One of these days I'll tidy up that wire... A minor note; the thing about 208 being 86.7% isn't right for simple resistive loads like heating elements. You'll actually only get 75% the heat on 208! Power (watts) goes up with the square of the voltage. But, if something is designed specifically for 208, you can pull up to 86.7% what you could on 240 with the same amperage.
Your neutral and ground wires are not looking to (current) code: 1. There are spots where two wires are under one screw. 2. The neutral and ground are not separated (yeah, I know, they are the same potential, but the code says they need to be separated... for reasons.). But the panel probably predates those changes. PS: Wear your electricians gloves when working on a live panel... including just poking at it with a meter.
The two wires under one screw is a definite no-no. In my area, however, both neutral and ground must be bonded to the box. It is ridiculous, but that is what the inspector demands.
I've occasionally wondered what a national power grid would look like if you could start again from scratch using current technology. No backwards compatibility, no infrastructure limitations, no analog TVs to sync.
It used to be that you'd want higher frequency mains allowing smaller transformers etc, but now that switch mode supplies are the norm, that doesn't matter. Still, I'd probably go to 100Hz. Why three phase, why not four? --edit, fixed weird autocorrect
@@richkurtz6053 or an electric powered instant hot tap by the kitchen sink. A tiny electric water heater lives under my sink and keep the water just below boiling. Holds enough for 5 or 6 cups of hot water. All on 120v
When I heard that 60HZ hum, I thought, "Wow! Does this guy have a sub-station in his basement or are all of those breakers in desperate need of replacement?".
i lived down the road from a substation...that was right next to a park and YMCA. always a constant hum even half a mile way. now that i dont live anywhere near one i find the quiet of night to be unsettling.
As an American commercial electrician 15 years I usually steer very clear of videos like this for fear of yelling expletives at my screen because so many people just get so much wrong. BUT you sir have nailed it this is the best starting explanation video for basic electricity you never let me down keep up the good work also I’ll try not to be so pedantic about the 110-120 thing but it does drive me nuts especially seeing as how I’m most homes a voltage of 110 puts you above the range for allowable voltage drop (read inefficiency/dangerous)
One of the reasons i like this channel so much - he tries to be as close to the truth as possible and do that while being as clear as possible and in most easy to digest way possible.
Tell that to europe, we have real 230 v here in the outlets... and no it is not dangerous and inefficient! Well current always is dangerous even at 110 but also there are security measures in place every installation needs to have to keep people alive!
What do you think has been nailed. ? . . . Not the energy down wires being carried int he E & M Fields.. . Derek is very wrong there.. . The Energy is in the moving ?Electrons INSIDE the wires.
@@robertcuminale1212 Not necessarily. Newer code requires a lot more dedicated circuits than older code, and if he's got a bunch of 240v stuff (furnace, dryer, stove, water heater, car charger) it'll fill up fast.
When I was a kid in Iran (1960) we had a kerosene powered refrigerator. Dad had to relight the flame occasionally. I learned the refrigerator used an ammonia absorption cycle... a bit beyond my 8 year old brain.
Actually in Germany we typically have 3 phase power to our home. This means you have 3 powelines, 120° appart and one ground. Depending on how you connect these between eachother or to ground you get either 380V or three times 240V. Bigger machines like washing machines, driers, ovens etc. use the 380V three phase power. Other smaller machines, connected to the normal outlets, use the 240V single phase power. Usually the fuses for the main lines are 63A for each phase. There are other breakers like 125A, but these are not so common in normal households. Hosehold machines thypically have lines with 16A breakers. Bigger industrial machines use 32A lines ore less commonly 63A.
Yeah that's true for the most part but the voltages are 230V and 230VxSQR(3)=400V Fun fact the "normal" 230V plug is only rated for 10A consistently but u can still pull 16A for a short periode Greetings from an electrical engineer from Germany
In Germany, the 3-phase is 400V. . . . Which naturally gives 230V Single-phase. . . ( For Americans, Single-phase is a SINGLE live line and Neutral. ) . . Not like their 2- phase 120/240V which is TWO Live lines and Neutral.
The US 3-phase electrical wires carry 480V at 60HZ but usually only commercial and industrial uses get that much. But none of this matters. Everyone gets what they need which is the point of his video.
@@tawnyforest7932 No they don't in America, that is what I am getting at . .. You cant get 120/240V directly from a 3-phase supply. . . From 3-phase, you can get 240/140V nasty for 120V loads. . . Or you can get 208/120V nasty for 240V loads.
Do you really use 3 phase power for washing machines in Germany? Most run just fine on 10A / 240V single phase. Your fuses are also pretty big at 63A. In the Netherlands we usually get 3 x 25A. More amps are possible, but at much higher monthly network charges.
That ending fun rant was hilarious (I'm a Brit). Maybe one day we can all get together internationally and produce an IEEE standard for electricity distribution. Based on the age old model of identifying all the best bits given by the available systems, and then implementing the worst bits instead...
As an electrician, I appreciate you and your humor. Found your channel a bit ago, and im going through your old videos. Its a gold mine of terrible jokes and education. Thank you for your service:)
@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld my studio flat in the UK only had 2 phase power. But I'm sure the building as a whole had 3 phase. (since the usual approach is to split different pairs of 2 out of 3 phases to multiple buildings/units to balance the load on the 3 phase supply system.) Not sure what Australia is using, but I'd be surprised if it isn't also either 3 or 2 phase power to most homes...
You know this is really just a great example of engineers solving safety hazards through different methods. When analyzing hazards you got two scales, likelyhood of injury, and severity of injury. In america, we decided to tackle the severity part, dropping the voltage and making it less likely to kill you as easily. In britian they tackled the likelyhood part, designing better plugs, leakage current detectors, ect. In both places they felt that these considerations brough the hazard level down to a point that was acceptable and moved on with their lives, not thinking about it much more after that.
Then you have Brazil: even in the 220V parts of the country, electric showers are mostly ungrounded, and we use exactly the same plug both for 127V and 220V.
Not necessarily true. In Europe you have 230V on one phase yes, but pretty much any house has 3 phases coming in, so you can use 380V for higher power devices or for devices like a motor which needs it to function anyway. So using the US system is not really applicable for Europe anyway. Those 3 Phases have the same safety advantages the split phase system has. Besides I would argue that the severity of injury is not that highly reduced by 120AC, since the things that make AC dangerous are the frequency which the heart still can react to and the body having a lower impedance than ohmic resistance, which means AC can more easily pass through it than DC. So decreasing the likelyhood of injury is the only sensible way to go here.
@@lal12 In the UK and Ireland it's not really common to have 3-phase in a household. Neither is it in Australia or NZ (230V@50Hz, just like Europe). I hear the same happens in France and the Netherlands, though I may be wrong. Also, they get far less amps, which means that even in Germany, where 3-phase supply is commonplace in households, the maximum power is lower than in America. That, of course, comes at the expense of having to spend a little more on wires, but the cost is marginal relative to the cost of a house. Having three-phase for households has many advantages though, but they are related more to the possibility of running more efficient motors (3-Phase Air Conditioners, for example, are becoming very common here in Brazil for residential use, where three-phase supply is quite common for homes, though not ubiquitous as in Germany). Now, 120VAC is unquestionably safer than 230VAC. Your resistance doesn't change when you are closer to a 230V outlet. U = RI. Hence, the current going through your body IS nearly twice, which means a much worse shock. The higher the current, the higher the risk.
What people tend to not understand is you can talk to children without being condescending. It's like people who think speaking English louder at people who don't speak English will make them understand
@@artcamera5514 True. I travel the world for work, and using plugs all over the place, I can appreciate the smaller form factor of North American style plugs. The UK bricks, forget about trying to plug in more than one or two chargers in most cases. Australia, same thing. And the massive size of those plugs, you damn near need another suitcase to carry them around. EU two pronged- never know if any given combination of plug and outlet will fit together to make a connection, and they always just flop around loosely and fall out, usually have to get a stack of books or something to support the adapters or plug ends. And the switches on outlets.. no labels usually so it's a guessing game of flipping everything on and off to try to figure it out, let alone accidentally bumping them or setting something on them and shutting off the power.
There's some outlets in the United States where it's like that it's just the power switches are usually next to light switches intend to get confused with them all the time because they are normal Power switches that are wired in between the breaker and the outlet. I knew somebody who had their Wi-Fi router on one and somebody turned off the light switch knocked out the internet for everyone in the house.
@@stonedsavage7814 It was when they were first designed. They've been kept because that's what people expect. Australia has automatically shuttered outlets (eref.se.com/au/en/clipsal/product-pdf/2025S-WE) as well, but not many houses use them. They'd be seen more frequently in child care centres. They're also a pain in the arse if you're using double insulated appliances in them, as they need an earth pin in order to actuate the shutter.
I went to tech school for HVAC, and I was never really taught the difference between 208/240. Even my super awesome, smart, one-of-a-kind electrical instructor never really mentioned it(I learned a lot of other really valuable stuff from him though, and particularly have a better working knowledge of how motors work than most of the HVAC techs I work with, thanks to him) I had no idea that 208v was from 120v-3 phase. In my (limited) experience I've pretty much only worked with 240v-3 phase or split-phase120/240v and only ran across 208v once or twice, and had no clue why it was different. Thank you sir, I've learned something new today! Been watching your videos for a long time.
What he doesn’t mention is that 120/208 is usually produced by stepping down a 277/480 utility feed. Commercial/industrial customers often use 480 for motors and 277 for lighting.
For anyone commenting on how “bad” his panel is, I’ve seen WAY worse when old buildings upgrade the circuits without upgrading the panels. My parents 97 year old home had so many wires in in before upgrading to a full 200 amp panel it was literally dangerous. Dual circuit breakers (yes they are real) WITH two wires in each circuit because there was just no room for more breakers being a 100 amp panel. Oh and nob and tube wiring which often was wired incorrectly and electrified the device instead of grounding it! In the US older homes can be an electrical fire waiting to happen.
