Voltage drop solved

[Apache704]

I've been having voltage drop problems for 3 years now and it has caused me a lot of problems with some of my electrical appliances,fridge,water pump, computer etc. overheating. I had the electric company come to the house and checked out the voltage which happened to be 170 volts at the time. They said a new transformer was needed in the village as it was too small and would put in a request for a new one(6 months ago)and now was told maybe next year. It was getting worse every day especially at night and all I could have on was the lights,not having enough power to run other things especially the water pump. I was at my wits end until friend of mine told me about seeing Voltage stabilizers in Global House and that might solve my problem. I immediately went there and there were many to choose on depending on the amps you wanted. I bought a 45 amp Voltage stabilizer for 19,900 Baht(they also have 75 Amp and 100 Amp)brought it home and had it installed directly to the Main circuit breaker box. It has worked flawlessly since installed without any voltage drop whatsoever. I would recommend these stabilizers to anyone have these same kind of problems. There are also smaller ones that can have an appliance or two plugged into it. I hope that this information will help out anyone who has this similar problem.

[David48]

Thanks for sharing ...

Anyone else using them?

[tig28]

Thanks for sharing ...

Anyone else using them?

Hi David and the OP

Yes .. mine is made in the US ... company called APC.

http://www.apc.com/products/family/?id=67

Perhaps more useful .... maybe this Thai product which seems much the same:

http://magnet.co.th/index.php?view=product&p=24&c=9

[RandomSand]

We should collate all the highly useful information into a thaivisa wiki.

[seajae]

we had a voltage frop last week and a few things over heated plus couldnt run the aircon, fridge, computer etc. Might have to look into this myself.

[Crossy]

We have a small (2kVA) AVR which feeds the technology via a UPS, handy when the supply is down to 150V.

If you have regular low voltage you may want to consider a two-pronged attack:-

1. An AVR to supply stuff like your TV, freezer etc.
2. A low volt cut-off to protect your A/C and other things that you can afford to have powered off for a while.

Means you can use a smaller (cheaper) AVR.

Apache704, how big is your 45A unit? A photo would be great. Our breaker box is in the lounge, got to avoid annoying wifey

[IMHO]

Something like these?

http://www.kelenor.com/index.php?controller=category&path=416

[Apache704]

We have a small (2kVA) AVR which feeds the technology via a UPS, handy when the supply is down to 150V.

If you have regular low voltage you may want to consider a two-pronged attack:-

1. An AVR to supply stuff like your TV, freezer etc.
2. A low volt cut-off to protect your A/C and other things that you can afford to have powered off for a while.

Means you can use a smaller (cheaper) AVR.

Apache704, how big is your 45A unit? A photo would be great. Our breaker box is in the lounge, got to avoid annoying wifey

Mine is Sh 10000 and looks exactly like this

[Apache704]

We have a small (2kVA) AVR which feeds the technology via a UPS, handy when the supply is down to 150V.

If you have regular low voltage you may want to consider a two-pronged attack:-

1. An AVR to supply stuff like your TV, freezer etc.
2. A low volt cut-off to protect your A/C and other things that you can afford to have powered off for a while.

Means you can use a smaller (cheaper) AVR.

Apache704, how big is your 45A unit? A photo would be great. Our breaker box is in the lounge, got to avoid annoying wifey

SH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE STABILIZER

Code: SH

FEATURES

SH-10000 10 410 x 218 x 310 22,5 This is the size that I have 45

Amp and weighs 22.5 Kioograms

[David48]

Something like these?

http://www.kelenor.com/index.php?controller=category&path=416

Have run out of likes ...

IMHO ... always great posts.

Would you settle for a +1 and a

[longball53098]

I have to bump this topic and ask where to find the LiOA brand AVR in the 1000 to 1500 size? I could have sworn I saw this brand name in Global House on one of the last visits. Also, what cost approx?

Thanks

[IMHO]

I have to bump this topic and ask where to find the LiOA brand AVR in the 1000 to 1500 size? I could have sworn I saw this brand name in Global House on one of the last visits. Also, what cost approx?

Thanks

I forgot about this thread

I ended up installing the LIOA (brand on the unit) / V.E.G (brand on the box) 20kVA unit to our house in the hometown a few weeks ago, and it has solved all voltage drop problems. Price was 30K Baht from Global House.. you can get the same thing for 3-4K cheaper at Kelenor, but they were quoting 6 weeks delivery on the 20kVA unit, Global had it in stock...

