The building I am looking at has a 50 amp 208v 3 phase receptacle. It would be super convenient and much cheaper if I could somehow modify my original plan for 50 amps. I wouldn't have to hard-wire my panel to the main breaker which results in an electrician and permit pulling. I could just simply hook my panel up to the wall with a cable.
With the Delta configuration in this schematic, what is the most wattage I can pull to go with a 50 amp panel? To stay under the 80% I would need to be pulling 40 amps max right? And right now with 5500 watt 208v elements I would be pulling 46 amps, which would be over the 80% but theoretically work on a 50 amp main breaker. I could buy 5000 watt 208v elements to get down from 16,500 watts to 15,000 watts. With those elements, what would my draw be and could that work?
I am assuming I probably would have to eliminate pumps from the panel to reduce the potential amperage which is fine. They are 3/4hp pumps with VFD on carts so I could just run them off another circuit in the building. Having switches for pumps on the panel is sort of redundant anyway since I'll already be controlling the pumps with the vfd to regulate pump speed.
I know if I went with lower wattage elements to get to 40 amps (instead for the 5500's drawing 46) that I would be sacrificing speed and my brew days would be longer, but it may be worth it to save a couple thousand bucks on permits and electricians. I guess it would depend on how much slower it would take to get from 150f to 212f with the lower wattage.
Any advice from you guys would be much appreciated.
With the Delta configuration in this schematic, what is the most wattage I can pull to go with a 50 amp panel? To stay under the 80% I would need to be pulling 40 amps max right? And right now with 5500 watt 208v elements I would be pulling 46 amps, which would be over the 80% but theoretically work on a 50 amp main breaker. I could buy 5000 watt 208v elements to get down from 16,500 watts to 15,000 watts. With those elements, what would my draw be and could that work?
I am assuming I probably would have to eliminate pumps from the panel to reduce the potential amperage which is fine. They are 3/4hp pumps with VFD on carts so I could just run them off another circuit in the building. Having switches for pumps on the panel is sort of redundant anyway since I'll already be controlling the pumps with the vfd to regulate pump speed.
I know if I went with lower wattage elements to get to 40 amps (instead for the 5500's drawing 46) that I would be sacrificing speed and my brew days would be longer, but it may be worth it to save a couple thousand bucks on permits and electricians. I guess it would depend on how much slower it would take to get from 150f to 212f with the lower wattage.
Any advice from you guys would be much appreciated.