On Sun, 6 Mar 2016 10:41:43 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
wrote:
"Mr Macaw" wrote in message news
On Sun, 06 Mar 2016 05:04:22 -0000, wrote:
On Sat, 05 Mar 2016 21:11:01 -0000, "Mr Macaw" wrote:
On Sat, 05 Mar 2016 19:50:19 -0000, wrote:
More wires and outlets all over the house, inconvenient I guess.
Why are more outlets "inconvenient"?
Because of the two different types. If I want to plug in a hoover, I use
any outlet. You have to find one of the right voltage. So to make it as
likely to have one, you need twice as many outlets.
There are no 240 volt "outlets" in a typical north american home. Only
high current items such as driers and ranges run on 240 volts - and
they have specific connectors for the amperage of the appliance. A
range uses a different plug than a drier., and those connectors are
installed only where that specific appliance will be installed.
In fact our code requires that you are pretty much never more than 6
feet from a receptacle, not crossing a door or other opening.
Why on earth would convenience be in your code? I thought "code" was for
safety?
It is NOT for convenience, but for safety. Running extention cords
everywhere is not safe. Particularly running them across doorways
under carpets.
240 equipment is generally going to be fixed in place anyway.
I will say that in my travels I was impressed with the 240v tea
kettle, if you really make that much tea.
So what are your kettles? 110 volts and 1.5kW? That would take an age to
boil. Or do they have a 30 amp flex?
Out tea kettles are generally 120 volt and 1500 watts, +/- and can
heat a cup of water for tea in about 45 seconds to 2 minutes.
Heating a quart takes a bit longer - and some heat faster than others.
What about an iron? A portable fan-heater or convector heater? There are
loads of appliances which need a lot of power that you may wish to move
about.
Portable heaters generally run 1500 watts on high, and 750 or 850 on
low. Irons are generally 1200 watts. They do not heat up immediately,
but mabee the "colonials" have a bit more patience then folks from
"the old country"
We get 240V at 80-100 amps. I for some reason have a 100A master fuse,
followed by a meter which has a rating of 80 amps. I've seen some old
meters that say 60 amps. However the wire coming into my house is quite
substantial and could probably take 300A if I told them I needed more, and
they could just change the fuse and the meter.
The average north american home has a minimum of 100 amp service -
with very many having 200 amp, and others 120 and 150. Some large
homes have multiple 200 or 400 amp services.
60 amp is pretty well obsolete now and is nefer installed in a new
building. All of our fuses are AFTER the meter.
If we're not in the middle of nowhere, heating, hot water, and cooking is
done by gas (it's 3 times cheaper), so we don't use that much electricity.
Showers, washing machines, and dishwashers tend to heat their own water, so
those and a tumble dryer (our weather is very damp) are about the only
things that wil use much.
Here we don't generally use "widow-maker" showers - and washing
machines and dishwashers generally use hot water from the central
water heater (tank type or more recently in more numbers, tankless "on
demand " heaters. Dish washers sometimes have a built-in heater for
the "sanitize" cycle.
My usage ranges from about 2 MWH a month
Looking at my last bill, I used 1.5MWH between April 25th and Oct 11th,
which is several times less than you. WTF are you doing with all that
power?
to around 2.5 MWH when the AC is on.
Now you see AC isn't needed in the UK :-)
In the US most common items that plug in use 120 volts. The standard
current is up to about 15 amps. Good enough for small electric heaters to
warm up one room. Washing machines are usually 120 volts and do not heat
the water, dryers are 240 volts and have a special plug for that, same as
for the electric stoves and ovens. Irons are 120 volts, but not many use
them now.
Coffee pots, microwaves, and toasters and other plug in devices for the
kitchen are usually 120 volts.Problem is that unless several circuits are
ran to the kitchen you can only do one or two things at a time.
And current code requires several 20 amp circuits for the kitchen.
Just looking and my bill shows 2,039 KWH for this past month. That is for
all electric and I have a well for water. Been using the portable heater for
an unheated room in the basement some this winter. The summer bill is not
usuall too much less due to AC. Lots less in months we do not heat or cool.
The heat is by a heat pump.
The code is for safety. Most items come with about 6 feet of cord, so
outlets are usually every 6 feet of wall space by the code. Several
circuits for the kitchen area.
I think my main breaker is 200 amps.