220V the same as 240V?

Question

This might be a dumb question, but I'm new at this. I have a welder/generator gas driven it has 120V and 240V plug outlets. I bought a mig welder that requires 220V to run it. If I pluged it into the 240V on my generator is it going to damage the mig welder? Or is 240V the same as 220V? Also the plug outlet is not a normal one it looks like a upside down L on one of the prong holes..what is the plug type called, I need to get one but dont know what the **** to call it. A "240 plug"??

Thanks for the help

Answer 1

It's about the same.

US outlets are a nominal 115 or 117 or 118 depending on the company. That is usually rounded off as 110 or 120.

Twice those numbers are the nominal 230 volts, sometimes expressed as 220 v, sometimes as 240v.

Yes, 220/240 volt outlets use a different pin arrangement from 110/120 volt outlets to avoid plugging into the wrong voltage.

Yes, you want a 240 volt 3 pin plug.

The welder should have the correct plug on it.

.

Answer 2

In the U.S. ' 220' is nominal for either 208 or 240 Volts.

There is no actual 220 Volt. service offered.

(You only find 208 in urban situations where it is derived from

three phase 120'/208V. services.

Most sub-urban and rural services are single phase 120/240V.)

On you generator I suspect that the receptacle is a NEMA 10-30R.

To be sure, take a 'rubbing of the face of the recptacle to the hardware

shop to find the matching plug.

(The NEMA No. of the receptacle might appear on its face.)

Answer 3

220V is basically the same as 240V in the case you mentioned.  Some electronic equipment may be more finicky about the voltage requirements but with the equipment mentioned above, it will work.  The plug mentioned is a 240V 3 phase locking plug ($3 on ebay).