im currently in the uk,we use 110v power tools on building sites here,can i use them in new zeland?or 240v?

Question

i also have some 240v power tools,which ones can i leagilly use on site or in joinery workshops as in wrokshops here ,we can only use 240v,as on site its 110v..do you have the same systmes in place there or is it all the same??

Answer 1

Due to the 110v having a centre tapped earth its always the safer option. However some sites now have a regulation for battery powered tools only. 18v and upwards.

Answer 2

noooo. a 240 volt circuit is using two hot legs, while a 120 volt circuit is using one hot leg and neutral. If you're in north america, you can reconfigure 240 volt wiring to supply 120 volts. (Though you need to have some knowledge and confidence in what you're doing.) Here's how to do it: Usually 240 circuits in north america have limited applications (at the residential level). Say your electric range and your clothes drier. Open up the box at the receptacle. You should see three (or four) wires, 1 black, 1 red (sometimes also black), 1 white and 1 bare or green. The black and red wires are hot legs, white is neutral and the other one is ground. Get an 120 volt 20 amp receptacle with the same shape configuration as your tool. Then insert the black (or red) wire under the brass colored screw, the white wire under the brown colored screw and attach the bare/green wire under the green screw. Be sure to cover the end of the wire you're not going to be using so you don't create a shorted condition. By the way, you should have turned off the appropriate circuit breaker prior to doing any of this. If this is a temporary usage, you could turn on the circuit breaker, then use your tool, and then immediately put everything back together as it was before you started. If this is to be a permanent change, you need to replace the 240 volt circuit breaker with a 120 volt breaker that matches the amperage rating of the plug you installed. Install only one hot leg wire into the breaker, make sure you cap the unused hot leg that you are laying aside both inside the breaker box and in the receptacle box. If this is too intimidating for you to do, then you should find a competant and informed person to help you or do these things for you. If you live outside the US and Canada, these instructions probably won't apply to your electrical systems, please do not attempt to follow these directions.

Answer 3

The only ways you can use 110V power tools in the UK is by using a step-down transformer (i.e. step-down to 110V from 240V) or a petrol-driven standalone generator with 110V output.



The mains supply in NZ is the same as the UK (230-240V) so you will need to use your step-down transformer.



I presume (on a building site) you use isolation transformers anyway for safety reasons?

Answer 4

110 is much safer .