On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:24:59 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article , wrote:
On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:40:52 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

BTW -- it hasn't been 220/110 in the United States for a loooooong time. It's
been 240/120 for at least the last 25 or 30 years.

Actually you are wrong too. It is by definition 115/230 and in reality
USUALLY from 115 to 117 per side.

Guess again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_p...ound_the_world

lists both Canada and the U.S. as 120/240.
Well, I monitor the voltage on my home office power as well as at a
customer site and it is very consistent at 115-117 volts at both
sites. Has been for years. This is in urban Waterloo Ontario and
Kitchener Ontario.

Also virtually every motor or electrical device sold in North America
for residential use is rated at 115 or 230 volts.
In industrial and large multi unit residential applications with 3
phase power it is 120/208. Virtually everywhere else in Ontario, at
least, it is 115/230 single phase.

BC Hydro specifies voltage to be within the limits of 110 to 125
volts. That is a range of 15 volts, with a center "target" voltage of
117.5


[snip]

Properly installed is the key - and in areas with mandatory electrical
inspection MOST are properly installed and not an issue.

In areas WITHOUT mandatory inspections, the chance of having an
improperly installed "edison circuit" improves dramatically, and
improperly installed, they CAN be dangerous - so the safest way to
handle it in those areas has been deemed to make them illegal.

*Any* circuit is potentially dangerous if not installed properly. The problem
isn't with Edison circuits -- it's with incompetent installers.