Amps vs. Volts

[fliccer]

Ok, I feel bad just asking for help without doing more of the work myself.... but I promise I HAVE read the basics of electricity and am having a hard time relating it to the electro bath... call me a "volt dolt"....hehehe....

I see many of you stressing the AMPS as being the key to speed. What, then, is the difference if I set my charger to 6 or 12 volts? Is one faster? Is one SAFER??

I believe I killed my first charger and just returned from SEARS with a big bad boy..... it was on sale and I figured, why not? So I have one that can be set to 2, 20 or 60 AMPS. and I have the 6 or 12 VOLT setting on Manual or Automatic (I have read a post that says to stick with manual). Finally, I have the opportunity to set the timer for anything from .5-12 hours or so.

Any specific recommendations on how I should set this thing for cleaning iron? I am using a small, maybe 10 gallon bath. Thanks in advance for the help! JVN, former member who let membership lapse and will be memebr again once the check clears, right Greg???

[Roger Barfield]

John, I would set on 12 volt and 20 amps and like you said manual charging.  The amps are what does the work.  I don't know how, but I know that TC did some experimentation and even used a 24 volt charger.   Hopefully, he or Tom Neitzel or someone else can explain better.   Also watch the negative lead that it doesn't get too hot.  In my setup I move the cast iron away from the positive plate and try to maintain 20 amps as it overheated the negative lead.

[ysageev]

Think of it like a hose: Volts are the pressure and amps are the width of the hose/nozzle.

From my experience the charger can't generate enough electricity to harm you.  I've accidentally put my hand in the soup with the charger on, and the result, while very surprising, did no harm.  Of course, I highly recommend you don't put your hand in the soup while electro is running.  I keep mine on 12 volts and runs between 20-40 amps.  The amperage is very temperature dependent.  As the water gets hotter, the amps go up -- which makes some sense.

[maloney108]

My Dad taught me the difference between Amps and Volts this way:  

It's like water in a pipe, voltage is the pressure and amperage is the volume.  Simple, but I never mix 'em up anymore.

In electrolysis, it's the volume (amount) of electricity we want, so the amperage is the one that does the job.

[Greg Stahl]

volts = amps x resistance

[ysageev]

volts = amps x resistance

Does that mean volts are futile?  ;D

Anyway, so Amps = Volts/resistance

which means, since volts are constant, to get more througput you must decrease resitance.  This can be accomplished by:

1. making sure there is enough soda in the soup
2. placing the object to be cleaned near the sides of the container
3. Keeping you water hot by always having something in the electro (mine runs non-stop).
4. making sure contacts and connections are good

Also, Watts (power) = Volts x Amps.  This allows you to calculate how much electricity your setup is consuming.

[Greg Stahl]

Am I borging you?

[ysageev]

Am I borging you?

lol, no Greg, I've already been assimilated.