Yeah I would consider his panel damn near pristine compared to.... well almost any house I've ever lived in. I mean, you can tell what runs where, it's labelled, wires run in logical lines! Mostly all installed in the last 50 years! No immediately obvious fire hazards! I would be downright pleased to have a panel that clean. I've lived in a house with 3 distinct generations of wiring systems - the original knob & tube with cotton sheathing, then some rubber-sheathed/cotton wrapped, then some 90's rubber sheathed/rubber wrapped, all fed haphazardly into a semi-recent 100A panel. You can tell that the skill of the person doing the wiring went down with each generation of wiring too - the original stuff was actually installed decently. The later stuff was a bloody nightmare. It's really common to see houses with a mix of Aluminum and Copper wiring, or with the original knob & tube running into the original fuse panel, which was unhooked and then fed from a 60A breaker on a new panel - leaving the old stuff as is and just installing anything new into the new main panel.
Yeah it honestly looks like a pretty normal 200 amp panel, just with more circuits than most single family homes have. I've seen MUCH worse wiring jobs. And honestly, how much does it even matter if the wiring in the panel is kinda messy? It's covered for a reason, and you shouldn't be messing with that shit unless you really know what you're doing anyway. In which case you'd probably know enough to kill the main before digging around in there.
Came home from a day of low voltage distribution design, saw the title here (working on a primary voltage conversion job, swapping out 50 odd transformers with all the end-user voltages you can make) and just wanted to see where you were going with that. Love the video, man. Keep it up!
That rant at the end had me in stitches, and the info about the US electrical system was really interesting. Your videos never fail to educate and entertain.
I'm trying to remember the last time I turned a power switch (Australia) on or off... it was probably when I moved into the house and plugged everything in. I never really thought about it, but maybe they are kinda pointless.
@@matthewjohnson3610 I'm wondering if they're there for child safety, or maybe if an outlet needs to be cleaned or worked on? (Just a layperson's guess, obviously.)
@@shibolinemress8913 I (Australian) turn off the switches if I'm leaving the house for more than about 5 days or if the socket is empty, a lot of electronics like TVs have standby modes that draw 1 or more watts, overall it's an unnoticeable difference but if say 1 million people are doing the same thing then it adds up. The main reason though is safety, given how cheaply made electronics are these days I don't want to risk going on holiday and have my phone charger shit the bed then burn the house down. Also on safety is like the US many of our wall plugs still have fully exposed pins that can shock you if the plug is only partially inserted.
My home has two outlets wired to a double switch panel next to the room's overhead light switch. You can just power on or off whatever's plugged into that outlet without having to reach down for it. It's way better, and I don't even think that was done for luxury's sake.
@@matthewjohnson3610 Yeah it is really the appliances that needs to be efficient not the user and this is how it is today. Sure your phone charger uses a little over time but most things like screens, audio gear, kitchen appliances they all nicely conserve power when not in use. This is a more recent change though, I am guessing like since the year 2000 or so.
I’m glad to have seen your speech. For 32 years my dad worked for Hydro-Quebec The electric company in our province. I loved your simple explanations on voltage amp Wattage,transformers. In Quebec we also have 120-240 voltage and are still naming that 110-220.
I am a retired electrical engineer and I will tell you this: Your explanations are very clear and concise. Thank you. I am glad I found. Your channel and have subscribed 😊
I find myself clicking on your videos - even if I have no real interest in the topic. I find your energy, your presentation, your tone, your research and opinions SO refreshing and entertaining - that I sit and smirk through the whole thing. What I learn - - and I always learn from your videos, is just a bonus. Great work. Thanks from BC Canada.
@@z3mescorner why not I mean they tell me that my power line will wear out from charging my ev on 110 volt in 5 years 10 for 220 volt and if the lines not replaced it will be a fire hazard but then a certified electrician says that oh electrical lines do not wear out you can pull an infinite amount of power through the line so long as your not overloading the line and there will never be a fire issue ever
New Brunswick Canada here. Same,same I laugh out loud because of your presentation and winks to the Europeans and knowledge about how they will think about this; hailing from Europe, I recognize it, even though I now NOTHING about electricity.
@@TheLuxkywalker I've never done any personal maintenance in a switchboard, so I don't know how they are like. But electric showers, man, they are just a resistor that turns up when you pass water through them.
Personally I love that we in (mainland) Europe use E/F plugs. While technically F is the Shuko-plug, you'll find that many electrical devices and powercubes and -bricks accept both E (found as (older) French, Belgian, Tunesian and somehow Slovakian outlets) and F. The diffence is in grounding:: E adds a third plug, F has the grounding on the side. Both sides, so you can put the plug in upside down or not. And two plugs is simpler to plug in than three. All in all, I love our Schuko-system. And that also means we use Type C if grounding is not needed. Handy for, well, you find these still on 'boomboxes'.Or gameconsoles. Audioequipment. And your tv. But your computer is connected via Schuko, aka F. Thanks for the video! Now I know how good it is! ❤
@@plazmaguy13yago9 is it? I'm from Hungary, and the two main types of plugs I see and use are Europlugs and Schuko/Type F (or lately CEE 7/7). The sockets are all type F / Schuko, except in old houses where there are still some ungrounded type C sockets.
The "Shuko" type plug (in its many forms) has two ROUND pins. This is not optimal as getting FULL contact with said pin is difficult (if not impossible). Most sockets for round pins (of any size) only have two slight contact points on the side of the pin. This increases the resistance of the contact and can cause things to heat up (not good). At least the UK (and Australia) have BLADE connections which have much more surface area for contact, and thus less resistance to cause heat.
Greetings, fellow Aussie! I recently had a sparkie install a new oven in my kitchen. He also fitted an isolator switch in-line with the conduit which is required by law. However, with the oven installed in its recess in the kitchen cabinet, the switch ends up being concealed behind everything and is completely out of sight / reach. I suggested that he fit the switch to the wall outside of the cabinet where it would be accessible so that it can be turned off if necessary. But no, apparently he wasn't allowed to do that... The switch 'had' to be behind the oven specifically. Gotta love the nanny state. :o)
@@razeezar Im sorry mate but that is total bullshit and he needs to fix it as he has not followed the standards. The cooking appliance isolator needs to be within 2 meters but also easly accessable without reaching across the cooking surface. If you need to you can tell him to double check AS3000:2018 Section 4.7.1 If you have any issues with getting it resolved I suggest you call your state licencing registrar. I hope it is sorted for you. Peace.
It looks like section 4.7.1 pertains to open stove tops. I haven't found any specific info regarding an isolator required for built in ovens, but cursory reading of discussions on whirlpool indicate that an isolator is required for a stovetop but, confusingly, not for an oven. It'd be nice if the standards code stated this specifically either way!
That is just one thing about the square pin plug i wish we had, the ability to switch an outlet at the outlet itself. But i think what people forget is that the american BI plug is older. A lot of other plug standards had the ability to learn from previous plug failings. We didnt really have that chance and since compatibility is a thing we just kinda got stuck with it only modernizing little bits like polarizing the plug with the neutral being bigger and adding the circular ground pin, as an option wheras the square pin a ground lug is required to operate the safety shutters in the plug even if its just a fake pin of plastic, and really the bi pin could be made better by shoving a bit of plastic on the end of the pins and making the recepticle make contact on the tip of the pins, that way compatibility is kept for older plugs but newer plugs are safer, the fact that our pins are to close your fingers could also be negated by making the plug a bit bigger with a more pronounced shield, but like I said its a standard weve had for a while and since japan and china also use the bi pin for residential appliances its not gonna change anytime soon.
Our UK plugs and sockets are designed to last for millions of connection/disconnection cycles and still have a switch to discourage wear. Every US hotel I've stayed in, the plug falls out if you walk past too quickly. But for non-UK (or Ireland, Oman, or any of the other 50+ countries using IEC type G) imagine standing on Lego. We're immune to that as the plug is much, much worse.
@@JorgTheElder We rarely buy portable fans as it's just not that warm here to warrant them, and anybody who does buy one realises that they're probably only useful in June and then that's when it's not drastically cool outside due to freak rain storms. After then our small houses are just cluttered by useless appliances and get thrown up in the attic and forgotten about.
@@georgeprout42 I've never had an issue with plugs not holding unless it was a cheap plug the sockets tend to stay fine as long as you have a modern high quality plug.
Mentioned the one hand rule to a dude a while back and it turned into a whole thing about how much of an idiot I was for believing that, I grew up in an electronics classroom, my stepdad used to do TV repair on CRTs, one hand rule saves lives, sucks for my stepdad though he's left handed, the proper hand is the right to lessen the chance that it goes through your heart.
I'm glad I checked for similar comments prior to posting mine. I had the same two observations. Covering WHY we do a one handed voltage check would be nice for another video!
At first, I thought using one hand was more dangerous, too. If your dexterity isn't too good, you could cross the probes. But then I realized that if both hands came in contact with the contacts, you would have 240V, 120V, going from one had to the other, with your heart in the middle. With one hand the current flow would just be from one finger to the other. When I was young I grabbed both leads of a 120 circuit with both hands. It felt like somebody kicked me in the chest. I jumped back about six feet.
I remember being a Kid having lessons about how electricity is dangerous and stuff... Here in Minas Gerais we still have TV ads from our electricity company warning about that kind of stuff... And maybe because of that I studied and got a Electronics Engineering degree today :) (Not that I have any use for it these days lol )
When I was a kid, my little brother decided to drop a penny behind the outlet cover in his room. It was an old 120 2-prong receptacle and that penny fell in just the right way to bridge the gap, my family was all surprised when we screamed. I'm not sure why, but I was the one who ran out, through the living room and kitchen to get to the breaker box. Being 10, I just turned everything off as quickly as I could. Needless to say, my dad pulled out the remains of the penny while replacing the outlet and it proved to be a good lesson to all of us. My dad doesn't neglect electrical repairs these days. Though I don't know why he never did anything about the one power switch in a place we lived in for a year that almost always shocked us. Well, actually I do. My dad was in terrible mental health during that time, so it took a lot out of him just to provide for us. He and my mom had split because of it, which honestly just made things worse, but that's all a different story. The electrical system in the US isn't something you should play around with. Thankfully I know some electricians, so I know who to call to help me. Also, I checked my panel. 100amp @ 240v. I figured, being a manufactured, single wide home. I think I'll save up and get my electrical system reworked, though. The place is about 30 years old and I would like to make sure it's all up to code.
