The electrical requirements for x-ray machines can vary and are somewhat confusing if you aren’t familiar with electrical connections and what you have available in your room. Depending on the generator your system requires or how powerful of a generator you desire for your system, the electrical requirements can vary significantly. Electrical service can be one of the more costly parts when it comes to building out an x-ray room and can make a big difference in what system you ultimately choose. The purpose of this article is to give you some insight into what questions to ask and how to go about deciding what type of x-ray system is going to best meet your needs and budget.
In an effort to better understand the electrical requirements for x-ray systems, it is important to note that you will need to confirm what you have available in your space with a licensed electrician. A licensed electrician can also work with you to determine what it would take to get the required electrical service to your system if you don’t already have what you need. If you are in the process of negotiating a lease for a new office space, we encourage you to ask upfront what electrical service is currently available for the space, what is already run to room, and (if needed) is there room on the existing electrical panel to add additional service. Also, before you sign your lease, this is a good time to see if the landlord would be willing to pay for running the additional electrical lines needed as part of your lease terms.
For most of the 30 and 40kW generator systems we sell, they require a dedicated single-phase, 208V, 125 amp line run to the room with a cutoff switch to power the generator. There are some systems that can run off of a single-phase, 208V, 100 amp power source if needed. Higher kW generators will require 3 phase power. Three-phase power isn’t as common and is typically more expensive to run. When looking at x-ray systems, it is very helpful to know what type of power source you have available and to budget for electrical work in your overall project budget. If you already know what type of power you have available or what is easiest to get to your x-ray room, we can use that information to make recommendations tailored to your situation and needs.
In some circumstances, running power to the room for the system isn’t possible or is cost-prohibitive. Another option that can work for some customers is a stored energy generator that can plug into a standard outlet. These are also a good option to consider in situations where you may not be planning on spending a long time in an office space and don’t want to spend money on running electrical in a unit you don’t plan on staying in long. Stored energy generators are more expensive than a standard generator. They also have batteries that will need to be replaced in the future. When exploring this option, you may want to consider the total cost of ownership versus the expense for running electricity to a standard generator.
At Maven Imaging, when we quote an x-ray system we typically include the power specifications within the quote. If you haven’t already done so prior to getting a quote, this is a good time to speak with your landlord or a licensed electrician to see what type of power you have available to make sure you can get power to the x-ray system. If for some reason you don’t see the power requirements in your quote or if you have questions, please let us know and we are happy to help and make sure you have the information you need. As part of our services provided, when you sign your quote and decide to purchase from Maven Imaging we provide detailed room drawings complete with electrical plans that you can provide to your contractor and electrician to assist with building out your x-ray room space. We are also available to answer any questions you or your contractor may have during the build-out process.
If you have questions and would like to speak with someone on our team regarding your x-ray needs please email us at sales@mavenimaging.com, call us at (800)949-8015, or use our chat feature here on our website to connect. We look forward to helping you.
