[danans]

> but it's important to keep in mind the voltage differences and that effect on total power:

> UK: 100 A x 230 V = 23,00 W

> US: 200 A x 120 V = 24,00 W

That's incorrect. The service drop in the US is 220V. It gets stepped down at the main load center to 120V for most of the regular circuits. So it's more like 48000W service in US houses.

[sbradford26]

Only small correction to that is that load center doesn't step down voltage. The center tapped transformer at the street steps down the voltage to 240V, but then that center tap on the transformer becomes your neutral so you end up with two legs that are 120V from ground/neutral and 240V from leg to leg in your load center.

[danans]

Thanks for that correction. In retrospect it makes sense, because each circuit breaker isn't functioning as a little transformer.

[rootusrootus]

> The service drop in the US is 220V.

240V. Since we're throwing around numbers, let's be accurate. This is a pet peeve of mine. We've been standardized at 240V since 1967, and it was higher than 220V years before that.

[danans]

Thanks for the correction about the actual voltage today.

However, it seems like 220V was the standard before that [1], which is why it's still common parlance, referring to the "higher" voltage. Certainly I've heard many people in the trades still refer to it with the older term, even if the circuit is actually 240V.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity#History

[rootusrootus]

The voltage started at 220 way before the 60s, and then increased incrementally over the years, until standardizing at 240V. I don't know when the first bump past 220 happened exactly, and it may not have been simultaneous in all areas. I gather the reason for the standardization was to stop the creep and pick a voltage to stick with for everyone.

[kuschku]

The service drop in EU/UK is 380V. The point stands.

[throwawayacc3]

That is incorrect. The EU/UK are on 230V at 50Hz at residential service entry. The point does not stand.

[Symbiote]

This varies.

Houses and apartments in Denmark have 3 phase service. My apartment's main breaker is labelled 40A @ 380V.

I believe the oven and hob make use of it, but I haven't looked myself.

[sbradford26]

So that 380V would be for 3 phase to a home which is not always the case. There are plenty of homes in Europe that only have single phase to the house which is at 230V.

[petre]

400V between phases, 230V phase to neutral. Most homes have single phase though.

[kuschku]

So how would you run an instant water heater or electric induction stove then? Every apartment and house I've ever lived in had 380V three-phase right to the kitchen, to the bathroom, and to basement rooms (e.g. for prosumer workshop tools).

[petre]

We don't run an instant water heater. It's all gas or electric boilers.

For the stove I wired one phase to all the burners and the oven. It had one, two or three phase options. They're on a separate circuit with a 16 amp fuse. It's 2200W I believe. The breaker has never tripped.

400V is just not very common for residential in the Eastern Europe, maybe in your country you have instant electric heaters and other powerful appliances. My dad has recently upgraded his house to 400V 3 phase though, although he didn't need it but it's nice to have.

[danans]

> So how would you run an instant water heater or electric induction stove then? Every apartment and house I've ever lived in had 380V three-phase right to the kitchen,

I run an induction stove on 220V single phase every day here in the US.

[petre]

Isn't it two phase? AFAIK in the US you have 240V two phase with 180° between them.

[danans]

The US uses a single, split phase

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power