ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area new to this and from the UK

It's actually BS7671, IEE Wiring Regulations.

SJT,
Nominal voltages for residential single-phase used to vary between about 220 and 250V depending upon area, but it was all standardized at 240V by the early 1970s.

Now, however, the U.K. has officially adopted the new "Euro-standard" of 230V, but it's more political than practical as yet. Have a look at this thread in the non-U.S. area.

whoops your right,, i think i must have had to much lager before i wrote that,, only been doing the job for 25 years...

Is that 224-240 across 2 hotlegs. Is it 110v from one leg to ground?

Nope, 230V to ground. 400V phase to phase. (3-phase is the only system used)

Hi, not a sparky myself in the USA. But I've heard some descriptions of wiring in the UK, something to the effect that a house is wired using a loop of wire. And that each outlet has a switch and a fuse. And that the total current allowed by the fuse or circuitbreaker is about twice that of the ampacity of the wire used in the loop. Idea being that each outlet "sees" a pair of sets of wire back to the source. Like a 40 amp breaker protecting a loop of AWG 12 gauge wire. The NEC code says no using parallel wires. Like what happens if there is a break in the loop, and an outlet pulls 35 amps (the remaining wire will get roasted).

Or do I have it wrong?

You're quite correct. The standard "ring circuit" here is protected by a 30 or 32A fuse or breaker, and is generally wired with 2.5 sq. mm cable -- That's just fractionally larger than #14 AWG. There's some more information here:
Rings circuits UK style
Ring circuits revisited .

Feel free to come on over to the non-U.S. area and start a new thread if you wish.


You will actually find a few single-phase transformers in rural areas where there are just one or two houses standing on their own. But yes, as soon as there's any sort of group of houses you'll see a 240/415V 3-phase 4-wire wye distribution system.




[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 06-20-2003).]

How are the methods in England? Do you use romex, and BX cable? Is coduit ran in the walls?

Sorry about the way I spelled Conduit. Slip of the key

SJT,

I've started a new thread in the non-U.S. electrical area of the forum. Just click on this link:
https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000346.html