Cecilware FE 100 converting to 120v

[warners point]

I bought a used Cecilware FE 100 coffee urn for $50. I would like to convert it from the 240v heating element to a 120v heating element, since I don't have 240v service at the shack. Does anyone have any experience in doing this??

[lew]

If you don't want to change the element, just run your connect you 240v wires like they were 110v. This will give you 1/4 the watt rating of the heating element. In other words if it was a 6,000 watt elemment 240v, it would now give you heating capacity of a 1,500 watt element. Can't remember all the formulas as to why it is not 1/2 the rating, but that's how it works out as I recall.

[maple flats]

I have a transformer I could sell you but you might not like the cost. I would sell it for $100, it was used for 1 year.
Back when I first put solar into my sugarhouse (I now have the proper inverter and more solar array) I bought the wrong inverter (it converts 24V DC to 240V AC). It was 240V but it had no ground or neutral bar so it could only be used for 240V loads, such as your urn, or a 240V motor. I needed to also draw 120v but that inverter would not work that way, legs could not be split. My cheapest way out for temporary was a transformer because the correct inverter was over $1500 and the transformer was $135 delivered. This transformer can go up or down. You can input 200v or 220V and get out 110V or you can input 110V or 120V and get 220V out. Switching is just a matter of placing the jumper plug on the back to the proper slot for what you are inputting and what you want out. This is a very heavy transformer, so shipping would not be cheap, but either FedEx or UPS will handle shipments that heavy. If interested PM me and I'll get an exact weight. This transformer was over 90% efficient. So if you input 20A @ 120V you could get about 9A @ 220V, 30A @ 120V in gives about 13.5A @ 220. These are quick calculations in my head. If interested I'll get more exact figures for you along with exact efficiency #'s. The conversion is W in times efficiency = W out, W = VA, where W = watts, V= voltage and A= amps. Doing this you would get about 90% of your energy input rater than 25%. The transformer is heavy because of all the copper windings.
My new inverter cost $3650 delivered but is state of the art (an XW6048 inverter, which inverts 48V DC to 120/240V AC)