XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: tkoenig@netcologne.de   
      
   Scott Dorsey  schrieb:   
   > Thomas Koenig   wrote:   
   >>   
   >>What is 220 V used for in the US (assuming that this took place   
   >>there)?  I assume it would be 220 V/60 Hz?   
   >   
   > A 120V 20A outlet is limited to producing 2400W, and you're only supposed   
   > to run loads at 80% of capacity, so that means continuous loads of 1920W.   
   > So anything larger than that (stoves, clothes dryers, air conditioners,   
   > film projectors, etc.) get put onto 220V or 208V lines.   
   >   
   > Yes, this means that American electric kettles are limited to 1750W so   
   > they can go onto typical 120V 15W circuits, and yes, this means that   
   > American electric kettles are slow and frustrating.   
   >   
   > 240V in the US consists of two hot legs, each of which is 120V from the   
   > neutral.  Many appliances have a neutral connection as well as the two   
   > hots, so a clothes dryer may use 240V for the heating elements but 120V   
   > for the light bulb and the control circuits.  It's fairly ingenious and   
   > I thing it's another thing we can thank Karl Steinmetz for.   
      
   Interesting.   
      
   In Europe, every household has three phases (plus a neutral   
   conductor), so 400 V between any two phases. They are distributed   
   more or less equally between different rooms, but high-power   
   appliances like ovens or stoves use all three.   
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