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3 Phase in Ontario - Hydro One

aventino68

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Waiting on garage plans, how difficult was it to get Hydro One to give you 3 phase to your garage? Trying to get answers from their webpage.
 
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klassenl

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If your garage is on a residential property you won't get 3 phase. If you're in a commercial area all you will have to do is pay the bill.
 
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aventino68

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Napanee ON
Ok from a quick glance it says:

3.1.8 Residential Three Phase Customers
A Voltage
When approved by Hydro One, for Residential Three Phase Customers the nominal supply voltage required is 120/208V four-wire or 347/600V four-wire.

So I'll see if that means I can apply and it's straightforward or though I apply there's very little chance I get approved.

Was hoping someone else in Ontario might have got 3 phase in residential.
 
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aventino68

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I have never heard of three phase in a residential property here in Ontario.
I built my last garage over 20 years ago and needed 3 phase for a few things. I'll have see if I can get away without three phase in 2020. Now that I'm looking, new hoists don't need it, TIG Welder now doesn't, plasma cutter doesn't. Maybe I get by in these days without it.
 
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u2slow

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Waiting on garage plans, how difficult was it to get Hydro One to give you 3 phase to your garage? Trying to get answers from their webpage.

Do you have 3-phase mains running past your property? That in itself is probably the biggest make/break if the PoCo will do it at all in a residential area. Plan on paying for the transformer bank install. Check billing arrangements also. It would **** to incur commercial rates. The other caveat is sometimes a 2nd service to a property automatically becomes commercial. (Check on that too.)

I'm in BC... haven't pursued 3-phase despite it running past my house. 208V isn't especially useful for me.
 

Kevin Essiambre

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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Oh, I should mention that sometimes Hydro One will want the customer to install the primary lines, the transformer, and the secondary lines including all poles, and related equipment... there are electrical contractors that specialize in this. Hydro One will tell you if they want you to do this work or if they'll do it.

If there is 3 phase near your property, there is a better chance of getting the power you want. If it will require km's of lines, there's a slim chance (unless you have DEEP pockets...).

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.
 
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wyliesdiesels

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Modesto, CA
Ok from a quick glance it says:

3.1.8 Residential Three Phase Customers
A Voltage
When approved by Hydro One, for Residential Three Phase Customers the nominal supply voltage required is 120/208V four-wire or 347/600V four-wire.

So I'll see if that means I can apply and it's straightforward or though I apply there's very little chance I get approved.

Was hoping someone else in Ontario might have got 3 phase in residential.

600v service to a residential property? Whats the point? Have to step it down to 120/240 for it to be useable...
 

u2slow

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600v service to a residential property? Whats the point? Have to step it down to 120/240 for it to be useable...

'Residential' probably includes apartment and condo complexes; where elevators, air handling systems, pool/spa facilities, common-area lighting, etc. would likely be fed 347/600V.
 

wyliesdiesels

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'Residential' probably includes apartment and condo complexes; where elevators, air handling systems, pool/spa facilities, common-area lighting, etc. would likely be fed 347/600V.

interesting. still would need a step down transformer.

none of the apartments out here are fed with even 480v service. its either 208Y/120 or 120/240 single phase.
 
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aventino68

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Unless I’m doing lots of heavy work can’t see a need for 3 phase. Mig weld up to 7/16 aluminium on single phase and even smaller Haas CNC machines ok on single phase. I’ll see what runs past the property, I’m pretty rural and now I doubt 3 phase is there.
 
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aventino68

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'Residential' probably includes apartment and condo complexes; where elevators, air handling systems, pool/spa facilities, common-area lighting, etc. would likely be fed 347/600V.



Has been a bit of an eye opener how much machinery is happy these
days on single phase
 

Norcal

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Having either 480V (US), or 600V (Canada), in a residential environment is rather dangerous as they are more hazardous to the unqualified then higher voltages.
 

u2slow

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Has been a bit of an eye opener how much machinery is happy these
days on single phase

Makes sense with the amount of inverter and VFD machinery available nowadays. At equal power output, single-phase equipment is still a bigger amp draw on your service though.


interesting. still would need a step down transformer.

Yes, usually a large power transformer arrangement feeding 120/208 to the units.

Its a fine line... a residential concrete high-rise will get kilovolt feeds, and smaller complexes will simply get 120/208 direct from the PoCo.
 

Lassen Forge

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The romantic hills of central Umbria, Italy,
It depends if you are in an industrial / agricultural area or on the path from the substation to one of those areas... we have a choice of 208Y/120, 240/120, or 480Y/277 voltages, but the PoCo (PG&E) needs to know what you're running - 10HP motors, HID lighting + cooling, etc. so they can size the transformer... Most common, it seems up here, is 480/277... but then again, we used to have a lot of lumber mills up here decades ago.

There is a caevat - if you're putting industrial equipment (say an automotive machine shop) in a residential area, your PoCo may not be your only obsacle... you may have to deal both with zoning AND insurance issues. You might be OK doing it but nullify your homeowners insurance... or run afoul of your friendly local building inspector. It's one of the times I recommend asking permission rather than forgiveness...
 
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