Why is it called single-phase 240 when there are two opposing phases (or legs)? I wondered why we called two 120v opposing legs “single-phase 240” for years. Then someone pointed out to me that a typical “single-phase” pole transformer only has one power leg entering and two coming out. That freaked me out. How can […]

You may have heard of a Western movie called True Grit. I won’t spoil it for you, but John Wayne joins Kim Darby to hunt down the man who killed Darby’s father and left with the family’s savings. (Wait, you’re telling me there’s a version with Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon? I thought […]

Here's the first question: Does it really matter if the speed taps on a motor are run or common? Well, yes… sort of. In some cases, it helps to identify if you're dealing with an open winding or an open thermal overload. The thermal overload breaks common, but you will still read a path between […]