Subject:
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Re: LMC - update - wiring, off topic
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:39:22 GMT
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Viewed:
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23350 times
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Matthew J. Chiles wrote:
> How is 220 volt wiring in Europe done? Does a single wire carry 220
> volts? Do major appliances like a clothes dryer also use 220 volts,
> or do they have 2 hot connectors and run on 440 volts?
My facts are from Sweden, but I suspect we are following the euro norm.
Old wiring is two wires - 'phase' and 'earth' - that's 220 (or rather 230)
Volts in one wire and 'return' in the other.
New wiring, old outdoor or wet room wiring have an additional 'Protective
Earth', mostly as a wire of its own, not bare copper only. PE is connected
to the shell of the equipment, to guarantee that it can't carry any
potential if some internals malfunction (a wire dropping loose, or a short
circuit, for example). Instead of having a dangerous voltage, you get a
blown fuse.
As a normal fuse is in the range 10 - 16A, at 230V you have a maximum
possible power outtake of 2300 - 3680 Watts.
Higher power apparatus - stoves, saunas, house heating equipment, washing
machines, industrial applications etc. - use 'three phase connection' which
is three live wires (380V between the wires, 230V to earth) with or without
a zero wire, but you normally don't have any outlet for this, just
stationary connections.
Adding an electronic 'earth current error' breaker (I don't know the correct
English word) at the main service point in the house, you get an automatic
switch off as soon as the 'earth current' goes over about 30mA. This means
that if I take hold of a water pipe and stick a finger in the live outlet,
all power is turned off in a very short time, and I will survive. It can be
a bit irritating in the autumn, as all the raining makes the outdoor lights
to 'leak' a bit of current and the breaker suddenly flips everything off
(except the fridge and the heating). The same happens in spring when the
snow is melting. (Yes, I know, I should have the outdoor wiring checked...)
--
Anders Isaksson
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: LMC - update - wiring, off topic
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| (...) It is the same in Denmark. (I must admit that I am bad at remembering which colour wire goes where, which means that I occasionally trigger the safety breaker when mounting ceiling lamps.) Play well, Jacob (13 years ago, 24-Feb-12, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: LMC - update - wiring, off topic
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| [snipped] Same is true for Germany (whole Europe (as common in many fields UK probably excluded?)shares a power grit to overcome local power shortages, so I guess we all have more or less the same system with 230V at 50Hz). For the 380V system it is (...) (13 years ago, 24-Feb-12, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: LMC - update - wiring, off topic
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| (...) Yes, it is OK in the US to pull wires horizontally. If they are more than 1 1/2 inches (about 3.75 cm) from the edge of the stud (which is 3 1/2" thick on interior walls) they they need to be protected by a metal plate so that screws or nails (...) (13 years ago, 23-Feb-12, to lugnet.trains)
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