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From most eastern Canada:
This house built in 1970 and wired by self and then inspected (wouldn't be able to do that now!) has duplex 15 amp outlets throughout (and plenty of them), on 20 amp circuit breaker-ed circuits. No ring circuits, so the number of 'radials' are generous. It was/is satisfactory for the wiring from one outlet to the next to be 'through' the duplex. Not here but in some North America jurisdictions however they prefer or insist that the 'through' circuit to the next outlet etc. be wired direct using correct size wire nuts and the outlet itself pigtailed off those. No problem ever without pig- tailing here however.
Back stabbed outlets have got very bad press on a North American news group with content similar to this one. I never use them. Also as mentioned the short term use of Al. wire in the 1970s was not satisfactory and did lead to overheating problems and sometimes the use of switches and outlets by the unknowing rated only for copper wire. One particularly unsatisfactory use was in mobile homes and/or factory built housing; seemed like moving the building along with the greater softness of Al. wire increased bad connections!
The 115/120 volt outlet and lighting circuits are distributed at the main circuit breaker panel (CU) somewhat equally, it is hoped, between the two 'legs' of what is a three wire 120 - 0 - 120) plus ground/ earth, service feed from the distribution transformer nearby. These two legs are often and incorrectly called 'phases'. They are not. The two live wires and the zero voltage neutral being the two ends and the centre tap of a single phase winding of the step down distribution transformer. .
Down the main street in front of us is three phase 'primary' at around
12 or 13 kv. One phase of that goes up the back lane with a couple of pole mounted transformers on it; one of the transformers feeds this house and three or four others, all electrically heated. In recent years they have started using stainless steel cased transformers. Especially near the coast. Our power is almost 100% hydro generated and is very reliable; we discontinued our computer UPS several years ago, meaning to reconnect it but it hasn't' been necessary!
The advantage of aerial distribution is obvious when you see the dedicated and excellent repair crews working some 30 feet up in storm conditions to restore service, usually within an hour or two. Imagine getting a road closed off and obtaining jack hammers/excavators to dig frozen ground at say 11.00 PM some stormy night if the plant were underground! Like wise additions/upgrades such as heavier wires or larger transformers can be done fairly quickly. Within say an hour.
Inside the typical home: Heavier appliances such as permanently wired
120 litre hot water heaters, cooking stoves (big heavy plugs, usually pre wired to the appliance), clothes dryers (also pre-plugged) are on individual heavier circuits. Replaced a 30 amp dryer socket for friend recently and IIRC the socket cost $8 Can. About 5 quid? Electric heaters are permanently wired on 20 amp circuits, ours have individual room bi-metal thermostats. Have only replaced two in 40 years! But smarter thermostats now available and cost of the order of $15 to $25. Around, say 15 quid?
For work bench and work/garage areas we also have 230/240 v outlets used variously for some 230 v tools, couple of 4500/4800 watt shop heaters, small welder etc. And occasional work with some 50+ year old Solon soldering irons!
We have had little trouble with duplex outlets, being careful we replace them promptly if required. I do recall replacing two below the work bench, they get quite a bit of use, and one of them was cracked. Recently noticed that the other half of the passageway duplex into which our bedroom area CO detector is plugged had chipped a small, piece of plastic next to the ground/earth pin. But the only other thing ever plugged into that is an LED night light, one watt perhaps and it doesn't have a ground pin anyway!
As a rough estimate we must have some 75+ wire nuts in this house and have never had a problem with any of them! One thing do favour is the amount of room inside typical NA octagon, switch and other metal wall boxes. There are rules for the number wires that should be contained in each size of box and it's generally very easy to do safe wiring (even including wire nuts) inside them. We know we have one switch box at bottom of basement stairs that probably does not meet wire requirements and have a larger size switch box bought and hung nearby for some occasion when time permits (when we get round to it!) to change it out.
Whereas the one and only UK style 230 volt (3 pronger) outlet in this house above our workbench into which one plugs the typical 13 Amp. fused UK style (often made in China and sold in the Gulf States) has a titchy little metal box! Thank goodness the wiring stops there; there's hardly room for anything but basic connections to a single unswitched UK outlet! Also find North American wiring easier; none of those little brass screws so common on European plugs sockets and lamp fittings.
Other current tasks include replacing a dead GFI outlet in outer wall of the garden shed. Also that circuit's breaker was reduced to 15 amp when we realized that one section of the wire within the shed was only
14 AWG (2.08 sq.mm) not 12 AWG (3.31 sq.mm). So it now meets code.
Noticing that in some UK compliant areas the increasing use of screw in bulbs; again fewer of those little brass screws and the ability to screw the bulb down to improve the contact.
Both UK and North Ameican systems seem to work well. The UK plug and socket seem clunky and over-engineered. The 13 amp fuse, supposedly reduced to as little as 2 amps (460 watts) for some applications is bit of a puzzle. How does one know the fuse rating without opening up the plug and where to store two (not one) spare fuses? BTW the difference in heating time, between a 230 volt 2000 watt or higher electric kettle and the maximum for North American usually being
1100/1200 is remarkable. But we use a plain kettle on one of the two larger 'burners/hobs' of the electric stove/cooker. One advantage being you can put a complete non-electric kettle through the dishwasher!
Which reminds; must go and make a cuppa. Cheers.to all.
PS. How many have heard of a so called 'Edison' wired outlet????? Also sometime called a 'split outlet' and for which and switched outlet purposes, NA duplex outlets are made with a removable tab!