XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: kludge@panix.com   
      
   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.   
   --scott   
      
   --   
   "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)