Listed below is basic information. NJECA does not guarantee the information is accurate.
Electrical Basics
The 120/240 volt wiring is normally used for clothes dryers and kitchen ranges. The 240 volt line is for the motor of the appliance and the 120 volt is for the timers and lights or any other controls you have on the appliance. There is a difference between wiring, color codes and receptacles. Since most people do not understand these differences, it is always better to have a professional do the job.
When working with 220 wiring, you must think safety first. You need to be sure and familiar with 220 wiring. You will also need to know what type of receptacle to use.
When you hear the term, “Phase” in electricity, it refers to the timing that magnets pass over electrical coils.
3 Phase is simply single-phase wiring that has additional coils. The difference is found in the fact that with 3 phase wiring, the wires are out of phase or are 120 degrees out of alignment with one another. In single-phase wiring, the coils are in alignment. Also, with 3 phase wiring, all of the wires are hot. Another major difference between single phase and 3 phase wiring is the way in which the coils are wound. Single phase wiring has coils that are wound in a uniform manner. The first coil is wound clockwise, followed by counter clockwise, and the pattern continues. With 3 phase wiring, there are many different wiring patterns available. 3 phase wiring is very powerful and is typically used for commercial purposes. However, if you want to convert your home to 3 phase wiring, it requires the expertise of a professional electric contractor. It is not a simple do it yourself home project. The 3 phase wiring system is no different. The wires are color coded and are not the same for every country. You might have a diagram for 3 phase wiring that could be the wrong color code for your particular country. This in itself can cause many problems for the property owner.
Working with wiring of any type should be considered very carefully before any work is started. Contacting a professional, licensed, insured electrician is the way to make sure your wiring is done correctly.
