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Registered Member #79
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673
I hope I'm allowed to do this. Here's an excerpt from pupman, sounds like a deal. Especially if you're planning on spending $300 anyway. I was going to PM this to Shahn, but I thought, "heck, why not help everybody out?"
I have a truck load of variacs to sell you can see 2 pictures at the link listed below.
The Variac in the picture is a 7.8 KW, 28 amps, input voltage 240/120, Outout voltage 0-280. This is a 2 gang unit, Double unit, 2 variacs connected together. You can use them seperate or wire them in parallel to get 15.6 KW.
I have a lot of these to sell and I am not sure how many I actually have probably 40 or 50 total.
I have maybe 4 or 5 double units. I have maybe 10 tripple units. I have 1 maybe 2 units that are a 5 variac stack. I might even have a unit that is a 4 variac stack not sure until I move some other stuff out of the way to take a look.
The values are unknown at the moment. Most are 240/120 input voltage and 0-280 output voltage, rated about 5KW, 6KW up to about 7.8 KW per variac. There might even be a 10KW unit somewhere in the lot.
I have a single 5KW variac rated at 120 volts input, 140 volts output. There might be 2 or 3 of these.
These things are heavy. The double variac unit weight is about 100 pounds maybe more I have not actually weighed it. It took 2 people to move it so I could take pictures.
These things sell for about $650.00 to $850.00 per variac NEW. I will take $300.00 per variac or any "REASONABLE" offer. Absolutely NO trading I have too much stuff as it is already.
I perfer the units be picked up at my house in Murfreesboro, TN. 37129.
Buyer is responsible for all shipping costs including package and handling fees.
If anyone is interested in the entire LOT of variacs I will take $5000.00 for them all. I can provide pictures of them all. You will need a 3/4 ton or maybe a 1 ton truck to haul them all. Also bring several very strong guys with you to load them in your truck.
Registered Member #486
Joined: Sun Jul 09 2006, 01:18AM
Location: Germany/Hessen/Hanau
Posts: 9
Hi!
Nice to have this variac-thread.... so I dont need to open a new one.. (I need some help...)
some questions...
1) why does my variac heat excessively as soon as I plug it into the wall and no load is connected? It is drawing 0.2 Amp at 240 Volts without anything and is rated up to 2A / 0-250V continously. May it be defective? If yes, what can be the reason... I mean because a variac is a very simple device where you see damages almost immediately...
2) How is it possible to draw 110A with a 28A variac for even 3 minutes??? What is the 110A - Peak Pulse, RMS? Most lines in Europe are only good to 16A RMS and fuses and protection-circuits will trigger if you pull to much to long.... I ever thought 240Vx16A=3840Watt was the upper maximum for what I can draw from my wallplug. So how do you guys manage to get 20... 50.. 100 Amperes from your mains? Where do you connect to, to your main-house-connection without any fuses/circuits? Well what is the maximum I can draw from my mains?
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
Hi Marcus
1) Pretty much all magnetic devices get hot when plugged in with no load, due to core losses. I would say 0.2A no-load current seems reasonable.
2) I live in the UK and I've managed to get over 30A RMS @ 240V from a wall plug for a few minutes. Our wall plugs are wired on ring circuits protected by 32A breakers. Each plug has a 13A fuse inside, but you can pull twice the rated current through a fuse for several minutes before it pops. (most circuit breakers aren't so generous though)
If you want more, you need to wire your experiment to a separate circuit in your house. The Americans have high current 240V outlets for things like air conditioners and electric cookers, and some American coilers seem to plug their mega coils into these.
All of this varies a lot between countries. For instance here your house gets a single phase 240V supply with an 80A fuse. Other European countries seem to give you less current to play with. In Denmark, I heard the houses get 3 phase 230/400V supply with each leg fused at 16A, and any high powered appliances are designed to run off 400V.
A variac should be able to deliver twice its rated current for a few minutes without any bother.
Registered Member #486
Joined: Sun Jul 09 2006, 01:18AM
Location: Germany/Hessen/Hanau
Posts: 9
Hi, thanks for the answers!
My questions No.2 is answered to my full happiness... ;c) Now I know that there are big differences in different countries. In Germany each leg is usually fused at 16A, too.
But what me still wories is my questio No.1 my variac.... it heats VERY STRONG in a few seconds with out a load to the point that you can NOT touch it anymore and the insulation also begins to stink. Any ideas? While closely examining the device I found a tiny crack... may it be a bigger crack inside and this causing some asymetric heating? I mean only a small portion of the device gets hot at first and then the temperature spreads onto the full mass...
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Variac Amperage?
