MM wrote:
On Tue, 8 Mar 2011 17:42:09 -0000, "ARWadsworth"
wrote:

Tabby wrote:
On Mar 8, 9:09 am, MM wrote:
I believe someone was recently talking about voltage spikes,
though I can't find the thread in Google Groups to hang this on. I
happened to be watching my consumption thingy this morning and
noticed that it was constant at 249 volts. Then it went up to 250
for 30 seconds, back down to 249, then back up to 250 again. For a
good five minutes it hovered around 249-250. Then it came down to
248, then 247.

Aren't these spikes damaging to sensitive equipment? (TVs, DVD
Players etc) I don't worry about the PC because I have a UPS on it.
The voltage is ~supposed~ to be 240 in the UK.

MM

A voltage spike is 100s of volts big, and lasts for milliseconds.

240v is the target voltage, real voltage can be 10s of volts away
from this. 1v variation isn't an issue.


I'll second that and just add that unless all the supply cables are
superconductors then the voltage will vary according to the load in
both MMs house and neighbouring houses.

MM - It is not unusual for the voltage to drop by as much as 8 volts
in a house when an electric shower is switched on depending upon the
external resistance of the supply to the house.

When I first observed the 250v this morning there was only the PC on.

And did you go and ask all the neighbours what they were using?

--
Adam