Help please

[NONELEC]

Will someone please explain the following.

I have a small factory and the electric company inspected the mains,which is 440volts. I was informed that my supply is 20kVA and should be upgraded.

What is kva, 440volts and 3 phase and neutral.

Thanks for any help

NONELEC

 

[bathjobby]

KVA is kilo watts (Volts x Amps = Watts), so 20,000 watts. If you don't understand phasing and neutral, no quick explanation here is likely to alter that.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the electric company inspected the mains,which is 440volts. I was informed that my supply is 20kVA and should be upgraded.

Why did they inspect it? Have you been having problems?

For what reason does it need upgrading?

What is kva

Kilovolt-amps. A measure of the amount of power your supply can deliver. If it's 20kVA and the supply voltage is 440 that means that in total you can draw about 45A. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KvA

In a factory environment it probably won't be quite the same as kilowatts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor

440volts

The voltage of your supply. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volt

and 3 phase and neutral.

One of the characteristics of your supply. Your house is probably single phase and neutral, your factory, as is usual for industrial supplies, has three phases and neutral. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase

I have a small factory

Do you have an electrician you regularly use?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[rebuke]

holmslaw - if you were using single phase appliances yes, but at 440V (i.e. a 3-phase appliance) you could draw about 45A...

Admittedly, most 3 phase supplies are described based on their rating per phase, i.e. a 63-3 would be able to supply 63A per phase, but still, BAS is quite correct in what he said...