Advice Needed Plant Hire - step Down Transformer, yellow box twin plug

[Channel Hopper]

I have one here to use next week with some power tools in the garden.

Witout load it is currently taking 1.5 Amps from the house circuit. (it is also humming away to itself)

Is this normal ?



Thanks in advance

 

[Terryl]

Well......At that current draw that's about 360 watts, it should normally take no more then 5 to 10 watts without a load on it. (in my opinion)

I would contact them for advice on that, also is it getting hot or warm to the touch? Without a load?

 

[Terryl]

Whats the wattage rating on it? Or the max output rating?

The larger the unit the more it's going to use in standby

 

[Terryl]

And now that my brain has had it's morning coffee, if I remember right a step down transformer can use up to 5 to 10 percent of the rated output wattage.

 

[Channel Hopper]

3kVA, a twin socket device.

Like this one

110V Tool Transformer

A strong and robust 110V transformer, designed to withstand adverse weather conditions and rough handling on construction sites. This 3kVA transformer comes with twin 16A sockets for use with 110V power tools, and is built with tough GRP casing to make it suitable for heavy-duty site use.• For...

www.toolstation.com

 

[Dggrr]

My interest was raised here because I have an old 230V=>110V 1A/115W Powertech Class 1 Isolating Transformer in the attic, I bought this in NZ maybe 35 years ago before consumer devices with adaptive input voltages became common. I visited the US and Japan for business regularly and thought of buying a 110V gizmo at much lower price than a 230V local gizmo.

However, it was never used and came to the UK with the rest of my junk.

I couldn't resist plugging the transformer into a smart plug with measurement capabilities.

With my 240V 15W soldering iron in the 110v socket, I see 16W.

With an 240V LED spotlight, I see 11W.

With nothing in the 110 V socket I see 6W (actually 6,000mW)

So Terryl`s 5-10% background loss fits.

Yet something else that I never knew

 

[John]

3kVA, a twin socket device.

Like this one

110V Tool Transformer

A strong and robust 110V transformer, designed to withstand adverse weather conditions and rough handling on construction sites. This 3kVA transformer comes with twin 16A sockets for use with 110V power tools, and is built with tough GRP casing to make it suitable for heavy-duty site use.• For...

www.toolstation.com

I use the same tranny - here's mine, it's a hummer also & perfectly normal. Measurements shown with no loads plugged in to the sockets

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[Channel Hopper]

Well, I suppose it's good to know this one is using a quarter that your's is.

I never thought generating noise would suck so much from the grid.

 

[John]

Well, I suppose it's good to know this one is using a quarter that your's is.

I never thought generating noise would suck so much from the grid.

Yeah, i thought those readings looked a bit high on mine - it was stood on the top of a small freezer so was vibrating a bit - it was late last night when i did it and couldn't be arsed to go back out in the garage to do it again. Out of curiosity I'll do it again with the tranny sat on the solid floor

 

[John]

Yeah, i thought those readings looked a bit high on mine - it was stood on the top of a small freezer so was vibrating a bit - it was late last night when i did it and couldn't be arsed to go back out in the garage to do it again. Out of curiosity I'll do it again with the tranny sat on the solid floor

Virtually the same with the tranny sitting on solid ground away from the meter this morning

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[Channel Hopper]

Do you want to buy this one once I have finished with it ?

 

[Terryl]

So yours (CH) looks to be a normal current draw. but yours is running a bit higher then the 3.3 KVA rating, at 10 % it should be drawing 1.375 Amps, but given the possible age (by the looks of it) +125 mA is well within spec.

 

[Channel Hopper]

So yours (CH) looks to be a normal current draw. but yours is running a bit higher then the 3.3 KVA rating, at 10 % it should be drawing 1.375 Amps, but given the possible age (by the looks of it) +125 mA is well within spec.

I do have a new box somewhere in stores, though not sure if single or double outlet. If I can find it naxt week I will run same tests.