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.
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).]