Yes, Hutch, I agree: Appliances should be neutral to line. That way they would work on both 3-ph and single ph systems. But, this is not the way it is today.

Paul:
I don't think balancing the transformer isn't a problem, but balancing the phases in a cable suppling a small number of houses could be.

Big instant shower: I know Brits use 40-60A single phase power showers, but then again you still have single glazed windows, whereas we have triple or even quadruple window panes. [Linked Image] The Germans use 3x25A or even 3x30A power showers... (The largest size is 27 kW/ 3x40A, IIRC) Apparently, they sometimes don't bother with suppling old flats with hot water. Instead the flat gets one h**l of an electric supply. (Like 3x50A)

Swedes prefer to have things like heating centralized: Stockholm has not only centralized heating from power plants in and around the city, but also centralized airconditioning. Yes, really: There are huge pipes in the ground with coolant!

(Gothenburg runs the airconditioners off the hot water. Sounds crazy, but they have a lot of waste heat in the summer. This heat is turned into cooling by the airconditioners in buildings.)

BTW: Do other cities have street heating? Central part of Stockholm does and it is a blessing in winter.

[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 01-07-2003).]