"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:

Several hundred dollars worth of 12 gauge Romex and accessories were
involved. Simple things like putting the garbage disposal, microwave,
and toaster oven each on their own circuits make a big difference.

Romex is roughly what we call Twin and Earth in the UK?

Googling shows pictures that are nearly identical if not exactly
identical.

What you're saying is radial circuits are commonly overloaded in some
way?

Not commonly, but occasionally in older dwellings. Most of what you are
talking about is due to motor starting surges, so the light dimming is
pretty much cosmetic. Not that I would intentionally tolerate it.

All of those (and more) would work just fine on the one UK circuit.

Given that our toaster ovens use up about 95% of a 15 amp circuit, two of
them put a quick end to 15a fuses and pretty quickly open 15a breakers.
The larger microwaves are only a little lighter on the draw, so a
microwave and a toaster oven on the same circuit won't be very relaible,
either. Ditto for our larger electric coffee and tea pots. I don't know
how to get around that.

Ah, is the limit on a 110V circuit only 15A? I can see how you'd hit that
limit pretty quickly. I'd assumed that with half the voltage the circuits
would be rated for twice the current so as to still be able to drive
equipment of the same power.

I suppose a 3 kW (3-bar) electric fire needs more than a normal circuit,
given that it draws 12.5 A at 240 V, so an equivalent one for 110V would be
a little over 25 A. And as for a 6 kW electric shower, that would be 50 A.
Quite a current! OK, so showers need their own circuit even in 240 V land!

As a matter of interest, when a mains socket is switched from a wall switch
for use with table lamps so they can all be switched on as you come into a
room, are those circuits rated at the same current as other non-switched
circuits or are they specially labelled to prevent people accidentally
plugging powerful appliances into what is effectively a lighting circuit?