It's a good example of the intriguing way in which discussions (not just here - virtually everywhere) can move from tangent to tangent, such that the 'origin' of the discussion quickly becomes 'an obscure matter of ancient history' - it really often can be just like "Chinese Whispers"
• This thread started with the OP asking about how he could learn more about 'electrics', noting that he had problems with (and a dislike of) maths. Early on (#11) i suggested that the amount of maths needed in relation to domestic electrics was pretty trivial, and that far more important was a good understanding of basic electrical principles. In reinforcing that, I cited an anecdotal experience from decades ago when a so-called 'electrician' tried to tell me crazy things about the need for an additional RCD which illustrated that he didn't have the slightest clue about very basic electrical principles.
• eric then jumped in and said that that 'electrician' may have had more of a point had we been talking about 'voltage-operated' earth leakage circuit breakers ((VOELCB, or ELCB-v), even though they were already seriously obsolete by the time of that anecdotal experience.
• In #22, eric then broadened that issue (the fact that VOELCBs had given way to RCDs a very long time ago) by producing a list of things that had changed since he was first educated/taught about them. One of those observations was ".... go back 20 years, and with domestic we never saw a three phase motor, but today in my house I have at least 3, a fridge/freezer, a freezer, and a washing machine, possible the drier also has one?".
• Quite a bit later (#50), after a lot of interesting, but irrelevant today, discussion about VOELCBs, you picked up on that statement from eric, expressing your surprise that he had talked about 3-phase domestic appliances.
• I then explained what I thought he was getting at - not domestic appliances fed with a 3-phase supply but, rather appliances with a single phase supply that 'converted; that to provide a polyphase supply for the motor.
• The subsequent exchanges between you and I are, as they say, then 'a matter of history' .
.As I said at the start, I find these happenings pretty intriguing - but they do, at least for me, have the advantage that I learn about, and am able to discuss, a much wider range of things (maybe ones I'd never heard of, or thought about) than would be the case if discussions always remained 'on topic'.
The important thing, from the POV of OPs asking questions, is that those tangents do not start muddying the water until after the OP's questions(s) have been dealt with as best as they can be - which I would say is, more often than not, what usually happens.
Kind Regards, John
