Race to the bottom

[charles]

they don't seem to bother anymore. It's cheaper to feed any new deveopment off a single phase.

[Tim Lamb]

In message [e-mail]>, "Dave Plowman (News)" [e-mail]> writes

Prolly OK now we know it is only 400V:-)

The IEE wiring regs. I was most familiar with was the 14th! So probably something picked up from there.

Open office environments were the big issue at the time with mains operated calculators etc. Never mind the unofficial heaters brought from home!

>

[Max Demian]

No, after Brexit we can go back to saying that we have 240V not 230V per phase. (Who says that Brexit hasn't benefited us! We've got back 10v stolen by the EU when they tried to "harmonise" European mains voltages!)

[Max Demian]

Only when the perfidious EU decided to steal 10 of our good British volts. May the Lord be praised for Brexit.

[The Natural Philosopher]

400v -5% +20%...

We have left the EU now. We can go back to 230V± 10% that we always were.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I suspect all new houses are fed off whichever phase is lowest loaded

[SteveW]

Pre-harmonisation, we specified equipment for (and still maintain the supply to) 240V ±6%.

Equipment is now specified for 230V ±10% which covers our supply range and also that of Europe's 220V supplies.

[SteveW]

The supply didn't change. We stayed on 240V and they stayed on 220V, but new equipment has to suitable for 230V ±10%, which covers both our range and Europe's range with one product. The supplies were nominally renamed, but not actually changed.

[Fredxx]

It is safe to say "can" but "won't".

[Robin]

Last time I looked was still defined as 400V with +10%/-6% permitted range.

[Max Demian]

I know. A completely pointless exercise. If manufacturers want to sell a product that will work anywhere in Europe, they can fit PSUs that will work from 200-250V. If they want it to work in the US too, they can fit a PSU that will work from 100-250V, 50 or 60Hz. Easy nowadays with SMPSs, unlike in the past when you had to go round the back of a valve radio and turn the voltage selection switch.

If, on the other hand, they only intend to sell the device in the UK (for language or TV standards reasons), they can make it so it will only work on 240V (give or take). No need for the EU to stick its oar in.

[ARW]

Your nominal single phase supply voltage is 230V +10%/-6%

[zaq]

That can't work with a new estate.

[SteveW]

Yes, nominal voltage, but measuring the voltage typically still returns

240V, as we are still generating and supplying to give the 240V +/- 6% that we have long had. There is no point in us actually changing our real supply voltage. It is only the range of voltage that equipment is designed to run on that changed.

Similarly, the 220V countries in Europe did not change to an actual

230V, but remained supplying 220V.

It simply allowed us to get away from separate 220V and 240V equipment, call it all 230V, but still let it run fine at the lower margin of the

220V systems and the upper margin of the 240V systems.

We just say that the supplies are nominally 230V, so that people don't worry if their 230V device will run okay on our 240V system or Europe's

220V systems.

[SteveW]

Not at all pointless. For a motor, you don't have a SMPS and older industrial motors could overheat if run on the wrong voltage. Manufacturers now have to ensure that they are designed to cope with the range of the nominal 230V supply.

For other equipment, not designed for very wide voltage ranges, just enough to cover the 230V range, it is better that it is labelled 230V and the UK and Europe say that their supplies are 230V, to stop those not knowing the background from worrying that their hairdryer might not work properly on holiday!

[ARW]

Had a really odd reading a couple of weeks ago.

The place was at the lower end of allowed voltage and then there was a power cut knocking out the whole village.

When power was restored an hour later the voltage was at the high end.

[Fredxx]

Are you saying our glorious government were overruled? When did we lose our veto?

[Fredxx]

So hardly pointless. The point of harmonisation is to make sure the UK manufactures items that work in other EU countries.

What you are advocating is that EU manufactured electrics can be sold here, but ours not in the EU.

[ARW]

Have a look at the power rating on electric showers. The manufactures always sell them with the power rated at 240V not 230V so it looks better.

It was 250V today at work today.

I agree just over 240V is the most common reading I get in towns and cities but I do see low readings as well.But all calculations are now done at 230V

[ARW]

I could see why in an apartment block they would use 2 phases to each apartment from an incoming 3 phase supply.

I always assumed the pole transformers they have in more rural areas do make the supply a 240 supply and the phases are 180 deg out of sync.