Isolation Transformer

Build your own isolation transformer!

About a month ago, I realised that I needed an isolation transformer for my electronics lab to test one of my electronics projects.

As I searched eBay for an isolation transformer, I quickly discovered that most of them are rather pricey for what they get you, as most of them cannot output a lot of power (which I don't really need, but it's nice to have some headroom).

I remembered that I had seen a single isolation transformer somewhere before, which was cheaper and more powerful.

It was the isolation transformer one can buy on the highvoltageshop.com website. It has an apparent power rating of 400VA and costs 60€.

This is what I was looking for, so instead of buying an overpriced isolation transformer with 1 outlet and 120W I would build my own.

Just need to design the housing and wire the thing up.

So I got to work, and some time later, I had all the parts necessary to start printing!

This project will take about 1kg of filament. I started with a little less than that so part of my housing is blue instead of black.

Specifications of this transformer project

• Isolation Transformer (eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/285889341455 | highvoltageshop: https://tinyurl.com/f42zx5dk )

  Apparent power: 400VA

  Voltage: 220 - 240V

  Max current: 1,74 A

  Winding ratio: 1:1 (advertised, in reality, this transformer puts out a little more than the input voltage, which one can change by undoing some windings)

   

• Housing

  2x Outlets ( Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/1kyFwQI )

  1x Digital meter display, which shows voltage, current, frequency, PF and energy used ( Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/hKvGuVh )

  1x Switch (Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/g4t1ma6 )

  1x Plug with 1,6A fuse ( Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/eQcJJ7g | Fuse: https://amzn.eu/d/hR9jo7c )

  2x Wago 221 with 3 slots

  16x M4x10 screws + 8x nuts to secure outlets and the top part of the housing

  2x M3x10 screws + nuts to secure the plug 

At this moment in moment in time, I have turned on the transformer once to ensure the display works correctly. Unfortunately after wanting to turn it on a second time back EMF seems to have killed the LED in the switch I am using, so I'll have to take a look at that and figure out a way to mitigate this problem.

As the electrical side of this project is not yet completed, I do not have images of that yet, but they will follow.

DISCLAIMER

This is a project that utilizes mains voltage. As the creator of the housing for this transformer, I am not responsible for any damage that might be done to any one person, living being, or equipment. If you work with mains voltage you should know your stuff and do your own research. Leave your hands off mains or any higher voltage if you do not understand what you are doing.