XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   On 2026-01-02 21:50:20 +0000, Lynn McGuire said:   
   > On 1/1/2026 10:04 AM, Thomas Koenig wrote:   
   >> 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.   
   >   
   > Europe has more wiring.  Expensive.   
   >   
   > Here in Texas, three phase wired homes cost another 1.0 cents / kwh on   
   > the monthly electric bill.  So do buildings and homes with electric   
   > service over 200 amps.   
   >   
   > Lynn   
      
   New Zealand has two separate systems - one for the electric hot water   
   cylinders and one for everything else. That means the electricity   
   company can turn off the hot water cylinders if they need to for   
   whatever reason, while still supplying power to other things.   
      
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)