@silversonic1 what did you find out? I'd be very surprised to learn that even a manufactured home from the 90s doesn't meet all the code that applied to it when built and even 95% or more of the most current electrical code.
@@GurtTheHurt I sadly haven't been able to do anything yet. Well, anything beyond learning that my living room and middle bedroom have been all wired through one breaker.
Graduated mechanical engineering, which entails a good bit of electrical classes. Went into construction management and i have learned more in the first 10 minutes of this video than i did in 4 years at college and 2 years in the field. Awesome videos btw, ive been binge watching
The education system these days is just a business. You learn more while working hands on and hunting for amazing tutorials, presentations such as this video
@@MoparDan Top-hinged slates/tiles/shingles maybe? So they can lift and let the pressure out during the experiments ..? This would prevent the roof from blowing away due to too much positive internal pressure.
In Australia, we use 3 phase systems but they aren't by default installed in houses: they are usually restricted to commercial buildings. We also use Residual Current Devices in our switchboards for all the power circuits - to prevent electrical shocks. It doesn't look like they are used in the US.
We use them but they are at the outlet not the panel and electrical code only requires them in rooms close to water sources like bathrooms and kitchens
I see stuff like this in Techmoan videos as well. Why not just get over the fact some of his viewers are retards? Someone will _always_ complain. Both Alec and Matt would make it more pleasant for sane viewers to just ignore the vocal minority. The funny thing is, I never saw the complaints they refer to.
For me as a German this video was really interesting and enlightening! I was 100% sure the US voltage is 120V AC only. Different countries, different approach. Many thanks!
Hello Henry, remember that we here in germany has a three phase system instead a two phase system in US. So we have 400V between two phases and 240V between each phase and the netral wire or ground. This three-phase current is called "Drehstrom" in germany and has the same geometry as he explains at 19:12 in the video.
@@Domimi78 yeah, exactly. Saying it's 120V is a stretch as in Europe you can ask electrical company to attach a second or third phase to your house if you need it. It's simply that in US everyone gets second as a norm.
@@resphantom Some people use 400V for something like a big circular saw or their lathe. They have their own plug It's called "CEE-Stecker". For normal appliances like a mixer they use one phase and neutral with a difference of 240 V between them.
Fun story, I once accidentally dropped a nickel off the end of my bed and it fell on the two plug posts in that tiny gap between the plug and the outlet. I saw a huge flash of blue light a flame and puff of smoke. Luckily it tripped the breaker but when I found the nickel it was black had two slots melted into it about halfway down. The plug posts were melted pretty bad too. Kind of terrifying really. All because that plug just happened to be a couple millimeters away from the wall and that nickel just happened to perform a one in a million shot. I'm glad my apartment didn't burn down.
That's one reason power outlets are often installed with the ground pin on top. But if your plug has no ground pin, it has no effect. I suppose power outlets could be installed landscape-style.
@@Johnny.Fedora First, UK live pins can not be touched even by a nickel or knife blade, when they are in the Outlet far enough to actually be live, and that is without the Earth pin at the top further protecting, , , I believe all American installations since about 20 years ago, had to be 3-pin Outlets, OK, there are many 2-pin plugs still in use in America.. . . Actually I have always installed American double Outlets in landscape-style.
@@hughleyton693, you are correct -- my post was U.S.-centric (and the electrical code has required AC sockets with ground (earth) pins for a lot more than 20 years).
Welp, that image is going to stick with me forever, any time I see a plug which is even slightly loose. I now have a newfound appreciation for "upside-down" grounded outlets with ground at the top.
In europe we have 230/400V in wye configuration evywere. Mutible houses are conected to a 3 phase transformer at once. This is possible due to the higher voltage so the cables can be longer. There are single and tripple brakers for 230V single phase and 400V 3 phase circuits. (*Some contries use double and quad brakers instead because they are also switching the neutral). Like the 240V appliences in the US some 400V devices are need the neutral and some are not.
RE: the "Don't try this at home" part: This was my favorite lecture that one of my professors gave back when I was in college. It was famous for anyone who had taken his class. He called it the "How Not To Die" lecture and covered pretty much what was in this video! One other useful thing he also mentioned: In a lot of the newer hostpitals and care facilities, they install the 3-prong outlets upside down so that if a metal object like an IV stand falls down onto a partially inserted plug it lands on the neutral phase.
Here's a snark for you; Where the US uses 240v to run their boilers, stoves, welding equipment. we ( us civilised Europeans with a standard 240 v system ) use 380v to run our stoves, welding equipment and what not.
@@TheDutchShepherd Where I work, we use 480/277 for large loads that are constantly on as a way to save on the cost. So lighting and very heavy draws like welders. But that is for 3 phase systems. :P
He is deliberately incorrect to make it intelligible to people. I think he's being stupid about the sarcasm about plugs. US plugs are actually fecking LETHAL And he's wrong about the 240 vs 120 shocks. Both are equally lethal.
I knew what he is going to talk about before he even started. We also have 3-phase electricity - my parents charge their car with a 400V system. The panel is 400V, the car charges from 3 phases and each individual phase goes further and feeds 230V appliances. ~3700W at each outlet then allows to plug multiple power hungry devices in a socket extension - in the kitchen for example, the kettle and the coffee machine can run both at the same time without any issues.
The whole "it's not the volts that kill you etc. etc." always annoyed me. That's like saying it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. The higher the fall, the more likely the stop is to kill you. They're kinda dependent on each other.
@@Snix121 You could certainly break the velocity of the falling mass down by running it through a fourier transform. In which case, higher frequencies would (roughly) represent greater accelerations. In which case, the higher frequencies would be worse for you.
@@bobthebuilder609 I think he is trying to say that at least the 10-story fall will kill you instantly and not leave you alive but mangled and most likely suffering from the resulting damage the rest of your life like the 3-story fall would.
The thing is about the switches on sockets: wall warts, phone chargers, laptop chargers, etc. consume a not insignificant amount of power even when not charging/powering anything, and yer just unplug it, but wasn’t already covered that plugging in/unplugging can be a danger (before you get to wear and tear)? Yer I know the standard was created before wall warts were a thing (and actually you can buy sockets without switches here too).
Not a roast. Envy and jealousy at our clearly superior electrical system. Enjoy those sparking cables in the street too when the storm blows over the poles that carry it to your home. Ours; underground unless on pylons for long distance.
Just a minor addendum because you stressed the "see, we have 240V too" point a few times in your video. In Europe we have 400V just like you have 208V, with the same 3 phases and stuff. And many residential homes are supplied that way, not only large buildings. I wrote this comment not because "nanana, Europe is still one ahead of you" (who even makes that point ugh), but because I missed that parallel between the two electrical systems in the video, which at least makes them a bit more alike.
Not only pretty much all houses have 3 phase power, but, if there's no gas supplied, flats also typically have 3 phases used mainly by electric/induction cookers.
@@BenjaminSahlstrom you know that 400V is the effective voltage, while peak Voltage is 530V on European 3 phase? AC voltages are weird, European AC voltage (single-phase) actually peaks around 330V, IIRC.
And over here they do not meet the eye in such an awful way! Transformers are housed in small brick buildings with a steel door, found on street corners usually. The cables are buried under the pavement, not strung along those awful poles.
@@Rob2 Underground is a lot more aesthetic, but a lot more hassle and costlier. Needs way more insulation, and way more armor for when those brainless waterworks dudes go digging and put their shovel into the power line.
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 That happens, but it does not appear to cause any problems apart from a blown fuse and donwtime on the power. On the other hand, we do not have power outages caused by a storm or blizzard...
@@vezokpiraka Only if you're fiddle-farting around in the service panel with the cover off. Something he explicitly said *not* to do. Try to keep up, pal.
@hawkturkey I mean. Our wires rlly aren't that thin tho? I'm not entirely sure where you'd have gotten that idea? And even then our actual breaker panels are way better designed
Retired American EE living in SE Asia. It's 240/380 here, like Europe. 3-phase transformers are standard in most neighborhoods. This makes residential electrical installations much easier and cheaper than in the US. No need for costly extra transformers if you need 3-phase. It's also easier and cheaper to wire a kitchen to obtain adequate power for an oven or a big induction cooker when you only need 2.5 mm wire (14AWG) to provide over 3KW. Edison died nearly a century ago so it's time for the US to upgrade to a better secondary distribution topology. 240/380 V is not scary and no big deal when done properly with modern components. Korea already did this a few decades ago
Note how he does the voltage measurements with only one hand. Standard smart move to prevent his heart from being part of the circuit if he makes a mistake. (I'm sure someone else said this somewhere in the other 12000+ comments, but worth repeating...)
@@r.h.8754 That's why you always put a warning sign on a breaker and/or controls. A simple and effective safety measure your co-worker ignored. Another safety rule: you don't remove a sign if it's not placed by you.
I just found out that while most of modern Belgium has three phase with 400V between the phases and 240 between phase and neutral (as most of Europe has), some older installations have 240V between phases. And this can sometimes differ per house in a street.
Yes, here in Sweden we have 400 volts phase to phase and 230 volts phase to ground. We also have all 3 phases in our homes instead of the split phase system.
Interesting point regarding the UK plug switches: Yeah, a lot of our stuff that's not pure electrical does not have an off switch (generally electronics just.. don't) as you're expected to interrupt the circuit at the wall.. however: We have the switches for a different reason. Our plugs are so big and over-engineered for safety that insertion cycles becomes a problem so they're actually there to save a pile of plugging in and removal causing work hardening/loosening of the contacts in the socket - flick the switch rather than break the receptical by having to over-use it..
I will still never get over Tom Scott's video on British plugs where he explains that in the olden days, British appliance manufacturers weren't required to put plugs on their products, so most appliances came with a bare wire that the customer had to attach a plug to themselves.
Sammie1053 Ironicly in the US, you can still buy an appliance without a cord, so you have to buy the cord and wire it up. I think it is mostly on stuff like refrigerators and washing machines, tho. Edit: What I meant to say was ovens and dryers. Sorry about that.
@@Sammie1053 We still commonly teach students how to wire plugs in physics lessons in school - incidentally it's quite useful because it means plugs can be removed and added to cables so we can change cable lengths etc ourselves without wasting perfectly good plugs 👍
I was surprised that he didn't mention his previous video where he showed the fact that there is a spark inside of the switch, so there will be a spark regardless.
