For me it started at the age of 13/14 in the Boy Scouts doing my electricians badge. We had an EC who was one of the scout leaders and he taught us all how to wire a basic circuit from plug, through switch, to light fitting – all fixed down to a make-up board. The advanced course was the 2-way (US 3-way) switches. I was only able to learn about intermediates later from my uncle who was an industrial electrical fitter.
That coupled with A-Levels in physics gave me an understanding of why it all works along with life’s healthy respect of how it shouldn’t work. So I grew up with red-black-green, ring and lighting circuits and then moved to South Africa. Old fashioned BS546 systems and I had to learn about branch rather than ring circuits. Same old colours except the three phases were red, white and blue as opposed to red, yellow and blue in the – then modern – British system. I saw red, yellow, green in Russia – travel broadens the mind!
And so to the States where black became live and white neutral – for me a serious mind-shift. Plus that other American phase, sometimes red – but usually also black – which provided my access to that elusive 240V that I desired for all of my South African/European kit that I had just imported into the good ol’ USA, along with my young family. More concerning for me was the lack of distinction between lighting and power circuits, ubiquitous 120V and the requirement for RCD protection in the kitchen – (for RCD, please read what ever is the present acceptable acronym – I hope you know what I mean).
Being an Englishman – though widely travelled – I can vouch for a genetic love of tea which, despite America’s safety culture, demands water at the point of phase transition (100C/212F at sea level). It isn’t rocket science to realise that this is more rapidly achieved using a 3kW (British 240V) kettle than a 750W (120V US) one. Thus the visceral need to provide a 240V outlet in my adopted American kitchen – Legally and within code!
Thus I started some internet searches and happened upon ECN – and being a complete outsider – posed a very gentle question, having read and reread the 1996 NEC. Can I have a 240V outlet in a US kitchen and does it need a RCD? (the latter outside of swimming pools, being a rare and expensive beast). I never pretended to be anyone other than who I am – a geologist with practical know-how – and was met with a friendly reception and an interesting debate started amongst those NEC experts.
The long and short:- 240V OK as long as it is for a dedicated appliance greater than 1500W– my kettle was truly dedicated; and the RCD provisions were only in respect of 120V circuits. Result!
Tea vicar?
