120v vs 230v why is 230 better?

[Viggen]

making plans to do my pond & I am attempting to figure out which pumps to use.  Why is it that 230v is better/cheaper then 120v?

I am just trying to understand how all that stuff works....

[slandis3]

230v draws less amps saving you money. I think thats how it works.

[buckeyereefer]

  i agree 230v allows you to run a larger pump with less amps. which in
turn is cheaper in the long run.

[Wall_Tank]

230 volt motors are usually more efficient, that is where you save.   Power consumption is Watts or (Volts times Amps)  so do the math on power savings.

Wire size is dictated by the amps flowing in the wire, so running the higher voltage normally allows you to run smaller wire sizes.   But that is pretty much a non-consideration with things like a pond pump.

[verper]

You are charged for (kilo)watts and the watts stay the same no matter the voltage.  Whether it be 120v x 4amp = 480 watts or 240v x 2 amps = 480 watts.   The savings is only in two places:

1.  If you are setting up a new circuit.  Say you need 6 pumps that each draw 4amps @120v.  6 x 4amps = 24amps.  24amps will not cut it on a standard 20 amp circuit so you will either have to run larger conduit and wire (10 or 8ga) to upgrade to a 30amp circuit or you will have to split the circuit and maybe double the amount of 12ga wire, conduit, etc.  If you change the voltage of the pumps to 240v you have effectively decreased your amps on the circuit: 6 x 2 amps = 12amps.  Now you can run them on standard 12ga wire with no more wire than you would have needed for a standard 20 amp circuit.

2.  Electricity is like water in some ways.  Resistance with electricity is like head loss with water.  Longer runs create drag on the flow.  The more the drag, the more it costs to run.  The answer to the problem is again to upsize the wiring - or switch to 240 to reduce the drag.

Hope this helps.

[Viggen]

thanks everyone.... it has helped!!!

So it looks like I am going to need to find some 240v pumps to run however I did run a 6-2 cable & I plan on having a 50amp fuse for the pump's.  Not exactly sure what I am going to need however after visiting a koi pond it looks like  abig bead filter will be a necessity ... thus a big pump