As an professional electrician in germany, I find this video very interesting and informative. Also an example for “other countries other manners“. Thank you.
I will finish watching this later but note: Most large loads in the US are served with 480/277 VAC three phase. 240/120 VAC split phase is mostly just single family home residential power, and even large apartment buildings are served with 208/120 VAC three phase. Most energy is delivered at 480/277. Basically anything above a 1 megawatt transformer. Most ceiling lighting in large buildings is 277 VAC.
@@Froggability I beg your pardon, Transformers are as cool today as they were 35 years ago, and I'm not desperately trying to hold on to my childhood at all.
First off your presentation is informing and entertaining. It did cover a lot I missed or forgot. We are not only coping, but improving in the plug/socket area. Plugs now have that rim to keep the fingers away from the prongs. Appliances are double-insulated and wall adapters by design won't let you anywhere near the prongs. Then again accidentally coming in contact with 120V is the best safety teacher if you live through it.😊
120V best teacher? I had them at home and a few times they hooked me up as a receiver and I didn't feel any respect. now I have 230v (because I live in Poland) and after nothing else I started to care about not becoming a consumer
*laughs in 3 phase, 30A × ?, 240V electricity* In all seriousness tho, this is quite informative and has cleared up a lot of things I was wondering about when it comes to US electrical systems
@@arienh4 AT my country most houses have 20A inlet which then is only split intro "lights" and "sockets" lol At least we got current leak protection onto the system. Chile btw 220v
Most houses in Germany have 3 phase 240V 50A or 63A . 100A is not as common but gets used too. It is common to have a "400V" 32A (5p CEE) outlet in the garage/workshop, the bigger garages/workshops will also have a "400V" 63A outlet. Gets used mostly for: air compressors,, grinding wheels, saws and welders I work in electric wholesale.
It’s not even being pedantic, it’s just wrong. The voltage is a range, 120 or 240 is just the ”average”. No one wants to say ”we have 115 to 125 volts” all the time.
@@hasmatiks Also people conflating service voltage and utilitization voltage. They like to reference the voltage value on the back of their appliances, it doesn't mean what they think it means.
My grandfather had a propane dryer with the bottom all opened up surrounded by wood. It was quite terrifying seeing it in operation because you could see the flames.
I'm proud to say I've been shocked by 240UK and 120US. 240 hurt more. I have also stood on a UK plug. Being shocked by 120V hurts less than stepping on a UK plug (in the common case)... I don't think anyone has died from stepping on a plug, they just wish they had.
Say no more, I've been shocked by 120AC, 240AC, 400AC and 570DC... Nothing in the whole world compares to stepping on a UK plug!! It's a horrible sensation!!
Avoiding electrical shocks is much easier and less costly than avoiding using more copper or aluminium to make thicker wires to carry more current in low voltage.
''Damn, that's fascinating thing, which is quite true and has a high probability of being feasible, bro.'' Ok.. maybe not the variant you're looking for...
Hey bro', thank you for explaining all this, and doing your research beforehand, you did a great service to those of us who are tired of trying to explain it all every time we have a conversation on the subject. Btw, that little equation you showed (V=IxR) is part of Ohm's Law, which can be configured (using a touch of algebra) in many ways and also includes W (Watts) or P (Power), i.e., P=VxI, etc. Another thing to keep in mind is that the voltage for residential or commercial power service varies, as does the current available per the transformer and meter installed. Not just in the stated voltage delivered, but variations to the "120-volt" service. It can vary from a proper 120 volts as you measured, down to 110v or 117rms. I've run into this problem while trying to operate certain equipment at customer locations and elsewhere, such as using a portable MIG welder, which fails miserably at higher settings when the available voltage is low. Also, you'll find in trying to operate certain equipment, or in engineering electronics, particularly power supplies for solid-state and digital circuits, that there is Lots of Filtering required, because the power we receive from these (less than ethical, shall we say) power utility companies, is Real Shit... In my opinion, not nearly worth what they charge for it. Very dirty power with all sorts of anomalies, power spikes, noise, etc., making it far from a good usable and consistent sine wave otherwise.
I'm so glad the 60hz noise was just sfx, my immediate thought was "oh no anything making that buzz in a residential installation is in desperate need of maintenance/replacement😬" Lots of data packed into an enjoyable video 🦊💜
Interesting to see that the US only has a single panel with everything in one place! Here in Germany, at least my household has a main circuit breaker panel (including a GFCI/RCD/Overly-Curious-Nerd-Life-Saver) and a separate, transparent box for a main big "one-time-use" fuse - 63A in our case. We also have all 3 phase cables coming into the panel, at least according to their color, but I have no idea about the exact details. And hey, at least your plugs are polarized, unlike our continental European ones. So that's nice at least :)
It depends. As alluded to in the video, many 240V devices (water heater, air conditioner) have disconnect panels. In larger homes, you'll often find pony panels. For example, you have the main panel in the basement, and then on the second floor have a smaller panel fed from the pain panel for all of the circuits on the second floor and in the attic. This reduces the length of circuits, and also makes it easier to access if you trip a breaker.
Edit: I just checked, and it seems as if the four connection coming to our house are all three phases + a combined PE + N conductor. So at least our panel has access to 3*230V AC. Huh
Also, little known fact, we DO have disconnects on the main feed on occasion; if the electrical panel is a certain distance beyond the outside electrical connection (ie. further than literally wall-to-panel), we're required to add a separate breaker disconnect, often integrated into the meter base. Had to do that once when someone added an addition to a house, where the side that was extended had the panel. We ran a lengthy PVC pipe with the main feeds under the house, and the new meter base had the disconnect, to prevent fires if there was a short in the main feed. Because, y'know, utility power lacks the breakers* to do it for you. * - They DO have breakers, but not ones designed to handle a single house, but rather an entire street (ie. powerlines go down). This is why touching utility power is so dangerous! ...Now I'm starting to sound like TC. XD
You can't make a judgment about "in the US" from a single example video. There is significant variation by region, year built, location of utility inlet, etc, etc.
Our plugs are polarized but almost no appliances or devices care about the direction anyways. Clumsy electricians often wire them backwards with no recourse.
1: as soon as I heard that hum on the circuit panel I was worried that there was something really wrong with your house, glad it was a gag. 2: Thank you so much for explaining that voltage matters! Yes, it is the current that does the damage, but I hate it when people act like the voltage is irrelevant to that.
Current doesn't cause damage any more than voltage does. It's meaningless to say that about either of them. Put megaamps through a 0 ohm load and nothing will happen (to the load!). You could reasonably argue that the power, which is a resultant of both V and I, is the culprit. Of course that's a resultant of voltage and impedance really. Or current and impedance. Or...
Congratulations on such a great career Professor. Please accept my sincerest gratitude for all the time you have spent with Brady on all the great videos and information that you have shared with all of us viewers. You have provided me with so much entertainment and joy in learning. Im jealous of your full time students who had the pleasure of working with you more closely.
You amuse me , as a professional electrician with 47 years in the trade, we all do things different, but in our own ways we are all safe even in the u.s. Different but safe, I am from the u.k.
@@micah66048 I have separate RCBOs, for each of my circuits in my fuse board here in the UK, don't see what the issue with running a bunch of MCBS off one RCD is though, you've still got residual current protection for all those circuits, it just makes fault finding slightly more difficult than separate RCBOs.
Explain to me how ring-mains are safe? If one end of a heavily-loaded ring-main comes loose, the other side will carry all the load for that circuit and the wire will overheat.
19jc80 which is probably the reason for the Ring circuit in the UK. I have noticed that they don’t have anywhere near the number of circuit breakers in their homes therefore many outlets connected in series to a single breaker.
@@charlesmurphy1510 Which makes fault finding too long, and any fault de energises almost all power. The only advantage from the ring on this regard is that removing a damaged link, you get two radials and no need for installation of a new cable.
@@charlesmurphy1510 we had the Wylex fuses with fuse wire that could be replaced. 32A, 2x 13A and a 6A feed. Still kept that board, it feeds the shed after updating the house. I know of a board in Holland that has 4 wire 3phase, blue is now neutral, on that cable it was a phase. Neutral was bound in with the earth. It was pre ww2.
@@charlesmurphy1510 I read an article about this topic quite some time ago. As far as remember the reason for the ring circuit is that you can double the amount of amps at the plug with the same wire cross-section, as there are effectively 2 lines to the plug. But all plugs need to have their own circuit breaker in them. Let's say for a standard installation with star topology you need 1.5mm² wires for 16A, with a ring circuit you can transmit 32A. Another reason was increased redundancy, if the line is split at one point.
Great video. Plugs in the UK have a plastic peg finished with the copper contact at the end. When the copper is fully enclosed in the socket even if the plug isn't in all of the way only plastic is exposed so touching a live connection isn't possible. The Earth connector is fully copper as that needs to be stronger as it opens the shutters in the socket but as it doesn't (mostly) carry any voltage, touching it doesn't matter.
@@martinpejchar9011 Well, gee, I wonder how the U.S. has survived so long without 400V!??! (i.e. You may want to rethink the term "needs." How about using "wants" instead?)
It makes a lot of sense where you have a huge variety of distribution situations. In the UK we have 3-phase, 440/240v (delta/star voltages). Most households are 240 unless a 440v is specially run for a workshop etc. I love 3-phase as on a 'star' connection, if you get all phases balanced out there is no return current and therefore no return current volt-drops. I think our choice of voltage goes back to wartimes when copper was in short supply. For the same reason our house power sockets are wired in a 'ring' format where the wiring comes back to the fuse board completing a ring for each conductor. Again, you can cut copper size for the same volt-drop. Nothing unsafe about your setup though, although you have to be careful you don't find a socket outlet connected between the two phases.
@@brianmason9803 Yes but our plugs are so much beefier to take the current at our disposal, rather than the thin little blades. Beside,stepping on one of our plugs with bare feet is just painful, their's must actually slice into the sole of the foot...
One of these days I'll tidy up that wire...
A minor note; the thing about 208 being 86.7% isn't right for simple resistive loads like heating elements. You'll actually only get 75% the heat on 208! Power (watts) goes up with the square of the voltage. But, if something is designed specifically for 208, you can pull up to 86.7% what you could on 240 with the same amperage.
