OT for a sec: US wiring sources of info

[Bjørn]

On Fri, 07 Oct 2005 19:57:14 +0200, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com>  
wrote:

> On 10/7/05, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
>> What is the common residential distribution in the UK?  In the US, most  
>> residences seem to be wired with 230v 200 amp service, although some of  
>> the newer houses in my neighborhood are getting 400 amp panels.
>
> In my area (older part of Columbus, OH, with houses built between
> about 1910 and 1935), we have lots of the old 60 Amp drops with 3
> parallel light gauge wires, and lots of the modern 200 Amp
> 2-insulated-plus-one-uninsulated bundles.  I haven't seen any 400 Amp
> drops, but I suppose I wouldn't be able to distinguish them from 200
> Amp drops by sight.

200A @ 110V makes for 22kVA per phase - what do you need all that power  
for?
I use electrical heating (in southern Norwegian climate), and rarely need  
more than 7kW.
Looks like it will be cost effective again this winter, so I have not  
filled the oil tank...

One special feature of Norwegian wiring is that we do not have any concept  
of "neutral", since the distribution transformers are delta-connected.  
Both phase wires are supposed to have the same potential to earth. This  
makes the shock hazard from 230V not much higher than from 110V, since  
most shocks are between a wire and earth. On the other hand, it does not  
always work well with equipment built on the premise that there is a  
neutral wire.

Anybody else living in a place that does not use Y-connected transformers?

-- 
-bv