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So i have on order a 3000w 240v heat element and a 4000w 110V SCR to control it. This should work with a Standard US 120V outlet? from my understanding a 240V running at 100% on a 120V will only operate at 50% its potential, so 1500Watts? or will this thing be running at its full 3000W?

A 3000W 240V element running on 120V will give you only 750W. The power output is a square of the input voltage, Ohm's Law baby.

P=V*I
P=V^2/R
P=I^2*R

If you want to utilize a 120V circuit closer to is potential you need a 5500W 240V element. Camco has 6kW 240V element that would give you a full 1500W on 120V.

zed255 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:44 pm A 3000W 240V element running on 120V will give you only 750W. The power output is a square of the input voltage, Ohm's Law baby.

P=V*I
P=V^2/R
P=I^2*R

If you want to utilize a 120V circuit closer to is potential you need a 5500W 240V element. Camco has 6kW 240V element that would give you a full 1500W on 120V.

Then i would need a different SCR as well since the one on order is 4000w?

It will be fine .

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:10 pm It will be fine .

LOL what will be fine? the 120v 4000w SRC on the 240v 5500w? Or the 120v 4000w one the 240 3000w?

right now i am using a cheap hot plate for 5 gallons, take a few hours to get up to temp and temp fluctuates as it cycles on and off. so its not ideal to say the least lol

just looking for a quicker more efficent heat up time and the 750w might even be (will prob be) better than what i am working with but the 5500 will prob be ideal

I just want to make sure

1. the SRC will be compatable with the element i choose
2. it will be efficient on a standard 120v outlet

I think i might just get the 240v 10000W SRC to be safe and cancel the ones that are on order if i can. if that makes sense. i have been looking into this and that is what makes the most sense but i am not sure. thanks for all your help guys!

The good news is the controller will work
The bad news is the heater will only make 750w

I canceled the 2 original and got a 240v 6000W element with the 110v 10000W SCR Controller.

That's the stuff. I like to grossly overrate cheap electronic controllers. Mine is advertised as 10kW and reliably runs my 6kW of elements (2 x 3kW on 240V), it also works with 120V as well.

The guys were saying a 6000w 240v element, running on 120v, would only draw 1500w, so the 4000w scr would have been fine. More is good though, so 10,000w is good.

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:10 pm It will be fine .

krausen89 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:18 pm LOL what will be fine?

GreenEnvy22 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:50 pm The guys were saying a 6000w 240v element, running on 120v, would only draw 1500w, so the 4000w scr would have been fine. More is good though, so 10,000w is good.

What he said
Sorry I should have elaborated .

Thanks everyone for the help. I read somewhere that if you are running 120v instead of 240v on a 240v element, it wont run at 50% power but only 25% power so i did order a 120v 2000w element as well and can time the heat up if i ever have any free time to experiment. might not even be that much of a difference. but i guess i shall see.