One day or day one.
Me to my DIY outdoor sensor wiring too.
Your neutral and ground wires are not looking to (current) code: 1. There are spots where two wires are under one screw. 2. The neutral and ground are not separated (yeah, I know, they are the same potential, but the code says they need to be separated... for reasons.).
But the panel probably predates those changes.
PS: Wear your electricians gloves when working on a live panel... including just poking at it with a meter.
The two wires under one screw is a definite no-no. In my area, however, both neutral and ground must be bonded to the box. It is ridiculous, but that is what the inspector demands.
One day? Shocking.
I've occasionally wondered what a national power grid would look like if you could start again from scratch using current technology. No backwards compatibility, no infrastructure limitations, no analog TVs to sync.
It would be heaven
400v /230v three phase seems to be pretty good. Decent L-N voltage, high three phase voltage.
Oh, it would be so worth it to resurrect Tesla right now, somebody get on that.
DC everything, please.
It used to be that you'd want higher frequency mains allowing smaller transformers etc, but now that switch mode supplies are the norm, that doesn't matter. Still, I'd probably go to 100Hz.
Why three phase, why not four?
--edit, fixed weird autocorrect
Sometimes when I watch these videos I feel like you’re attacking me personally.
Only with the kettles :)
Technology Connections 😂
Shhh... You're one of us now.
@@richkurtz6053 no good for tea.
@@richkurtz6053 or an electric powered instant hot tap by the kitchen sink. A tiny electric water heater lives under my sink and keep the water just below boiling. Holds enough for 5 or 6 cups of hot water. All on 120v
When I heard that 60HZ hum, I thought, "Wow! Does this guy have a sub-station in his basement or are all of those breakers in desperate need of replacement?".
i lived down the road from a substation...that was right next to a park and YMCA. always a constant hum even half a mile way. now that i dont live anywhere near one i find the quiet of night to be unsettling.
He fucked up and they're both in phase, so the hum is doubled.
@@pulsefel9210 I've got high voltage power lines near my house. You can hear them when you go outside.
@@masheroz yes, same
@@pulsefel9210 okay, so... Does this town happen to love Halloween?
As an American commercial electrician 15 years I usually steer very clear of videos like this for fear of yelling expletives at my screen because so many people just get so much wrong. BUT you sir have nailed it this is the best starting explanation video for basic electricity you never let me down keep up the good work also I’ll try not to be so pedantic about the 110-120 thing but it does drive me nuts especially seeing as how I’m most homes a voltage of 110 puts you above the range for allowable voltage drop (read inefficiency/dangerous)
One of the reasons i like this channel so much - he tries to be as close to the truth as possible and do that while being as clear as possible and in most easy to digest way possible.
Tell that to europe, we have real 230 v here in the outlets... and no it is not dangerous and inefficient! Well current always is dangerous even at 110 but also there are security measures in place every installation needs to have to keep people alive!
What do you think has been nailed. ? . . . Not the energy down wires being carried int he E & M Fields.. . Derek is very wrong there.. . The Energy is in the moving ?Electrons INSIDE the wires.
@@hughleyton693 what? Can you try that again?
@@hughleyton693 You're thinking of Veritasium, go yell at him instead 😅
Technology Connections is the only place I go to learn about current events
Well, depending your age you can go to the university next
👉🏾🚪
Lmao
How does it feel to be the worst person alive?
Dad award 🥇
"This building is a single family home..."
"Honey, did you hear that? Is someone downstairs?"
:D LOL
That's a Tim and Eric skit in the making
oh he's the guy who took our laserdisk, our beta vcr and the old microwaves oven.
It must be a huge house according to that circuit panel and the number of breakers.
@@robertcuminale1212 Not necessarily. Newer code requires a lot more dedicated circuits than older code, and if he's got a bunch of 240v stuff (furnace, dryer, stove, water heater, car charger) it'll fill up fast.
If people were confused by gas clothes dryers you should do a video on gas powered refrigerators. That'll blow some minds.
That involves finding some place out in the middle of nowhere or perhaps having access to an RV motor-home.
When I was a kid in Iran (1960) we had a kerosene powered refrigerator. Dad had to relight the flame occasionally. I learned the refrigerator used an ammonia absorption cycle... a bit beyond my 8 year old brain.
But.... gas make things hot.......
yeah that took me a while to understand how an absorber fridge works, it blew my mind a little bit
Mmmm. I love the smell of Freon in the morning.
Actually in Germany we typically have 3 phase power to our home. This means you have 3 powelines, 120° appart and one ground. Depending on how you connect these between eachother or to ground you get either 380V or three times 240V. Bigger machines like washing machines, driers, ovens etc. use the 380V three phase power. Other smaller machines, connected to the normal outlets, use the 240V single phase power.
Usually the fuses for the main lines are 63A for each phase. There are other breakers like 125A, but these are not so common in normal households. Hosehold machines thypically have lines with 16A breakers. Bigger industrial machines use 32A lines ore less commonly 63A.
Yeah that's true for the most part but the voltages are 230V and 230VxSQR(3)=400V
Fun fact the "normal" 230V plug is only rated for 10A consistently but u can still pull 16A for a short periode
Greetings from an electrical engineer from Germany
In Germany, the 3-phase is 400V. . . . Which naturally gives 230V Single-phase. . . ( For Americans, Single-phase is a SINGLE live line and Neutral. ) . . Not like their 2- phase 120/240V which is TWO Live lines and Neutral.
The US 3-phase electrical wires carry 480V at 60HZ but usually only commercial and industrial uses get that much. But none of this matters. Everyone gets what they need which is the point of his video.
@@tawnyforest7932 No they don't in America, that is what I am getting at . .. You cant get 120/240V directly from a 3-phase supply. . . From 3-phase, you can get 240/140V nasty for 120V loads. . . Or you can get 208/120V nasty for 240V loads.
Do you really use 3 phase power for washing machines in Germany? Most run just fine on 10A / 240V single phase. Your fuses are also pretty big at 63A. In the Netherlands we usually get 3 x 25A. More amps are possible, but at much higher monthly network charges.
That ending fun rant was hilarious (I'm a Brit). Maybe one day we can all get together internationally and produce an IEEE standard for electricity distribution. Based on the age old model of identifying all the best bits given by the available systems, and then implementing the worst bits instead...
Not gonna lie. You had me in the first half
UK has those big ass plugs
The best standard would be a compact version of the UK plug, ditching the switch, keeping the rcd and fuse in plug, keeping 230v, etc
50 or 60hz, one will've to die
you can't throw a pair of dime at the american plug
As a veteran US Navy Electronics Technician, your presentation, disclaimers and warnings are so ACCURATE!! Great JOB!! Thank you.
Orlando boot and BE&E school in San Diego. Came out of boot in 87.
His British wiring knowledge is spot on too. 👍👍👍
That's among the coolest titles I've ever heard
@@Lambda_Ovine LOL!! Not sure if you're joking.. but yeah the Navy does have cool titles to brag about amongs ourselves ;)
@Kevin Tewey Kindly illuminate your opinion for the world, Sir!
That rant at the end is perfect.
I've got several Aussie friends and we get into that pretty often.
As an electrician, I appreciate you and your humor.
Found your channel a bit ago, and im going through your old videos. Its a gold mine of terrible jokes and education. Thank you for your service:)
"We're just going to ignore three-phase for right now" *Angry entertainment electrician noises*
Right?! XD
3 phase is best!!
more like all europeans. my entire country has 25A 240v 3 phase in the home.
@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld my studio flat in the UK only had 2 phase power.
But I'm sure the building as a whole had 3 phase. (since the usual approach is to split different pairs of 2 out of 3 phases to multiple buildings/units to balance the load on the 3 phase supply system.)
Not sure what Australia is using, but I'd be surprised if it isn't also either 3 or 2 phase power to most homes...
@@SupremeRuleroftheWorld yep even when individual houses are single phase as in the uk. We usually have one large 3 phase transformer per street.
You know this is really just a great example of engineers solving safety hazards through different methods. When analyzing hazards you got two scales, likelyhood of injury, and severity of injury. In america, we decided to tackle the severity part, dropping the voltage and making it less likely to kill you as easily. In britian they tackled the likelyhood part, designing better plugs, leakage current detectors, ect. In both places they felt that these considerations brough the hazard level down to a point that was acceptable and moved on with their lives, not thinking about it much more after that.
Then you have Brazil: even in the 220V parts of the country, electric showers are mostly ungrounded, and we use exactly the same plug both for 127V and 220V.
Not necessarily true. In Europe you have 230V on one phase yes, but pretty much any house has 3 phases coming in, so you can use 380V for higher power devices or for devices like a motor which needs it to function anyway. So using the US system is not really applicable for Europe anyway. Those 3 Phases have the same safety advantages the split phase system has.
Besides I would argue that the severity of injury is not that highly reduced by 120AC, since the things that make AC dangerous are the frequency which the heart still can react to and the body having a lower impedance than ohmic resistance, which means AC can more easily pass through it than DC. So decreasing the likelyhood of injury is the only sensible way to go here.
@@lal12 In the UK and Ireland it's not really common to have 3-phase in a household. Neither is it in Australia or NZ (230V@50Hz, just like Europe). I hear the same happens in France and the Netherlands, though I may be wrong. Also, they get far less amps, which means that even in Germany, where 3-phase supply is commonplace in households, the maximum power is lower than in America. That, of course, comes at the expense of having to spend a little more on wires, but the cost is marginal relative to the cost of a house. Having three-phase for households has many advantages though, but they are related more to the possibility of running more efficient motors (3-Phase Air Conditioners, for example, are becoming very common here in Brazil for residential use, where three-phase supply is quite common for homes, though not ubiquitous as in Germany).
Now, 120VAC is unquestionably safer than 230VAC. Your resistance doesn't change when you are closer to a 230V outlet. U = RI. Hence, the current going through
your body IS nearly twice, which means a much worse shock. The higher the current, the higher the risk.
💯
You deserve an upvote bro. Very great amicable summary of the situation here (compared to whatever argument to which is better)
"Like a lil' furnace. But tumbly" is a brilliant phrase
Yep, it is still weird though
@@jamesc4999 We have homes that are still heated with oil (kerosene) fueled furnaces as well. Which to me is even more strange.
