Three phase to single phase

Local ag center obtained a Vulcan commercial oven from one of the county schools recently. Can these be economically converted from 3-phase to single-phase? The building has a 3-phase panel but it is not close to the kitchen.

Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.

You can also go OLD SCHOOL and use a set of capacitors to simulate the 3rd phase... but still restricted to 240v input / output.

being that it is commercial and a OVEN.... im guessing the AMPS are going to be TOO HIGH to do this efficiently ......... and voltage may well be 480v... so no go.

Edited by steve(ill) - 02 Nov 2022 at 10:17pm

Like them all, but love the "B"s.

When convert 3-1 even on phase converters designed to, end up with amps loss, heating elements use a lot of amps.

Most 3 phase are 240/480/277 volts, you most likely need 120/240, if that is what's needed, you will need a transformer, probably not worth it.

917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"

If it's a Vulcan, chances are it's a wind oven which has a fan motor on the back, check and see if it's 3 phase, may not be if it's small enough.

Maximum use of available resources!

Okay, so the oven is currently wired for three phase, you wanna run it on single.

IF it's a common oven, it uses resistive elements to provide heat. you do NOT want to run this on a VFD, and it would be a fool's errand to do so, because it is neither economical nor necessary to do so...

A sensible engineer would NOT have designed it to REQUIRE 3 phase... they'd only do that to make for a convenient connection for a building that provided 3-phase, but a sensible engineer would have set up an interconnection panel upon which you could either rearrange identified wires, or move jumper links, to allow it to run on probably a half-dozen different voltages and phasings. Before anyone suggests that the FAN MOTOR might be three-phase, I'll say yes, it COULD, but NO ENGINEER with a brain would have ever done that... they'd simply use a single-phase capacitor-start fan, and power it across one of the elements, so that it no matter HOW you do the interconnections, would always be running the proper voltage... and the proper direction.

What you need, is a wiring diagram for the oven, and I'll BET that if you find an installation manual for it, you'll find that diagram, and in it, a connection diagram for SEVERAL different power configurations.

Can you get one? Take the covers off, and look-see if there's a diagram either glued to, or in a pouch inside... or web-search, call the manufacturer, etc.,...

If you get a doc, and don't know how to interpret it, send me good pictures of it, and I'll tell 'ya how to do it.

I'm POSITIVELY CERTAIN that, even if it was wired for 208, or 480, or 277, or 230... it'll run on a 120/240 single-phase.

As an example, the most recent electric oven doc at Vulcan, page 5, has this:

Edited by DaveKamp - 04 Nov 2022 at 1:24am

Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.

Thank all of you for the replies and advice. I will pass this information along and let management make a decision. Since this is a county government operation it may take some time.

Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.

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