Not sure of the price on the smaller ones - all are too small for me... A phone call is all it takes to get all models and prices - just beware that they are quoting the max. value shown on the amp meter on the box, not the actual max. capacity...

Ask for the model numbers - SH-15000 = single phase 15kVA, SH-20000 = single phase 20kVA etc. Buy the biggest you can afford and that still makes sense given your supply meter rating - bearing in mind that as the mains voltage drops, the current consumed raises... When we tested mine, a load of just 12,000 watts was using 90 amps of supply current to stabilise to 220V (i.e. supply voltage dropped to 130'ish) - so my 20kVA unit is actually only good for around 13,000-13,500 watts only given the poor supply at that house... (Just enough to run my Songkhran sound system )

YMMV.

[sean in udon]

longball53098 thanks for the bump. I may not have found this thread without it.

Sounds like the solution to my future problems. Renting at the moment but plan to build just down the road. Neighbour has a workshop and every time he uses power tools the lights dim, aircon gets quiter, etc. Took me a few weeks to make the connection.

IMHO the info about available kVA as opposed to quoted kVA was also useful.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Crossy]

Our local 'lectrical emporium call them 'stabiliser' with the usual Thai emphasis on the final 'er'.

Take a photo of the ones linked to by Apache704.

[Naam]

question for Crossy and IMHO:

-my "thingy" switches off a phase completely above 255V and below 185V.

-i have measured incoming 150-180V when i phase was switched off.

that's not a problem for my electronics because they are fed by UPS

but i am missing airconditioning.

-will a voltage stabilizer do the trick to maintain a phase at 220 when incomng is 150-160V ?

-can i use 3 units (one for each phase) ?

thanks in advance!

[Crossy]

@Naam

Yes - The units linked to are good for 160V, but will continue with maximum boost below 160V. But of course to prop up the voltage the unit needs to draw more current from the decreased supply..

and

Yes - You could use 3 single-phase units, they also so 3-phase units, not sure if they regulate the phases independently mind.

[Naam]

@Naam

Yes - The units linked to are good for 160V, but will continue with maximum boost below 160V. But of course to prop up the voltage the unit needs to draw more current from the decreased supply..

and

Yes - You could use 3 single-phase units, they also so 3-phase units, not sure if they regulate the phases independently mind.

i was thinking of 3 single units because a 3-phase unit must be very heavy and difficult to handle. any link where to find 3-phase units?

my next question concerns the efficiency. will the unit continously draw more input than output or only when "action is demanded" (like my inverters). as the response time must be very low i guess the servo-motor has to run continously.

[Crossy]

Single and 3-phase units on this page http://www.kelenor.com/index.php?controller=category&path=416

It will of course always draw some power, no indication how much, but efficiency is quoted as >95%

[Naam]

well, it's obvious not applicable in my case. installing the stabiliser between public grid and my "thingy" would most probably trigger one of the fuses of the thingy when low voltage causes high amps. installation after the "thingy" won't help because of the automatic shutdown.

is my thinking correct? if yes, how was it possible that IMHO's gadget had an output of 90 amps without blowing any of his regular fuses?

[T_Dog]

At our old rural place, we usually had excellent voltage between 235 and 242 volts as there were only two houses connected on our transformer phase. Occasionally we would have drops down to 170 volts for several hours due to transmission line faults where we had to disconnect pumps and refrigerators to avoid damage until the fault was repaired. (It was usually a thrown breaker on a high voltage line.) The OP's transformer may indeed be overloaded, but distribution faults to rural areas are pretty common here, and maybe not apparent.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=948608

[IMHO]

question for Crossy and IMHO:

-my "thingy" switches off a phase completely above 255V and below 185V.

-i have measured incoming 150-180V when i phase was switched off.

that's not a problem for my electronics because they are fed by UPS

but i am missing airconditioning.

-will a voltage stabilizer do the trick to maintain a phase at 220 when incomng is 150-160V ?

-can i use 3 units (one for each phase) ?

thanks in advance!

My single phase 20kVA stabilizer says 150-250V input range on the front, but when we tested it initially, it was still stabilizing 130V mains to 220V (the current was very high though as you can imagine). Something very major would need to change in the grid infra here for me to ever test the upper voltage limits

You can certainly use 3 single phase units according to Crossy. There are also 3 phase stabilizers available, but you might want to check whether they stabilize each phase independently or as a whole... if the latter, not a great solution in TH where a major issue is phase inbalance.

