Is/are there any places in the world that have two/more types of electrical services that are literally next to one another? Like 120 and 240 volt, 50-60 cycle, etc.
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cfz2882
Well-known member
japan does
don't know the exact details,but I think part of japan is 100v/60 hz,while the other part is 230v/50 hz.IIRC,this is because ~1890s one area bought it's utility equipment from the U.S. while the other area bought their equipment from England or Germany. Also some of my Russian-made electronics has selector switch for 220 or 127 volts...
don't know the exact details,but I think part of japan is 100v/60 hz,while the other part is 230v/50 hz.IIRC,this is because ~1890s one area bought it's utility equipment from the U.S. while the other area bought their equipment from England or Germany. Also some of my Russian-made electronics has selector switch for 220 or 127 volts...
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Mentioning the obvious, but the US has a dual voltage system in place in most homes (120 for lights, and 240 for heating gadgets of various sorts). And I'm thinking once there was more than one system in place in the US, but don't quote me.
Old joke:
Woman asks at hotel desk: "Do you have AC or DC power here?"
Clerk looks at register. "I don't see either registered!"
Old joke:
Woman asks at hotel desk: "Do you have AC or DC power here?"
Clerk looks at register. "I don't see either registered!"
I've read that places like Rio and São Paulo have 110 and 220V. I know that LG sells it's Mega Capacity washer/dryer as either 110 or 220V. The 220V version can boil wash.
Brazil has 110v or 220v depending on the region. The central part of the country seems to be 110 while the less-urban areas in the north and south are 220v.
In most of the US Homes We
Have 120-240 volt single phase 60 hz power.
In many city's or other areas where residential dwellings are close to hi-rise or commercial buildings homes may have
120-208 volt three phase 60 Hz power.
I had a friend in Annapolis Md. that bought a house that was built in the early 60s by a commercial builder and the builder had two electric panels and two meters on the house supplying both of the different types of electrical service I just mentioned above. He did this because he wanted the three phase 208 volt service just for the Frigidaire central A/C.
Have 120-240 volt single phase 60 hz power.
In many city's or other areas where residential dwellings are close to hi-rise or commercial buildings homes may have
120-208 volt three phase 60 Hz power.
I had a friend in Annapolis Md. that bought a house that was built in the early 60s by a commercial builder and the builder had two electric panels and two meters on the house supplying both of the different types of electrical service I just mentioned above. He did this because he wanted the three phase 208 volt service just for the Frigidaire central A/C.
Did anyone ever figure out why the house (apt?) in Italy (?) kept having it's wiring catch fire, even when no one was there?
I have worked in buildings that have two services. One is 120/240 single phase for lights and small equipment, and the other is 277/480 3 phase for large machinery and air conditioning equipment.
I guess I must have dreamed up the house/apt that was repeatedly catching fire and blowing up appliances. I know it was over seas, thought it was Italy and remember something about our Navy doing some sort of test off shore of this place. I have consulted the Google and found nothing so I guess the govment was not involved. Hey, wait a minute...
Found it! itwasn't a house it's the whole village. I know I saw the english version somewhere.
Second one is better:
Found it! itwasn't a house it's the whole village. I know I saw the english version somewhere.
Second one is better:
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https
This is the english version I saw
Thats very strange, especially when power was shut off. I have seen where lightning strikes can energize a power line and start a house fire but not to multiple homes over several weeks.
Building with two electric services---240/120V and 277/480V Mostly today buildings with 480V service merely can use transformers to step the 480V down to 208/120 or 120/240V I lived in an apartment building that had 480V service to run their chillers.They had a 3Ph transformer to step 480V to 208/120V for power for the apartments.Transmitter sites I have service--50Kw AM or large TV sites-have 480V and step that down to 208/120 for lights and rack gear.Separate feeds in some areas are prohibited by electric codes.Yes,have heard of 3Ph service to homes--and farms-the farm needs the 3 ph of course to run some of the farm equipment.Otherwise they use a rotoverter for the 3 ph loads.
Our house here house 3-Phase power, as do many other Australian homes.
Great thing is, you can split your household electrical load across the three, so adding a significant load (i.e. a kettle, water heater, microwave, air-conditioner) doesn't cause the lights to dim.
Mainly, it exists for the central-airconditioning unit fitted to our house (many Central A/Cs in Australia, larger ones particularly, a 3Ph), but also for the original electrical stove, which used a two-pole (2 phase?) breaker.
The house is also fitted with a solar water heater, using an electric boost (single phase, 15A)
A heavy-duty outlet for a dryer in the kitchen (20 or 25A)
Single lighting circuit
Three circuits for the outlets
So, with the original stove, the house technically had three voltages:
- "240v" (In my town, it generally runs VERY hot at 250-255v)
- 380v (Probably more, with the hot power). With a new stove, we fitted a double-outlet to this, and either 1 phase is disused, OR, its been split between the two outlets)
- 415v (Full three-phase, again, probably hotter than this).
