One more piece closer to finishing my ZC90

[collector2]

Happy Happy Happy.

About a month ago the crevice tool for a ZC90 came up on Ebay England and I was fortunate enough to get it for my machine.

This machine holds a kind of special place in my collection / memories for me as I found it tossed in the trash when I was about 13 years old. It had been brought back to Canada by a couple that had been stationed in Europe with the forces and it was the first time I had ever seen a European Electrolux. To be quite honest, till that point, I hadnt even realized that the machines were different in Europe. Over the course of the last 30 years I have slowly repaired or replaced the handle, motor, cord reel, hose and gathered the parts for it. Now all I need to find is the rug/floor nozzle and the tool clip for the top of the machine as well as an original book. Hopefully it wont take too much longer to find the last few pieces.

Doug

 

[portable]

<span style="font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wow, this has been a long journey, Doug. Congratulations on being one step closer to completing the set! It looks great. - John</span>

 

[red_october]

That's pretty cool. Can it run on North American voltage? I imagine you'd need a very large voltage converter to power this up otherwise. I'm pretty sure you can't run something like this from, say, a 220v stove outlet since NA 220v is actually two 110v lines 180 degrees out of phase with one-another, while Europe has 1 250v line with one neutral.

 

[vacbear58]

Manual

Doug

I have the manual for the 90 scanned if you would like a copy. You have done a wonderful restoration there.

Al

 

[twocvbloke]

To gain single phase 240v from 120v doesn't necessarily need a large transformer, the machine is most likely less than 600 Watts (my Z1185e was 800W, and that was a much later model), so a transformer something about that size (more is better though) is all that is needed...

I'm not sure how the US 240v outlets work, I know they somehow connect the two phases together to turn both 120v feeds into 240v which goes through the appliance to Neutral, but how you wire that up I don't know, and given the lack of 240v outlets in the average US home, it'll be impractical too...

If you can post the rating plate details, it'll reveal all and a suitable transformer can be found easily...

Just a really long note about European electrickery, the UK is 240v, France is I think 230v, germany 220v, or something along those lines, but "European harmonization" (also known as "interference from Brussels where their noses do not belong") means that on paper, we all run on "230v", but in reality, we don't, as on paper there is a tolerance of -10% +6% (I.E. between 207v to 243.8v), so no country actually changed their power supply to conform, it was just a waste of money to make us all look like one big union of friends (sorry, but I'm not a fan of the British tax-sapping EU), and 250v is not used within the UK or Europe, I think it is somewhere in Africa or India & other former British colonies, but not here. And of course, our power here in the UK & Europe is at 50Hz, unlike the US & Canada who run at 60Hz, it just means the motor will run fractionally faster...

 

[tolivac]

Doesn't Canada use the same 120V-240V the US uses?For US the standard residentual power feed is 240/120V-the secondary of the dist transformer is 240V center tapped.The center tap is grounded neutral.Each side of the tap is 120V.Across the whole secondary winding of the distribution transforemr is 220-240V.And the feed is usually 200A 120-240V.240V feeds the larger appliances like HVAC systems,water heaters,clothes dryers,electric ranges and ovens-and lastly for some people-major power tools.They may have one or more 240V outlets installed in a garage or workshop area to power the tools-such as table or radial saws,surface planer-sanders for wood.A neighbor in my area has such tools-and the 240V outlets in his garage to power them.He is an avid woodworker-15A240V outlet for his table saw,and a 60A outlet for his planer.

 

[collector2]

Hey Rex:

Quite correct. The normal household current in North America is single phase, 120/240 Volt which is derived by grounding a center tap on the secondary coil of the transformer. The only exception to that is in commercial buildings and a few large appartments where 3 phase 120/208 Volt is used (In this case the phases are 120 degrees apart which is why the higher voltage is 208 instead of 240 - generally using a center tap Y configuation for the transformer secondaries). In Europe alot of places run off a three phase system which delivers 220 / 380 volts or a sigle phase system which is either straight 220 V or sometimes 220/440.

I have got 240 Volt 15 Amp outlets in my workshop as well as adapters so I can run any European machines.

Interestingly enough though, this machine is 120 V. It was bought at the Military Canex in France but was made in the works at Luton, Bedfordshire, England. As the military base there was on 120V (As alot of France still was at the time - late 60's) all the appliances sold throught the Canex were compatible with the north american standard. I added the English Plug to make the machine look more authentic.

