In 1967-1968, my parents lived in an old apartment that has strange duplex receptacles (they said only half was usable). I think they were like the ones at that link. I suppose there were both white and red wires.
The one that always got me was the dryer. That motor is purpose built for dryers and there is no reason in the world why it isn't 240. As for timer motors, IBM never had a problem sourcing those synchron timers in 208/240. Back in the "glass house" computer days there wasn't any 120v available in the computer room panels, only the "house" panels that supplied the general lighting receptacles. The neutral was wired in as the "Isolated Ground". The standard of all
208/240 continued long after IBM abandoned the urban legend of the effectiveness of the IG. (around the mid 70s).I can understand why they used 120v light bulbs. 240v bulbs may be hard for a homeowner to come by in their normal travels but that is a supply chain problem. If ranges used 240v bulbs, they would have them at the grocery store.
Don't forget the slot cover for the hole you end up with when you swap a 2 pole for a single.
That was probably prewired for window shakers and they had the option of 120 or 240.
+1 to all that. These appliances needed bulbs that were for appliances anyway, not a regular 60W bulb, so I don't see the big deal to making them 240V and putting the item in the supply chain. But, for whatever reason, they didn't. And now there is even less reason for 120V, many of the new machines, ovens, etc are electronic. No difference in making a 240V power supply and the lights in the newer ovens here are some small halogen bulb, which I suspect is low voltage. I'd think new dryers may be using something like that too.
Many ranges and dryers use what is called appliance bulbs that are different than the normal house hold bulbs. I don't see why they could not be made in the 240 volt version just as easy.
At one time most stoves had a 120 volt outlet on them. I have not noticed that on a few I have looked at lately. It may have just been the larger ones that had an oven on one side and a large draw on the other side that were that way.
Perhaps they wanted to use the same motor on their electric dryers as they did on their gas driers. One less inventory item to manage.
That actually does make sense ... if it is the same motor.
Often motors are made to operate on 2 voltages. Such as 120 and 240 smply by changing a couple of wires in the motor. Some you just move the wires on a junction board in the motor. Some you connect certain pairs together with wire nuts.
Which adds cost to the motor. Using the same, less expensive, 120VAC motor increases the volume from the motor supplier (lowering the per unit price) and as pointed out above, reduces inventory costs.
After a certain production number, there's little cost reduction in building more.
So... with modern international markets and shipping, it might, or might not, be cheaper to standardize on one model worldwide with a simple local adaptation. Or, as often the case, a controller that automatically adjusts to 90 <-> 250 vols.
Right, they still need 120V for the controls and if there is a light in the drum.
Fuck off asshole.
I can truthfully say I don't have much use for those critters. Used one in the computer room for about 2 years and it was a disaster.
It IS code compliant to use half of a 240 volt breaker (L1) for 110 if you connect the L2 wire to neutral instead of the breaker and mark it white on both ends.f
I put a 240 volt breaker in the panel for my central vac brcause I needed a "high magnetic" breaker to avoid nuisance trips when the vac started. High magnetic single breakers ARE available but none of the local electrical supopliers had one in stock when I needed it - and ALL 240 breakers are high magnetic.
Virtually every "free standing" range I have seen has "appliance outlets" - many have one on each line so you can plug a kettle in on one and a fry-pan on the other and not blow a breaker or unballance the load too much.
The controls all run off 5 or 12 volts these days and if they are not already they will soon be using LEDs for the drum light as you call it. All run off a switch mode power supply that runs on anything from
85 to 250 volts 50 or 60 Hz.
The "controls" these days is a card with a switching power supply that probably runs from 100 to 250v 50 or 60 hz. The "Light" is a LED and the motor might be DC. The fancy thing my wife bought is not your momma's Kenmore.
Virtually every natural gas free standing range does not.
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