[zax15uk]

I use a step-up transformer, 110 to 240V.

[Proaquatics]

Hello all, I've just joined and so far find the posts extremely helpful. I'm also dealing with the European 230 V issue. I'm building a machine that will be sent to a European country that has 220V 50 Hz. I have always thought that when wiring for european 230V single phase, you wire it the same way as you would for 120V in the US. That is, you have a line and neutral and ground as opposed to the 230V in the US (two lines and a ground with no neutral). AND..that when 230 VAC is supplied to the machine, it "should" work fine. My confusion arising with the "neutral leg". Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

[Geof]

....Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

They both use the same kind of electrons to create current flow.

Seriously: you get a potential of 220 between the two hot in North America and 110 between both of them to ground and between both of them to the neutral if that is wired in; in Europe only one line is hot to ground and that is at 230. Provided you do not have any ground shorts they behave the same; except of course for the frequency difference. In Europe you cannot pluck out 110 but in North America it is possible between a line and the neutral. In Europe you only need fusing or other protection on the incoming 220 line and single pole switching is okay; in North America you need fusing on both 110 lines and double pole switching on the incoming is essential. As far as I know the bottom line is that North American equipment going to Europe will probably be fine if it can handle the frequency difference, but European coming over here may not be correctly fused and switched.

[Al_The_Man]

. My confusion arising with the "neutral leg". Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

Geoff pretty much explains it, sometime the confusion arises about the term or definition of 'neutral' There is nothing special about a conductor labelled such.
It can generally be any AC conductor source that a decision has been made to connect this conductor to Earth Ground at some point.
In the case of an electrical service, the point it is grounded is decided by the service company.
In N.A. it is at the service entry panel derived from the centre tap of a 240v 1ph transformer, in parts of Europe it can be only at the star point of a 3 phase transformer.
It is a general code rule that this should be the ONLY point where the ground conductor and the neutral come in contact.
An exception is if a machine has say, an isolated control transformer in its panel, the reference to ground is lost, so in practically all jurisdictions it is permissible to earth ground one side of this transformers secondary to set up a local grounded neutral.
If this machine is not a one-off and you are thinking of selling in Europe I would check some of the local code requirements, especially in the area of safety relays, which are mandatory on some European equipment.
Al.