Just as a side note. You can use your stove or dryer outlet to run 240 V machines but you need to make an adapter panel to protect the machines and the circuit. Basically what you do is get a small, 2 circuit, electric panel with dual 15 amp breakers. Attach a dryer or stove plug to the feed side and a 15A 240 V outlet to the breakers. Simple solution.

Doug

 

[collector2]

Hi Al:

Sure - I'd love a copy of the manual. Who knows if I'll ever find an original.

Doug

 

[twocvbloke]

Just noticed the plug is the older unsleeved pin version of the BS1363 UK plug, those are frowned upon these days by most electrical safety testing places here in the UK, and by law you cannot sell any 2nd hand electrical appliance (but some places still do!!!), be it a lamp or a washing machine, that is fitted with an unsleeved plug, they have to be replaced with a more modern sleeved one (see pic), this is because the pins remain live for some distance when pulled out of the socket and pose an electric shock hazard... :Z

Of course, that was introduced form a time when houses still had sockets fitted in the 50s & 60s where the brass contacts were weak and allowed the plugs to slip out, I've used the Unsleeved ones quite safely, mainly because I don't leave them plugged in or allow the cables to tug on them...

As for that vac being 120v, it's not unusual, a lot of vacs here in the UK sold for commercial purposes have 110v motors (usually fitted with the nice big yellow 110v site plugs), so they probably just slipped one of those motors into that model line to cater for the US bases...

 

[tommymilan]

Hello, lovely vacuum, i was amazed when i found one on ebay and was able to buy it! I have to check in my inventory, maybe I have a spare nozzle to' vive you! Tommy

 

[collector2]

Hi Tommy:

Thank you very much - it would be much appreciated. Is there anything from Canada that you would like?

Doug




Hey David:

Yep - I used that plug on purpose as it is the type that would have been in use when the machine was out so its appropriate.

Doug

 

[vacbear58]

Later version

Doug

Amazing that you managed to get a 120V version. This looks to be a later version of the cleaner with what was to become the standard 3 peg hose fitting (previously seen only on budget models (48, 60 & 64) - the earlier version had has the "ball bearing" type connector, as you will see below. But no matter, it looks WONDERFUL, I only wish mine was in that same condition.

Al

 

[tolivac]

Doug-for the 208-120V 3Ph system-this is the most common 3 ph LV supply used in the US.Next would be 480-277V.the 208V is common in most apartment buildings and other multi family dwellings.480V is more for commercial-industrial buildings.for the 380V-220V that is used as the LV AC distribution in two of our German and Swiss made 500Kw transmitters.the main feed for these is 4160V 3Ph.The plant where I work is fed with this-from a massive 10Mva 115Kv substation.The 4160V is stepped down to 208-120V for the main building LV supply-and 230V 3Ph for three of our older Continental electronics 500Kw transmitters.the 230V runs the water pumps,blowers and LV,filament supplies for the power tubes.The main HV supplies in the CEMCO transmitters is 4160V.Separate breakers for that.The voltage in the 208V system is not due to phase-its to allow for 120V from phase to neutral.The transformer is tapped for that voltage.Many dist transformers are made to be used for ether 240V-120V single phase,or 208-120V three phase by configuring their primary and secondary winding taps.The transformer can be used in a 3ph 208V-120V bank or alone for 240V-120V.Often marked "Dual" on their tanks.For single phase residentual-the transformer primay is fed with the primary votlage phase to neutral-in US this is usually 13.8Kv-7.5Kv.for the 3 ph bank each transformer primary runs on the 13.8-phase to phase.Look up on poles that have three phase banks and you see it.for single phase transformers-one lead to the transformer to the primary line.And of course both cases the primary is fused.and there is a lightening surge arrestor-looks like a large insulator.

 

[collector2]

Hi Alistair:

Now that one is news to me. I've never seen a 90 with the ballbearing type connector on the hose. All the ones that I've seen pictures of have had the bayonett type fitting. Even the listing in the Electrolux cleaner reference booklet says bayonett. Learn something new every day.

Incidentally the ballbearing type connector is what was used on all the Canadian machines right up to 1972.



Hi Rex:

Yep thats pretty much what they do here too. Are you working at a Radio transmitter or TV transmitter?

Doug

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi Doug

Hi Doug, Great vac. Here is my Electrolux 90,
It has the ball bearing type hose fitting. I have al the tools and manual for it except the duster brush I think lol.

James)

 

[vacbear58]

Manual

Doug,
My apologies that it has taken a while to do this - I thought I had it scanned already. The from cover of the manual is above - here goes with the rest

 

[vacbear58]

Page 2

..

 

[vacbear58]

Page 3

 

[vacbear58]

Page 4