@@jamesc4999 I dont see how an appliance consuming power AND gas is weird. That's how water heaters work!
And gas stoves!
What could possibly go wrong?
@@PosranaRegistrace Surprisingly little with all the flame sensors and other safeties.
I like the way that you talk to the viewer like they're 3-year-old kids. And lots of great, on topic information without being condescending.
What people tend to not understand is you can talk to children without being condescending. It's like people who think speaking English louder at people who don't speak English will make them understand
That three year old would need to have a lot of knowledge about electricity vocabulary that I lack.
lmao the last couple minutes where you're just going off is 10/10
That was spot on. Those uppity foreigners need to shut up and stay in their lane. We don't give a rat's ass what they think.
I laughed so loud just now finishing the video. Like some sort of crackhead at 3:30 in the morning.
@@artcamera5514 True. I travel the world for work, and using plugs all over the place, I can appreciate the smaller form factor of North American style plugs. The UK bricks, forget about trying to plug in more than one or two chargers in most cases. Australia, same thing. And the massive size of those plugs, you damn near need another suitcase to carry them around. EU two pronged- never know if any given combination of plug and outlet will fit together to make a connection, and they always just flop around loosely and fall out, usually have to get a stack of books or something to support the adapters or plug ends. And the switches on outlets.. no labels usually so it's a guessing game of flipping everything on and off to try to figure it out, let alone accidentally bumping them or setting something on them and shutting off the power.
"But first, a quick reminder of what transformers do: they're more than meets the eye."
Well memed, sir.
Don't be dumb it's not a meme it's a real day video
@@stephensnell1379 Are you a transformer??
@@stephensnell1379 Star Scream thinks so too..
Good meme
@Jeff Desert Mountains 250KV goes wherever it wants. :)
The switches on UK wall outlets are for people to turn things off at the wall in order to mildly annoy other members of the household.
There's some outlets in the United States where it's like that it's just the power switches are usually next to light switches intend to get confused with them all the time because they are normal Power switches that are wired in between the breaker and the outlet. I knew somebody who had their Wi-Fi router on one and somebody turned off the light switch knocked out the internet for everyone in the house.
@WindowsLogic Productions the UK has flaps covering the neutral and live terminals so no its not for safety.
@@stonedsavage7814 It was when they were first designed. They've been kept because that's what people expect. Australia has automatically shuttered outlets (eref.se.com/au/en/clipsal/product-pdf/2025S-WE) as well, but not many houses use them. They'd be seen more frequently in child care centres. They're also a pain in the arse if you're using double insulated appliances in them, as they need an earth pin in order to actuate the shutter.
& for those with timer adapters plugged in, to annoy me after I've set them correctly!
I went to tech school for HVAC, and I was never really taught the difference between 208/240. Even my super awesome, smart, one-of-a-kind electrical instructor never really mentioned it(I learned a lot of other really valuable stuff from him though, and particularly have a better working knowledge of how motors work than most of the HVAC techs I work with, thanks to him)
I had no idea that 208v was from 120v-3 phase. In my (limited) experience I've pretty much only worked with 240v-3 phase or split-phase120/240v and only ran across 208v once or twice, and had no clue why it was different.
Thank you sir, I've learned something new today! Been watching your videos for a long time.
What he doesn’t mention is that 120/208 is usually produced by stepping down a 277/480 utility feed.
Commercial/industrial customers often use 480 for motors and 277 for lighting.
@@k5sss What he doesn’t mention is an infinitely large set
@@MegaZeta I would argue it's actually a very large finite set, given that the human mouth can produce a finite range of frequencies
For anyone commenting on how “bad” his panel is, I’ve seen WAY worse when old buildings upgrade the circuits without upgrading the panels. My parents 97 year old home had so many wires in in before upgrading to a full 200 amp panel it was literally dangerous.
Dual circuit breakers (yes they are real) WITH two wires in each circuit because there was just no room for more breakers being a 100 amp panel.
Oh and nob and tube wiring which often was wired incorrectly and electrified the device instead of grounding it! In the US older homes can be an electrical fire waiting to happen.
Yeah I would consider his panel damn near pristine compared to.... well almost any house I've ever lived in. I mean, you can tell what runs where, it's labelled, wires run in logical lines! Mostly all installed in the last 50 years! No immediately obvious fire hazards! I would be downright pleased to have a panel that clean.
I've lived in a house with 3 distinct generations of wiring systems - the original knob & tube with cotton sheathing, then some rubber-sheathed/cotton wrapped, then some 90's rubber sheathed/rubber wrapped, all fed haphazardly into a semi-recent 100A panel. You can tell that the skill of the person doing the wiring went down with each generation of wiring too - the original stuff was actually installed decently. The later stuff was a bloody nightmare.
It's really common to see houses with a mix of Aluminum and Copper wiring, or with the original knob & tube running into the original fuse panel, which was unhooked and then fed from a 60A breaker on a new panel - leaving the old stuff as is and just installing anything new into the new main panel.
Yeah it honestly looks like a pretty normal 200 amp panel, just with more circuits than most single family homes have. I've seen MUCH worse wiring jobs. And honestly, how much does it even matter if the wiring in the panel is kinda messy? It's covered for a reason, and you shouldn't be messing with that shit unless you really know what you're doing anyway. In which case you'd probably know enough to kill the main before digging around in there.
Oh yeah, because folks love to get electrocuted in the morning by touching their toaster.
@Joshua I'm very glad that according to NEN (Dutch DIN) the entire fuse box must be replaced to be up to code on any significant change.
In my panel everything is ground to the neutral lead, the house doesn't have a grounding rod. Yay 1920s electrical code (or lack thereof)!
On the subject of weird gas dryers, I'd love to see you cover gas fridges.
or gas air conditioners
My RV has one. No clue how it works lol
Those are really niche and normal [electric] fridges are much cheaper to operate.
or gassy people
@@kabj06 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator
The snark level of this video increased exponentially at the end....I love it.
Of all the people, I did not expect HIM to go "full American." I'm dying 🤣
@@bm1747 Sometimes you need to go full American to explain why nannystater comments are dumb.
Came home from a day of low voltage distribution design, saw the title here (working on a primary voltage conversion job, swapping out 50 odd transformers with all the end-user voltages you can make) and just wanted to see where you were going with that. Love the video, man. Keep it up!
"I'm showing you mine, so you don't need to see yours."
- Technology Connections 2020
so you can be fat and don't need mirror to see it
That should be on a shirt of sticker.
Dirty... I like it
@@y0uCantHandle I'm 24 and he stills says it to me 😳
That sounded dirty. 🤣
That rant at the end had me in stitches, and the info about the US electrical system was really interesting.
Your videos never fail to educate and entertain.
I'm trying to remember the last time I turned a power switch (Australia) on or off... it was probably when I moved into the house and plugged everything in. I never really thought about it, but maybe they are kinda pointless.
@@matthewjohnson3610 I'm wondering if they're there for child safety, or maybe if an outlet needs to be cleaned or worked on? (Just a layperson's guess, obviously.)
@@shibolinemress8913 I (Australian) turn off the switches if I'm leaving the house for more than about 5 days or if the socket is empty, a lot of electronics like TVs have standby modes that draw 1 or more watts, overall it's an unnoticeable difference but if say 1 million people are doing the same thing then it adds up.
The main reason though is safety, given how cheaply made electronics are these days I don't want to risk going on holiday and have my phone charger shit the bed then burn the house down. Also on safety is like the US many of our wall plugs still have fully exposed pins that can shock you if the plug is only partially inserted.
My home has two outlets wired to a double switch panel next to the room's overhead light switch. You can just power on or off whatever's plugged into that outlet without having to reach down for it. It's way better, and I don't even think that was done for luxury's sake.
@@matthewjohnson3610 Yeah it is really the appliances that needs to be efficient not the user and this is how it is today. Sure your phone charger uses a little over time but most things like screens, audio gear, kitchen appliances they all nicely conserve power when not in use. This is a more recent change though, I am guessing like since the year 2000 or so.
I’m glad to have seen your speech. For 32 years my dad worked for Hydro-Quebec The electric company in our province. I loved your simple explanations on voltage amp Wattage,transformers. In Quebec we also have 120-240 voltage and are still naming that 110-220.
I am a retired electrical engineer and I will tell you this: Your explanations are very clear and concise. Thank you. I am glad I found. Your channel and have subscribed 😊
I take it you graduated last in your class.
must be a title, not a degree.
@@larrymaloney877he’s retired
@@larrymaloney877wtf? Why the hostilities?
As a retired [wizard]. Fixed it for you. Electrical stuff has always been confusing to me for some reason.
I find myself clicking on your videos - even if I have no real interest in the topic. I find your energy, your presentation, your tone, your research and opinions SO refreshing and entertaining - that I sit and smirk through the whole thing. What I learn - - and I always learn from your videos, is just a bonus.
Great work. Thanks from BC Canada.
Lies
@@raven4k998 why?
@@z3mescorner why not I mean they tell me that my power line will wear out from charging my ev on 110 volt in 5 years 10 for 220 volt and if the lines not replaced it will be a fire hazard but then a certified electrician says that oh electrical lines do not wear out you can pull an infinite amount of power through the line so long as your not overloading the line and there will never be a fire issue ever
New Brunswick Canada here. Same,same I laugh out loud because of your presentation and winks to the Europeans and knowledge about how they will think about this; hailing from Europe, I recognize it, even though I now NOTHING about electricity.
"I don't know why you are so afraid of electricity!"
Me: _laughs in Brazilian electric showers_
Seeing the bus bars in the switchboard made me laugh too
Stand on tip toes, use palm of your hand, and pray...
I still install my own showers in Brazil, and every time, i get scared as hell when i am going to test them.
@@TheLuxkywalker I've never done any personal maintenance in a switchboard, so I don't know how they are like. But electric showers, man, they are just a resistor that turns up when you pass water through them.
So those replace the water heater?