Great thing is, you can split your household electrical load across the three, so adding a significant load (i.e. a kettle, water heater, microwave, air-conditioner) doesn't cause the lights to dim.
Mainly, it exists for the central-airconditioning unit fitted to our house (many Central A/Cs in Australia, larger ones particularly, a 3Ph), but also for the original electrical stove, which used a two-pole (2 phase?) breaker.
The house is also fitted with a solar water heater, using an electric boost (single phase, 15A)
A heavy-duty outlet for a dryer in the kitchen (20 or 25A)
Single lighting circuit
Three circuits for the outlets
So, with the original stove, the house technically had three voltages:
- "240v" (In my town, it generally runs VERY hot at 250-255v)
- 380v (Probably more, with the hot power). With a new stove, we fitted a double-outlet to this, and either 1 phase is disused, OR, its been split between the two outlets)
- 415v (Full three-phase, again, probably hotter than this).
Washer111-the voltage in your home is like that in two of our transmitters-AEG(German),and Brown Boveri(Swiss).The LV dist supplies in these have a 3Ph 4160V to 400V/220V secondary-150Kva for the filament supplies,pumps,blowers and other power supplies.The main HV supplies in those transmitters runs from 4160 3 Ph-of course 60Hz.
House fire
I know a generator serviceman who was at a customer's house, during an outage, and noticed smoke and flashes coming from a neighboring house. This is in the US, where the feed consists of two 120V wires 180 degrees out of phase with each other, and one neutral wire. I'll get slapped for calling it "two phase" because that refers to something else, but it really is, isn't it? The neighbor house went haywire because the utility restoration crew switched the neutral feed and one of the hot feeds, thereby putting 240V between hot and neutral on half of the 120V circuits in the house.
I know a generator serviceman who was at a customer's house, during an outage, and noticed smoke and flashes coming from a neighboring house. This is in the US, where the feed consists of two 120V wires 180 degrees out of phase with each other, and one neutral wire. I'll get slapped for calling it "two phase" because that refers to something else, but it really is, isn't it? The neighbor house went haywire because the utility restoration crew switched the neutral feed and one of the hot feeds, thereby putting 240V between hot and neutral on half of the 120V circuits in the house.
3 phase
Would an accurate statement be, 3 phase does much more industrial work for less cost? I know the newer Wascomat/ Elux. coin op FL washers now ramp up slowly to fast spins. Somewhere I read that the slow ramp up results in lower electrical use compared to older machines that simply shift into a fast spin by eliminating some of the power spike?
Would an accurate statement be, 3 phase does much more industrial work for less cost? I know the newer Wascomat/ Elux. coin op FL washers now ramp up slowly to fast spins. Somewhere I read that the slow ramp up results in lower electrical use compared to older machines that simply shift into a fast spin by eliminating some of the power spike?
Cost Of Single Phase Power Vs # Phase
There is NO difference in the cost of running either, there IS a difference in the cost of the motors and wiring costs associated with installation of different systems which is way different systems are used.
If there was any difference in the cost of running 120 volts Vs 240 volts or single phase Vs 3 phase etc etc there would have been an effort to switch power supplies long ago to save costs and reduce energy waste.
There is NO difference in the cost of running either, there IS a difference in the cost of the motors and wiring costs associated with installation of different systems which is way different systems are used.
If there was any difference in the cost of running 120 volts Vs 240 volts or single phase Vs 3 phase etc etc there would have been an effort to switch power supplies long ago to save costs and reduce energy waste.
arbilab
Well-known member
240V wiring cuts the cost of the wiring itself for the same wattage. Copper doesn't buy itself. We've got a whole class of thieves here stealing copper from airconditioners and building wiring.
Almost-kinda-like Euros ran their generators slower (50Hz) thinking the bearings would last longer, whilst for every generator there are a million transformers every one of which has to be 20% bigger than at 60Hz. Or was it just to circumvent a Westinghouse patent?
I live in a 3-ph building. Only because the elevator motor. As a result, all resistance heat (air, stove) is 20% underrated. As all that is designed for counterphase (180*) line @240V, while what would be 240V @ 180* between legs is only 208V. Actually the transformer compromises, putting 5 extra volts between leg and ground (125), and 10 extra volts (218) between legs.
Got all that?
Almost-kinda-like Euros ran their generators slower (50Hz) thinking the bearings would last longer, whilst for every generator there are a million transformers every one of which has to be 20% bigger than at 60Hz. Or was it just to circumvent a Westinghouse patent?
I live in a 3-ph building. Only because the elevator motor. As a result, all resistance heat (air, stove) is 20% underrated. As all that is designed for counterphase (180*) line @240V, while what would be 240V @ 180* between legs is only 208V. Actually the transformer compromises, putting 5 extra volts between leg and ground (125), and 10 extra volts (218) between legs.
Got all that?
