In article , SteveW
wrote:
On 07/07/2013 14:43, The Other Mike wrote:
On Sun, 7 Jul 2013 05:59:03 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Hi gang,

AIUI, out in the road there are three live wires and one neutral. The
phases of the lives are 120 degrees out of phase with one another. The
potential difference between any two live wires is 440V. The potential
difference between any live and neutral is 230V. Domestic supplies
only tap one live and the neutral to give you a single phase supply,
so if you want a 3 phase supply for a workshop or whatever, you have
to get the leccy blokes in to dig up the road and tap you into one of
the other live wires. Do I have that right?

No good tapping into just one of the other live wires you need two more.

Five wires in total

L1 L2 L3 N E

Plus a new three phase meter (or another two single phase ones)

and a big hole in your bank account

Not entirely sure, but when they replaced the main fuse and housing here
some years ago, I'm sure I remember seeing four cores (three phases +
neutral, with the sheath as earth). It could well be that they brought
3-phase to every house on the road when they were built in the 30s and
only connected one phase at each. If I were to need 3-phase, that'd be a
useful cost saving!

This house (built 1911) has all 3 phases incoming - I assume so proper
balance could be obtained empirically. When they built a new estate of 25
bungalows, just round the corner, some 30 years ago - they were all on the
same phase. How things change.

--
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