On Mon, 3 Feb 2014 02:19:01 -0800 (PST), robobass
wrote:



A LOT of Euro and Asian gear goes 200-208. US tends to be 208-220, and

only the newer stuff runs 230-240.

Most Euro power is 230v with 16 amp breakers.

He certainly needs at minimum a 20 amp breaker no matter what.



TWO. One for the heaters, one for the saw.

Two would be nice, three better. One for heating, a second for the saw, and a third for everything else.

WHAT? You're running an entire flat and shop on a single breaker?


I've discovered that 3 phase is actually common in Germany, but it's different. Since each leg is 230v to neutral, then I presume that between legs it is around 460v. So, normally you don't have any two legs coming anywhere near each other. In a private house you might be able to access 3 ph. but not in a building, unless you want to pay for some expensive electrical work.

In my case, I'm running power from a secondary box in the courtyard behind the main building. That's almost certainly only 1 ph. I can add a couple circuits from there, but I wonder if the box itself can handle the draw. The idea of a cutout relay on the heaters now looks worth exploring.

Well, 100A circuit breaker boxes with 20 spaces, including 5 breakers,
go for $52 here in the USA. Double it for Germany, I guess. 200A
30-space boxes with 5 breakers go for $99.97 at HomeDepot. If you run
the wiring and install the box, then let the electrician verify it's
up to code and connect it, it'll save you $500 or so.


As things stand, it's only the combination of the saw and heaters which is creating problems. With the heaters running, I can still run the lathe, lights, and small machines without trouble, so at the moment there's no need to load up a trebuchet with stacks of Euro notes to attack this inconvenience!

Inconveniences like that can end up causing fires, so it's good that
you're going to do something to prevent it. The current sensing relay
is probably your cheapest, safest, best bet.

--
I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during
my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1807

Too bad -none- of the current CONgresscritters are willing to do that. -LJ