Arc Fault Circuit Interruptors

[Huge]

Really? I don't think I've ever stayed in one that didn't.

Agreed.

[Andy Hall]

That depends on the hotel.

Typical ones I've been in have one door from the main room to a washing and dressing area - basin in long counter with coffee maker and hairdryer; then another door from that to separate room with bath, shower and bog. Generally there's an infra-red heatlamp/light in the ceiling with a mechanical timer knob on the wall. I'm sure that the timer wouldn't pass regulations here.....

Having said all of that, if you were a coffee connoisseur, you wouldn't go to the U.S. to indulge your taste would you?

.andy

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[Huge]

I'm not sure *any* of the electrics in the USA would pass regs here. They frighten me.

Not from a sachet in a cheap hotel bathroom, no. :o)

[Tony Bryer]

IME most American hotels didn't have them until a few years ago, whilst even the cheapest Australian motel would have a kettle and generous supply of tea and coffee sachets - the US hotels generally give you one each of regular and decaf.

I suspect that neat strong black coffee kills all known germs

[Owain]

"Huge" wrote | >Having said all of that, if you were a coffee connoisseur, | >you wouldn't go to the U.S. to indulge your taste would you? | Not from a sachet in a cheap hotel bathroom, no. :o)

I once ended up with sweet fries and salty tea in a Burger King 'restaurant' after confusing the sachets. I dread to think of the mistakes I could make in an early-morning state of befuddleness if the coffee was next to the bath salts.

| I'm not sure *any* of the electrics in the USA would pass regs here. | They frighten me.

The 'code violation' forum on

... frightens me too. There's a lovely photo on there that makes me all nostalgic for Scruits(tm).

Owain

[Andy Hall]

Mmm. I know.

A meander through the electrical section of Home Depot is a sobering experience. The best quality wiring accessories look distinctly shoddy compared with even the cheap contract stuff that's sold here.

I did think that their idea of using single conductors in conduit as common practice was a good one in that replacement is easy, however I learned that this is gradually being phased out because people were stuffing too many conductors in them and causing overheating, or even running Romex (brand name for T&E) in conduit.

Then there are the fabled wire nuts......

.andy

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[Speedy Jim]

US reader here. Our Code (NEC) is truly national in scope and application. Local jurisdictions may opt to require higher standards than the Code specifies and some large cities do that.

New construction has been required for some years to equip all receptacles (outlets) with GFCI (RCD) protection when located in baths, unfinished basements, garages, and outdoors. Kitchen countertops were added to that. The protection may be included in the branch circuit breaker feeding the outlets or may be part of the receptacle (such as the Leviton reference given).

Jim

[Steve]

Great site Owain ! Steve

[Huge]

[11 lines snipped]

We went and bought a plug for something once, a travel iron I think.

Yep. That was it, all right.

Still, do they electrocute & burn many more people than we do? I don't know.

[Andy Hall]

Not a scientific measure but I've noticed that house fires that are covered in local TV news are often said to be due to electrical faults.

I am told that electrocution is not very common in domestic environments.

The fire aspect may in part be due to higher current requirements because of the lower voltage. For a given appliance, the current will be double and the power dissipation in the cable 4x.

Having said that, anything that is of any size like domestic appliances such as washers is run on 220v anyway and houses are supplied with two lives in antiphase and a neutral to achieve this.

.andy

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[stefek.zaba]

Oh yes, particularly in Texas...