Personally I love that we in (mainland) Europe use E/F plugs. While technically F is the Shuko-plug, you'll find that many electrical devices and powercubes and -bricks accept both E (found as (older) French, Belgian, Tunesian and somehow Slovakian outlets) and F. The diffence is in grounding:: E adds a third plug, F has the grounding on the side. Both sides, so you can put the plug in upside down or not. And two plugs is simpler to plug in than three. All in all, I love our Schuko-system. And that also means we use Type C if grounding is not needed. Handy for, well, you find these still on 'boomboxes'.Or gameconsoles. Audioequipment. And your tv. But your computer is connected via Schuko, aka F. Thanks for the video! Now I know how good it is! ❤
ahh yes the type f plug most notably known for being cut out and replaced by type h plug
@@plazmaguy13yago9 is it? I'm from Hungary, and the two main types of plugs I see and use are Europlugs and Schuko/Type F (or lately CEE 7/7). The sockets are all type F / Schuko, except in old houses where there are still some ungrounded type C sockets.
Guess the type E in Slovakia is from when Czechoslovakia was still a thing, because it's a standard in Czechia as well
The "Shuko" type plug (in its many forms) has two ROUND pins. This is not optimal as getting FULL contact with said pin is difficult (if not impossible). Most sockets for round pins (of any size) only have two slight contact points on the side of the pin. This increases the resistance of the contact and can cause things to heat up (not good). At least the UK (and Australia) have BLADE connections which have much more surface area for contact, and thus less resistance to cause heat.
I'm an electrician from Australia and I thoroughly enjoyed this video haha cheers mate
Greetings, fellow Aussie! I recently had a sparkie install a new oven in my kitchen. He also fitted an isolator switch in-line with the conduit which is required by law. However, with the oven installed in its recess in the kitchen cabinet, the switch ends up being concealed behind everything and is completely out of sight / reach.
I suggested that he fit the switch to the wall outside of the cabinet where it would be accessible so that it can be turned off if necessary. But no, apparently he wasn't allowed to do that... The switch 'had' to be behind the oven specifically. Gotta love the nanny state. :o)
@@razeezar Im sorry mate but that is total bullshit and he needs to fix it as he has not followed the standards.
The cooking appliance isolator needs to be within 2 meters but also easly accessable without reaching across the cooking surface. If you need to you can tell him to double check AS3000:2018 Section 4.7.1
If you have any issues with getting it resolved I suggest you call your state licencing registrar.
I hope it is sorted for you. Peace.
@@dcaonoek Cheers Dane, I'll check that out.
razeezar Australia honestly seems like regulations gone mad.
It looks like section 4.7.1 pertains to open stove tops. I haven't found any specific info regarding an isolator required for built in ovens, but cursory reading of discussions on whirlpool indicate that an isolator is required for a stovetop but, confusingly, not for an oven. It'd be nice if the standards code stated this specifically either way!
UK residents have learned after stepping on plugs to leave them in their respective sockets and just flick the switch.
That is just one thing about the square pin plug i wish we had, the ability to switch an outlet at the outlet itself. But i think what people forget is that the american BI plug is older. A lot of other plug standards had the ability to learn from previous plug failings. We didnt really have that chance and since compatibility is a thing we just kinda got stuck with it only modernizing little bits like polarizing the plug with the neutral being bigger and adding the circular ground pin, as an option wheras the square pin a ground lug is required to operate the safety shutters in the plug even if its just a fake pin of plastic, and really the bi pin could be made better by shoving a bit of plastic on the end of the pins and making the recepticle make contact on the tip of the pins, that way compatibility is kept for older plugs but newer plugs are safer, the fact that our pins are to close your fingers could also be negated by making the plug a bit bigger with a more pronounced shield, but like I said its a standard weve had for a while and since japan and china also use the bi pin for residential appliances its not gonna change anytime soon.
Our UK plugs and sockets are designed to last for millions of connection/disconnection cycles and still have a switch to discourage wear.
Every US hotel I've stayed in, the plug falls out if you walk past too quickly.
But for non-UK (or Ireland, Oman, or any of the other 50+ countries using IEC type G) imagine standing on Lego. We're immune to that as the plug is much, much worse.
@@JorgTheElder We rarely buy portable fans as it's just not that warm here to warrant them, and anybody who does buy one realises that they're probably only useful in June and then that's when it's not drastically cool outside due to freak rain storms. After then our small houses are just cluttered by useless appliances and get thrown up in the attic and forgotten about.
@@georgeprout42 I've never had an issue with plugs not holding unless it was a cheap plug the sockets tend to stay fine as long as you have a modern high quality plug.
Meanwhile, there's basically no such thing as a UK plug that is loose. There are simply none made that badly.
the amount of shade in this video is incredible
Given the amount your average American gets from nannystaters a day, it does not even come close to balancing out.
I've been in the electrical distribution business for about 15 years and this video taught me more than any work training.
"Transformers are more than meets the eye". Solid. Also, props for using only one hand when measuring across the 240V at the top of the panel. SMART!
Mentioned the one hand rule to a dude a while back and it turned into a whole thing about how much of an idiot I was for believing that, I grew up in an electronics classroom, my stepdad used to do TV repair on CRTs, one hand rule saves lives, sucks for my stepdad though he's left handed, the proper hand is the right to lessen the chance that it goes through your heart.
@@travismason2811 Pardon my ignorance: who is the real idiot then? Is the one hand rule false?
I'm glad I checked for similar comments prior to posting mine. I had the same two observations. Covering WHY we do a one handed voltage check would be nice for another video!
At first, I thought using one hand was more dangerous, too. If your dexterity isn't too good, you could cross the probes. But then I realized that if both hands came in contact with the contacts, you would have 240V, 120V, going from one had to the other, with your heart in the middle. With one hand the current flow would just be from one finger to the other.
When I was young I grabbed both leads of a 120 circuit with both hands. It felt like somebody kicked me in the chest. I jumped back about six feet.
@@travismason2811 Why would that lessen the chance it goes through your heart? I'm pretty sure that's not actually true.
I could listen to Alec ranting about electricity for hours on end.
I was waiting for when he would say "Where did you get that dress? And those shoes and that coat..."
Same. Haha!!
obsoleteUbiquity or the perfect toaster! 😂
same
Steets, your thumbnail animates, but as far as I can tell RUclips doesn't support animated thumbnails. Is that visible anywhere?
"To those of you in europe this looks horribly gross and terribly unsafe"
Laughs in brazilian
I remember being a Kid having lessons about how electricity is dangerous and stuff... Here in Minas Gerais we still have TV ads from our electricity company warning about that kind of stuff... And maybe because of that I studied and got a Electronics Engineering degree today :) (Not that I have any use for it these days lol )
Do yall just do the jumper cables off the pole? That's how it goes in Panama
And our president still wants to Go back to the old plugs that are even worse. Like, for fucks sake Bolsonaro, dont you have better things to do?
Laughs in 50A electric shower
"Hue hue hue hue hue"
When I was a kid, my little brother decided to drop a penny behind the outlet cover in his room. It was an old 120 2-prong receptacle and that penny fell in just the right way to bridge the gap, my family was all surprised when we screamed. I'm not sure why, but I was the one who ran out, through the living room and kitchen to get to the breaker box. Being 10, I just turned everything off as quickly as I could. Needless to say, my dad pulled out the remains of the penny while replacing the outlet and it proved to be a good lesson to all of us. My dad doesn't neglect electrical repairs these days. Though I don't know why he never did anything about the one power switch in a place we lived in for a year that almost always shocked us.
Well, actually I do. My dad was in terrible mental health during that time, so it took a lot out of him just to provide for us. He and my mom had split because of it, which honestly just made things worse, but that's all a different story.
The electrical system in the US isn't something you should play around with. Thankfully I know some electricians, so I know who to call to help me.
Also, I checked my panel. 100amp @ 240v. I figured, being a manufactured, single wide home. I think I'll save up and get my electrical system reworked, though. The place is about 30 years old and I would like to make sure it's all up to code.
@silversonic1 what did you find out? I'd be very surprised to learn that even a manufactured home from the 90s doesn't meet all the code that applied to it when built and even 95% or more of the most current electrical code.
@@GurtTheHurt I sadly haven't been able to do anything yet. Well, anything beyond learning that my living room and middle bedroom have been all wired through one breaker.
Graduated mechanical engineering, which entails a good bit of electrical classes. Went into construction management and i have learned more in the first 10 minutes of this video than i did in 4 years at college and 2 years in the field.
Awesome videos btw, ive been binge watching
The education system these days is just a business. You learn more while working hands on and hunting for amazing tutorials, presentations such as this video
You probably weren't given lectures by a professor from the electrical engineering department!
Lineman here: very proud of his description, he clearly knows his stuff.
Please say you are from Kansas.
@@JasonWD nope, Pennsylvania
Shouldn't your name be AC? DC lines? nonsense
Lineman, that's my goal. Congrats.
@@garcjr good luck, get your cdl class a and apply to the ibew
why is the house angry
The house is angry because it desperately needs a new roof.
@@MoparDan Top-hinged slates/tiles/shingles maybe? So they can lift and let the pressure out during the experiments ..? This would prevent the roof from blowing away due to too much positive internal pressure.
First thing that came to my mind, too. The house looks fierce...
Nobody likes you
If someone connect you to grid you will be angry too or even shocked
In Australia, we use 3 phase systems but they aren't by default installed in houses: they are usually restricted to commercial buildings.
We also use Residual Current Devices in our switchboards for all the power circuits - to prevent electrical shocks. It doesn't look like they are used in the US.
We use them but they are at the outlet not the panel and electrical code only requires them in rooms close to water sources like bathrooms and kitchens
A ground fault? Outdoor circuits, kitchen & garage.
I can feel his frustration at having to explain the difference between "safer" and "safe." LOL
I think "less dangerous" would've been more accurate.
It's almost as if he's deflecting a veritable library of comments on that topic. ;)
@@vibingwithvinyl it certainly does sound better in a sentence relating to high voltage current
I see stuff like this in Techmoan videos as well. Why not just get over the fact some of his viewers are retards? Someone will _always_ complain. Both Alec and Matt would make it more pleasant for sane viewers to just ignore the vocal minority.
The funny thing is, I never saw the complaints they refer to.
@@RicoElectrico I'm not sure I agree. His moans about stupid complaints are themselves entertaining to watch.
