I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

I have a relay with a coil voltage of 220 to 230V 50-60Hz which
replaces an old one (240V/50Hz).

wrote:

I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

It was reduced on paper only:

- the old voltage was 240/415 V ±6% (226-254 V for single-phase)
- harmonised voltage is 230/400 V +10/-6% (216-253 V ditto)

The new tolerance was supposed to change to ±10% (207 V min.), but this
seems to have been indefinitely postponed.

The actual supply voltage has not been changed (no-one's gone around
adjusting taps on transformers) and the DNOs still work to 240/415 V
nominal, even when building new parts of their networks, AIUI. Filament
lamps for the UK market are still made for 240 V operation.

Nevertheless for wiring design purposes: voltage drop, fault current &
disconnection time calculations you should now use 230/400 V as the Uo/U
value.

I have a relay with a coil voltage of 220 to 230V 50-60Hz which
replaces an old one (240V/50Hz).

Anything with a rating which includes 230 V should be OK.

--
Andy

On 20 Dec, 11:12, Huge wrote:
On 2007-12-20, wrote:

I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

No it isn't, and years ago. What happened was the voltages were changed on
paper, but nothing actually changed in the wires...

I have a relay with a coil voltage of 220 to 230V 50-60Hz which
replaces an old one (240V/50Hz).

That'll be fine.

thanks.. I thought it might be a reason why the old relay does not
work: I guess not.

--
"Be thankful that you have a life, and forsake your vain
and presumptuous desire for a second one."
[email me at huge {at} huge (dot) org dot uk]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:29:23 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On 20 Dec, 11:12, Huge wrote:
On 2007-12-20, wrote:

I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

No it isn't, and years ago. What happened was the voltages were changed on
paper, but nothing actually changed in the wires...

I have a relay with a coil voltage of 220 to 230V 50-60Hz which
replaces an old one (240V/50Hz).

That'll be fine.

thanks.. I thought it might be a reason why the old relay does not
work: I guess not.


In typical EU fashion the voltage was officially harmonised to 230V
but then all countries were allowed a tolerance of +/- 5% ( or maybe
10% ?) so that nothing actually changed in practice.

On Dec 20, 11:31 am, Andy Wade wrote:
wrote:
I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

It was reduced on paper only:

- the old voltage was 240/415 V ±6% (226-254 V for single-phase)
- harmonised voltage is 230/400 V +10/-6% (216-253 V ditto)

But does the change mean that somebody out in the sticks who finds
that their supply often drops to 220V will be stuck with it, but in
days of yore the Electricity Board would have had to fix it somehow?

In article
,
wrote:
I heard that UK mains voltage was reduced to harmonise with Europe..
if true when did this happen and what is it..?

No. They merely change the tolerances. My mains is currently at 242.8v ;-)

I have a relay with a coil voltage of 220 to 230V 50-60Hz which
replaces an old one (240V/50Hz).

Relays are about the most tolerant of electrical devices.

--
*How many roads must a man travel down before he admits he is lost?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

thanks.. I thought it might be a reason why the old relay does not
work: I guess not.

Not necessarily - the "harmonisation" down to 230v gives the suppliers
a little more leeway where voltage levels are concerned, so if you
happen to have some picky equipment it may not work if your supply is
now 230v +10% / -6% (i've heard of instances like it in the past)

Martin Bonner wrote:

But does the change mean that somebody out in the sticks who finds
that their supply often drops to 220V will be stuck with it, but in
days of yore the Electricity Board would have had to fix it somehow?

Yes, but bear in mind that that the minimum voltage (216 V) should be
maintained up to the full current rating of the supply, generally 60 or
100 A. If the voltage drops below 216 when you apply a heavy load then
complain (and complain, and complain...).

--
Andy

Yes, but bear in mind that that the minimum voltage (216 V) should be
maintained up to the full current rating of the supply,

Shhh !

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:59:21 +0000 someone who may be DIYdisaster
wrote this:-

In typical EU fashion the voltage was officially harmonised to 230V
but then all countries were allowed a tolerance of +/- 5% ( or maybe
10% ?)

Just in case anybody assumes that a tolerance is some nasty EU idea,
there was one before the UK joined what is now the EU.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54