In article ,
Ned Simmons wrote:

On 23 Mar 2011 03:55:37 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:



I wonder how big a motor it had? The weird town bylaws say that
a tool in a home can have no more than a 2 HP motor. Not sure whether
it is on the assumption that it will be woodworking tools like a planer,
and trying to keep the noise down, or whether it is trying to minimize
power line dips when things start up in a residential neighborhood.

In any case, I am not pleased. :-)


We have a similar restriction here, though it's buried in the power
companies rules rather than the town's land use ordinances.

I suspect that the town's rationale for a HP limit is to enforce zoning
regulations - only industrial entities would need motors larger than 2
HP.


The power
company reserves the right to refuse service to any single phase
motor, commercial or residential, larger than 5HP, but I've never
heard of them actually invoking the rule. I assume, in our case, it
has to do with power quality on long rural lines.

I bet the issue is the startup surge.

With a VFD set up for soft start, no surge.

Joe Gwinn