you want, but if you need to do that regularly, you have dedicated equipment for it.  Like the dual voltage MIGs you can plug into 110 as needed or a weld/gen set.  Besides, many 220v welders are too big to move around that much.-DaveXMT304 with: 22A Feeder, or HF251 Hi Freq DC TIG air cooled
Reply:Originally Posted by RedneckJazzThink of it, alike to plumbing, in this way:Volts = the size of a water pipe.Current = the effort needed to push water through that pipe.Watts = the amount of water that comes out.A big pipe (220v) needs less effort (current) to produce 1 gallon (watt).A small pipe (120v) needs more effort (current) to produce the same gallon (watt).Bigger pipe, better efficiency.-az-