2.5 HMI from house circuit?

Patryk_Rebisz

Patryk_Rebisz

Veteran
Anyone knows of a device that connect to 2 separate household outlets and allows you to power up a 2.5 HMI? Is it even possible?
 
I wouldnt say theres a safe way to power a 2.5k unit from two outlets. But for single outlet Id say theres probably almost zero chance you can hook up a a 2.5k unit.

For example a standard (GPO) outlet in Australia here is 10-15 amps - so assuming 15 amps and as Aus is 240v - the calc would be 15 x 240 = 3600 watts OK over here. In the US 15 x 120 = 1800 so no luck. You need to know the Amps of the outlet to calculate. But Id say no.
 
A much easier and safer way would to just go off the dryer plug. Usually they're 30 amp plugs, and usually 220 as well, it's just a matter of finding the right twist lock - bates or twist lock - cam connector. I'm sure once you find the house you're shooting in, if you just took a picture of the dryer plug and took it to whatever rental houses you have around, they might have the right connector all wired up for you already.
 
RyanT said:
A much easier and safer way would to just go off the dryer plug. Usually they're 30 amp plugs, and usually 220 as well, it's just a matter of finding the right twist lock - bates or twist lock - cam connector. I'm sure once you find the house you're shooting in, if you just took a picture of the dryer plug and took it to whatever rental houses you have around, they might have the right connector all wired up for you already.
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I keep a dryer and range plug to bates adapter on my truck. With this you can safely fire a 2.5 it also comes in handy for running to a lunch box for extra power.
 
RyanT said:
A much easier and safer way would to just go off the dryer plug. Usually they're 30 amp plugs, and usually 220 as well, it's just a matter of finding the right twist lock - bates or twist lock - cam connector. I'm sure once you find the house you're shooting in, if you just took a picture of the dryer plug and took it to whatever rental houses you have around, they might have the right connector all wired up for you already.
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There's a right way and a wrong way - that is to say a safe way and an unsafe way to do this - and it shouldn't be done in older houses. Nejuicer has discussed this here extensively.
 
I'm not sure that it's even possible to plug one light into two outlets. It would only be effective if you're pulling from two different circuits, and offhand, I can't think of a way to run two circuits through the same lamp.
 
There seems to be lots of incomplete pieces of information here, so lets try to clarify. Is 240v dryer outlet basically an outlet that has two 20A lines running to it? If so making an "extension cord" that has 2 legs going off of it - one for one 20A outlet another for another 20A outlets should be relatively simple, yes?
 
David Jimerson said:
I'm not sure that it's even possible to plug one light into two outlets. It would only be effective if you're pulling from two different circuits, and offhand, I can't think of a way to run two circuits through the same lamp.
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Worse, they would have to be two circuits of opposite phase so the difference between their hot leads was 240V. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do. The dryer outlet can work safely. I'll look up the straight scoop.
 
Patryk_Rebisz said:
There seems to be lots of incomplete pieces of information here, so lets try to clarify. Is 240v dryer outlet basically an outlet that has two 20A lines running to it? If so making an "extension cord" that has 2 legs going off of it - one for one 20A outlet another for another 20A outlets should be relatively simple, yes?
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Here's a previous discussion that sound like what you are trying to do...

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?250788-Double-Tap-Wiring
 
nwstudios said:
Two circuits through one outlet is basically what a 240 volt dryer/stove outlet consists of.
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Yes, US 220 volts is comprised of two legs of 110 volts but to accomplish what Patryck is asking using two legs of regular (edison) is not going to work. Here is why. The common plug in a home is 15 amps, 20 amps max. This is not going to be sufficient to light a 2.5K HMI. Now a dryer or range is 35 amps or 50 amps more than enough to get the job done. And yes, NE Juicer is right care should be taken with older homes and a knowledge of electricity is advised to attempt this.
 
A dryer plug has 30a on each of the hot leads plus a neutral for making 120v as I believe the motor uses 120v and the heaters are 240v in a typical dryer.

You can pick up a standard north american dryer cord in home depot or any hardware store. get the appropriate receptacle that you need to power the HMI and wire together in a junction box. The HMI will only need 120v so only use the red or black plus the white and green to wire it up. The hots are on opposite phases so you can safely wire a second 20a plug or 2 15a to the other side for extra dedicated circuits.

The safest thing to do and to be ready for anything would be to wire up a small breaker panel on a piece of plywood with breakers and receptacles for 30a, 20a, 15a on each phase, just make sure you don't use more than 30a total on each side.
 
redundant. see post below.


image.tiff
 
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Yes it's possible.

If you have a 240v/30amp "dryer" circuit, you can get a 120v line with 60amps from it!




If you have a 240v 30amp dryer circuit you can get a step down transformer which would make a 120v 60amp circuit. Cool huh?

There are down transformers which can create the 120v circuit (from 240v) and combine the amperage by combining both legs. It also automatically divides the load over the two legs (in the one circuit) so you can use the entire amperage.

I'd take that to a lunch box and get 60amps to either bates or edison cables/connections. That is the most efficient way.



I learned about it from a gaffer named Guy Holt, he explains here: http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=42056&view=findpost&p=313251

The only way to power 120V 4kw HMI magnetic ballasts on wall receptacles is from 240V circuits through a 240v-to-120v step down transformer like the one my company, ScreenLight & Grip (SL&G), manufactures for the Honda EU6500is generators that we modify. Like it does with the enhanced 240V output of our Honda EU6500is Generator, a step down transformer can be used to convert the 240 volts supplied by these industrial and household 240V receptacles to 120 volts in a single circuit that is the sum of the two single phase legs of 30/50 amps each. In other words, out of a “30A/240v” or a “50A/240v” circuit our transformer makes a 60A/120v circuit that is capable of powering bigger 120V lights, like 4kw HMIs with magnetic ballasts (even Quartz 5ks, mini brutes (5850W) or Six Light Mole Par (6000W)).
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Pictures may help.

The top plug will provide:
240V between phase A and phase B.
120V between phase A and Ground (not legal per code, but works)
120V between phase B and Ground (not legal per code, but works)

The bottom plug will provide (30 amp NEMA connector):

240 V between phase A and phase B
120V between phase A and neutral (legal per code)
120V between phase B and neutral (legal per code)

Plugs.jpg
 
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