32A to 16A 3 phase question

[Dilz]

Recently started hiring a bit of land. Have access to electricity via a 32A 3 phase outlet.  Got a mill and a splitter that have 16A sockets. 

 

Is it fine to just use a simple adapter to go from the 32A to the 16A sized connector or does the 16A adapter need its own fuse / circuit breaker?  

 

 

 

 

[Botty Cough]

32 to 16 adapter is available for around £30 

I would fit a circuit breaker also

Edited February 24 by Botty Cough

[john87]

First question is does the supply socket include a neutral, and does you machinery require one.

 

john..

[Dilz]

I would hazard a guess that yes they do.  

 

Im going to check with the owner and get access  to the main building and check what fuse box he has running on the outlet.  

 

 

[GarethM]

If it's professionally installed it should be a 32a trip but also check which type of breaker is fitted, Type B, C or D.

 

C or D are better for welders and large electric motors unless fitted with soft starters as they pull a absolutely scary amount on startup.

Edited February 24 by GarethM

[john87]

4 hours ago, Dilz said:

I would hazard a guess that yes they do.  

 

Im going to check with the owner and get access  to the main building and check what fuse box he has running on the outlet.  

 

 

Count the pins in the sockets. 3 phase and earth has 4 pins, and the 3 phase neutral and earth has 5 pins.

 

Next problem is phase rotation. Hopefully the machines have the plugs on them?? Hopefully, the supply they were used on had the same direction of phase rotation too. If not, you might find they run backwards. Might be better disconnecting the drive and making sure the motors run the right way as some equipment could be damaged if it runs the wrong way.

 

Only other thing would be a phase rotation meter that has the facility to test a dead motor [you turn it by hand] for lead identification [as mine does]

 

john..

[john87]

4 hours ago, GarethM said:

If it's professionally installed it should be a 32a trip but also check which type of breaker is fitted, Type B, C or D.

 

C or D are better for welders and large electric motors unless fitted with soft starters as they pull a absolutely scary amount on startup.

True, but you cannot just swap them without checking the EFLI is low enough so probably stuck with what is there..

john..

[GarethM]

If you're running on a 16a plug get phasenwender, they have a screwdriver turn on pins 2 & 3 allowing phase change without rewiring the plug.

 

I did have a thing of fitting phase rotation relays to equipment with a red lamp interrupt circuit.

 

So it turns on when ok but red lamp when attention needed.

Edited February 25 by GarethM

[john87]

14 hours ago, GarethM said:

If you're running on a 16a plug get phasenwender, they have a screwdriver turn on pins 2 & 3 allowing phase change without rewiring the plug.

 

I did have a thing of fitting phase rotation relays to equipment with a red lamp interrupt circuit.

 

So it turns on when ok but red lamp when attention needed.

 

That is clever! So if the phase rotation was wrong the machine will not start and a light comes on??

john..

[GarethM]

1 minute ago, john87 said:

That is clever! So if the phase rotation was wrong the machine will not start and a light comes on??

john..

Yeap, it made life easier than explaining 3 phase to people.

 

We had a green light in the on/off switch mechanism too, so it was either green for go or red for no!.