[IMHO]

well, it's obvious not applicable in my case. installing the stabiliser between public grid and my "thingy" would most probably trigger one of the fuses of the thingy when low voltage causes high amps. installation after the "thingy" won't help because of the automatic shutdown.

is my thinking correct? if yes, how was it possible that IMHO's gadget had an output of 90 amps without blowing any of his regular fuses?

Here's my setup:

Meter > Stabilizer > 3 CU's (one of them 70-80M away & via a 63A Safe-T-Cut)

The only over-current protection I have in ultra-low voltage situations is the 2 pole 100A breaker in the stabilizer itself - it has so far never tripped, but the unit has shut down in severe brownouts/blackouts.

I can't see why this wouldn't work for you - your "thingy" will never see low voltage/high amps - only the stabilizer sees that.

[Crossy]

IMHO beat me to it ^^^.

[Naam]

well, it's obvious not applicable in my case. installing the stabiliser between public grid and my "thingy" would most probably trigger one of the fuses of the thingy when low voltage causes high amps. installation after the "thingy" won't help because of the automatic shutdown.

is my thinking correct? if yes, how was it possible that IMHO's gadget had an output of 90 amps without blowing any of his regular fuses?

Here's my setup:

Meter > Stabilizer > 3 CU's (one of them 70-80M away & via a 63A Safe-T-Cut)

The only over-current protection I have in ultra-low voltage situations is the 2 pole 100A breaker in the stabilizer itself - it has so far never tripped, but the unit has shut down in severe brownouts/blackouts.

I can't see why this wouldn't work for you - your "thingy" will never see low voltage/high amps - only the stabilizer sees that.

if only i knew what i "CU" is so the stabiliser hides the high amps when low voltage from my thingy?

[Forkinhades]

CU is a term used in UK, : Consumer Unit (Distribution Board/ Fuse Box.......)

[IMHO]

well, it's obvious not applicable in my case. installing the stabiliser between public grid and my "thingy" would most probably trigger one of the fuses of the thingy when low voltage causes high amps. installation after the "thingy" won't help because of the automatic shutdown.

is my thinking correct? if yes, how was it possible that IMHO's gadget had an output of 90 amps without blowing any of his regular fuses?

Here's my setup:

Meter > Stabilizer > 3 CU's (one of them 70-80M away & via a 63A Safe-T-Cut)

The only over-current protection I have in ultra-low voltage situations is the 2 pole 100A breaker in the stabilizer itself - it has so far never tripped, but the unit has shut down in severe brownouts/blackouts.

I can't see why this wouldn't work for you - your "thingy" will never see low voltage/high amps - only the stabilizer sees that.

if only i knew what i "CU" is so the stabiliser hides the high amps when low voltage from my thingy?

CU = the breaker box thingy

Blame Crossy for me using UK terminology

Here's the insides of one of these:

Note that this guy runs it well out of spec, and I doubt it would have actually stayed on with 99V input if it had an actual load.

In answer to your question: Yes. Your thingy will have no idea that the mains voltage is low.

[Naam]

Your thingy will have no idea that the mains voltage is low

if yew shparkies are wrong i vill haff vasted kvite zome monny shudd i go for shtabbilising oll mine phasis

[Crossy]

Your thingy will have no idea that the mains voltage is low

if yew shparkies are wrong i vill haff vasted kvite zome monny shudd i go for shtabbilising oll mine phasis

Zee shparkies r korrekt.

But you need a sparks who knows what he's doing, particularly if using three single-phase units.

[bankruatsteve]

Can someone explain how these AVR's work when the grid goes low? I understand transformers but what I don't understand is how something can transform from nothing? Like if the grid goes low on amps (coulombs) then how can an AVR which needs more amps to up the voltage work? Seems like a case of diminishing returns. 'splain it to me Lucy.

[Naam]

Can someone explain how these AVR's work when the grid goes low? I understand transformers but what I don't understand is how something can transform from nothing? Like if the grid goes low on amps (coulombs) then how can an AVR which needs more amps to up the voltage work? Seems like a case of diminishing returns. 'splain it to me Lucy.

servo-motor in the unit that "serves".