intro
- Thread starter Porque223
- Start date
Sponsored Links
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 23,694
- Reaction score
- 2,670
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
Welcome I am interested in other countries systems. We often find posts on here where people have imported USA equipment and to understand the USA system helps to work out if it can be used.
On a large job for example the firm imported a fleet of lighting sets consisting of a generator and tower on trailer. These had 110 volt outlets using the typical yellow 110 volt socket used in Europe and the white (40 - 50 volt) European plug for the light heads where the run gear was in the main housing and the bulb only in the flood at the top of tower.
Although not strictly correct to use the white plugs for what was really a 230 volt supply since not used else where on the site it was not really a problem.
However when one came in with a fault and I went to assist the Australian electrician who was to look after them we found the generator was a split phase type and produced 230 volt centre tapped and all the 110 volt sockets were 0 - 110 volt rather than the required 55 - 0 - 55 volt or 63 volt with three phase required in the UK.
I am lead to understand the split phase 110 - 0 - 110 volt is common in USA and unlike UK where 110 volt supplies are only used on construction sites it is even used in Domestic houses.
To have some one who can tell us how USA stuff is wired is therefore very handy.
Would love to learn more about the "Hot Wire" and how common it is.
So a warm welcome to the UK forum.
On a large job for example the firm imported a fleet of lighting sets consisting of a generator and tower on trailer. These had 110 volt outlets using the typical yellow 110 volt socket used in Europe and the white (40 - 50 volt) European plug for the light heads where the run gear was in the main housing and the bulb only in the flood at the top of tower.
Although not strictly correct to use the white plugs for what was really a 230 volt supply since not used else where on the site it was not really a problem.
However when one came in with a fault and I went to assist the Australian electrician who was to look after them we found the generator was a split phase type and produced 230 volt centre tapped and all the 110 volt sockets were 0 - 110 volt rather than the required 55 - 0 - 55 volt or 63 volt with three phase required in the UK.
I am lead to understand the split phase 110 - 0 - 110 volt is common in USA and unlike UK where 110 volt supplies are only used on construction sites it is even used in Domestic houses.
To have some one who can tell us how USA stuff is wired is therefore very handy.
Would love to learn more about the "Hot Wire" and how common it is.
So a warm welcome to the UK forum.
Sponsored Links
Thanks, EricMark.
AFAIK, it is a center-tapped 240v transformer secondary (the primary is in the kV range) and there is a Single Point Ground at the panel where the neutral lead and the ground lead are connected to earth.
The transformer is right outside so we get 122v pretty consistently and get the burnt out bulbs.
There are also split bus panels, which I discovered when half my house went dark. Figuring out continuity on an energized panel made me nervous. . . arc-flash and all that.
Even with sweaty hands a 240v shock is not too bad but there is always a first time.
And if you understand Thevenin's Theorem you are ahead of almost all US electricians and a whole bunch of US engineers. This is useful for checking circuit integrity.
It's best to post schematics on forums but I am tired of messing with Photobucket so now it's the 1000 words instead of the pic.
AFAIK, it is a center-tapped 240v transformer secondary (the primary is in the kV range) and there is a Single Point Ground at the panel where the neutral lead and the ground lead are connected to earth.
The transformer is right outside so we get 122v pretty consistently and get the burnt out bulbs.
There are also split bus panels, which I discovered when half my house went dark. Figuring out continuity on an energized panel made me nervous. . . arc-flash and all that.
Even with sweaty hands a 240v shock is not too bad but there is always a first time.
And if you understand Thevenin's Theorem you are ahead of almost all US electricians and a whole bunch of US engineers. This is useful for checking circuit integrity.
It's best to post schematics on forums but I am tired of messing with Photobucket so now it's the 1000 words instead of the pic.
