Electricity in U.S.A. households (and not only there)

[pgnl]

A bit late but while you’re talking about mains electricity.

What you may not know is that the UK mains is wired differently from most countries. Its why we have much larger plugs.

Basically the mains outlets in a house are wired using in a loop from and back to the breaker board using I think 20amp cable, so potentially each outlet could supply 40 amps. Normally one ring per floor. Certain spurs from the ring are allowed. Cookers and electric showers have a separate (I think 30 amp) circuit. Sounds unsafe? Well of course we have breakers on each circuit - but there is also a fuse (either 2 amp, 5 amp or 13 amp) in every plug, so if the device goes open circuit its cable wont melt and cause a fire. The idea was to reduce copper at a time of shortage - it has been used (i might add very safely) since 1947. Thats when the square pin fused plug was first used and also the reason why the EU abandoned plans for a standardised plug design, as our houses would need rewiring…

Prior to 1947, houses were wired the same way as everywhere else but had three different plug sizes. 2 amp, 5amp (like the current plug used in India) and 15 amp (like the old south african plug. Some were two pin some were three pin. My grandparents house had a variety of sockets. Usually the lighting was on different circuit because at some point before ww2 electricity was more expensive for lighting than for heating.

The UK 13 amp square pin plug may be large, but it was designed to be safe, all sockets are shuttered and normally switched. There is loads on the web about its safety features.

Normal 13 amp sockets werent allowed in the bathroom, but are now as long they are a certain distance away from a sink or bath/shower. There is a special two pin isolated bathroom socket permitted for electric toothbrushes etc. lighting switch is usually a pull cord or a switch outside the room. Sometimes I think they need to bring those requirements into the 21st century?

Hope you find this interesting…

Patrick
Ps I thought you might like to see my breaker board, much simpler than in other countries I think. Latest UK requirement is for the box to be metal, mine is plastic…