For me as a German this video was really interesting and enlightening! I was 100% sure the US voltage is 120V AC only.
Different countries, different approach.
Many thanks!
Hello Henry,
remember that we here in germany has a three phase system instead a two phase system in US. So we have 400V between two phases and 240V between each phase and the netral wire or ground. This three-phase current is called "Drehstrom" in germany and has the same geometry as he explains at 19:12 in the video.
@@Domimi78 yeah, exactly. Saying it's 120V is a stretch as in Europe you can ask electrical company to attach a second or third phase to your house if you need it. It's simply that in US everyone gets second as a norm.
@@Domimi78 Bruh, who the hell needs 400V of power directly to their outlets. Are some Germans running their own mini-sern projects at home?
@@resphantom Some people use 400V for something like a big circular saw or their lathe. They have their own plug It's called "CEE-Stecker". For normal appliances like a mixer they use one phase and neutral with a difference of 240 V between them.
@@BlueMokke I just saw that my country also run on 400 - 415V 3 phase power. Turns out stuff like electric ovens and geysers use a lot of power.
Fun story, I once accidentally dropped a nickel off the end of my bed and it fell on the two plug posts in that tiny gap between the plug and the outlet. I saw a huge flash of blue light a flame and puff of smoke. Luckily it tripped the breaker but when I found the nickel it was black had two slots melted into it about halfway down. The plug posts were melted pretty bad too. Kind of terrifying really. All because that plug just happened to be a couple millimeters away from the wall and that nickel just happened to perform a one in a million shot. I'm glad my apartment didn't burn down.
That can't happen with UK Plugs, the pins are protected from such a short condition.
That's one reason power outlets are often installed with the ground pin on top. But if your plug has no ground pin, it has no effect. I suppose power outlets could be installed landscape-style.
@@Johnny.Fedora First, UK live pins can not be touched even by a nickel or knife blade, when they are in the Outlet far enough to actually be live, and that is without the Earth pin at the top further protecting, , , I believe all American installations since about 20 years ago, had to be 3-pin Outlets, OK, there are many 2-pin plugs still in use in America.. . . Actually I have always installed American double Outlets in landscape-style.
@@hughleyton693, you are correct -- my post was U.S.-centric (and the electrical code has required AC sockets with ground (earth) pins for a lot more than 20 years).
Welp, that image is going to stick with me forever, any time I see a plug which is even slightly loose. I now have a newfound appreciation for "upside-down" grounded outlets with ground at the top.
In europe we have 230/400V in wye configuration evywere. Mutible houses are conected to a 3 phase transformer at once. This is possible due to the higher voltage so the cables can be longer.
There are single and tripple brakers for 230V single phase and 400V 3 phase circuits. (*Some contries use double and quad brakers instead because they are also switching the neutral).
Like the 240V appliences in the US some 400V devices are need the neutral and some are not.
RE: the "Don't try this at home" part: This was my favorite lecture that one of my professors gave back when I was in college. It was famous for anyone who had taken his class. He called it the "How Not To Die" lecture and covered pretty much what was in this video! One other useful thing he also mentioned: In a lot of the newer hostpitals and care facilities, they install the 3-prong outlets upside down so that if a metal object like an IV stand falls down onto a partially inserted plug it lands on the neutral phase.
i.e. the right way up.
/brit
@@tyteen4a03 But then it doesn't make the little face. 😮
NEC, trying to protect you from yourself since 1897.
"Don't try this at home"
** Me as a electrical engineer who works on up to 380kV substations **
"Why?"
@@taylorwest6986 It's quite the conundrum. On the one hand, we don't want people to electrocute themselves and die.
On the other hand, 😮.
As an electrician of 15 years, It brings a new sense of appreciation to see you take such care to provide good information.
Love the snark.
Here's a snark for you;
Where the US uses 240v to run their boilers, stoves, welding equipment. we ( us civilised Europeans with a standard 240 v system ) use 380v to run our stoves, welding equipment and what not.
@@TheDutchShepherd Where I work, we use 480/277 for large loads that are constantly on as a way to save on the cost. So lighting and very heavy draws like welders. But that is for 3 phase systems. :P
@@TheDutchShepherd 380 is weak sauce, we use 480 in the US. Step it up.
@@Joe_Mission We also have 400/690V 50Hz 3 phase for large industries in Europe. and also 575/1000V.
@@TheDutchShepherd "civilized" lol...the continent that started both world wars is "civilized"...kay.
In this video: The RUclips's most beloved pedant tells people to stop being pedantic.
This might be my favorite techcon comment ever
RUclips's most beloved pedant is, as usual, incorrect.
That's because it's his job. He gaciously does it for us so we don't have to. :-)
He is deliberately incorrect to make it intelligible to people.
I think he's being stupid about the sarcasm about plugs. US plugs are actually fecking LETHAL
And he's wrong about the 240 vs 120 shocks. Both are equally lethal.
So of I want 240 for a welder I just need to put in a double breaker and run that to the welder?? I assumed it was more complicated than that.
I knew what he is going to talk about before he even started. We also have 3-phase electricity - my parents charge their car with a 400V system. The panel is 400V, the car charges from 3 phases and each individual phase goes further and feeds 230V appliances. ~3700W at each outlet then allows to plug multiple power hungry devices in a socket extension - in the kitchen for example, the kettle and the coffee machine can run both at the same time without any issues.
The whole "it's not the volts that kill you etc. etc." always annoyed me. That's like saying it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. The higher the fall, the more likely the stop is to kill you. They're kinda dependent on each other.
Really that's not true. Is worst a fall from a 3rd floor than the 10th floor!!!!
it's actually the frequency that kills you
qflux the frequency of how many times you fall off a building
@@Snix121 You could certainly break the velocity of the falling mass down by running it through a fourier transform. In which case, higher frequencies would (roughly) represent greater accelerations. In which case, the higher frequencies would be worse for you.
@@bobthebuilder609 I think he is trying to say that at least the 10-story fall will kill you instantly and not leave you alive but mangled and most likely suffering from the resulting damage the rest of your life like the 3-story fall would.
Jeez, that strong roast at the end was harsh, I love it.
The thing is about the switches on sockets: wall warts, phone chargers, laptop chargers, etc. consume a not insignificant amount of power even when not charging/powering anything, and yer just unplug it, but wasn’t already covered that plugging in/unplugging can be a danger (before you get to wear and tear)? Yer I know the standard was created before wall warts were a thing (and actually you can buy sockets without switches here too).
It wasn't a roast, it was whining in the face of a clearly superior solution. Switches on outlets FTW.
Not a roast. Envy and jealousy at our clearly superior electrical system. Enjoy those sparking cables in the street too when the storm blows over the poles that carry it to your home. Ours; underground unless on pylons for long distance.
Just a minor addendum because you stressed the "see, we have 240V too" point a few times in your video.
In Europe we have 400V just like you have 208V, with the same 3 phases and stuff. And many residential homes are supplied that way, not only large buildings.
I wrote this comment not because "nanana, Europe is still one ahead of you" (who even makes that point ugh), but because I missed that parallel between the two electrical systems in the video, which at least makes them a bit more alike.
Exactly!
480v 3 phase systems are also fairly common in the US. So we've got 80 more volts. ;)
I came here to write that comment
Not only pretty much all houses have 3 phase power, but, if there's no gas supplied, flats also typically have 3 phases used mainly by electric/induction cookers.
@@BenjaminSahlstrom you know that 400V is the effective voltage, while peak Voltage is 530V on European 3 phase?
AC voltages are weird, European AC voltage (single-phase) actually peaks around 330V, IIRC.
This was one of the best explanations I've ever heard of the standard US breaker box.
Bravo sir!
Technology Connections: "A quick reminder on what transformers do: They're more than meets the eye."
Me: *grumbles while I look for the TC Patreon*
And over here they do not meet the eye in such an awful way!
Transformers are housed in small brick buildings with a steel door, found on street corners usually.
The cables are buried under the pavement, not strung along those awful poles.
@@Rob2 Underground is a lot more aesthetic, but a lot more hassle and costlier. Needs way more insulation, and way more armor for when those brainless waterworks dudes go digging and put their shovel into the power line.
i don't get this
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 That happens, but it does not appear to cause any problems apart from a blown fuse and donwtime on the power.
On the other hand, we do not have power outages caused by a storm or blizzard...
@@Rob2 Agreed, it's more robust against the elements. Both have their perks and downs.
"To Europeans this looks horribly dangerous. That's OK, we're coping."
You have the best lines.
Having seen into his fuse box, I would say that his lines are actually pretty bad...
Holy fuck, he wasn't kidding. That looks more than horribly dangerous.
@@vezokpiraka Only if you're fiddle-farting around in the service panel with the cover off. Something he explicitly said *not* to do. Try to keep up, pal.
@@vezokpiraka OK, the neutrals look like a rat's nest, but those are neutrals :P
@hawkturkey I mean. Our wires rlly aren't that thin tho? I'm not entirely sure where you'd have gotten that idea?
And even then our actual breaker panels are way better designed
"Like a lil' furnace. But tumbly". This entire video is fantastic
Retired American EE living in SE Asia. It's 240/380 here, like Europe. 3-phase transformers are standard in most neighborhoods. This makes residential electrical installations much easier and cheaper than in the US. No need for costly extra transformers if you need 3-phase. It's also easier and cheaper to wire a kitchen to obtain adequate power for an oven or a big induction cooker when you only need 2.5 mm wire (14AWG) to provide over 3KW. Edison died nearly a century ago so it's time for the US to upgrade to a better secondary distribution topology. 240/380 V is not scary and no big deal when done properly with modern components. Korea already did this a few decades ago
Note how he does the voltage measurements with only one hand. Standard smart move to prevent his heart from being part of the circuit if he makes a mistake. (I'm sure someone else said this somewhere in the other 12000+ comments, but worth repeating...)
Thats very smart and safe in case there's a shock and avoids placing the heart and internal organs in the circuit.
Also always put right hand to danger. If you use left hand then a leak to earth via your feet will go near heart
I noticed that too. At first I wondered why he was making it harder but then realized it contain the potential shock to just his had.
i actually never though about that, i thought he just didn't want to be blocking the camera too much.
@@r.h.8754 That's why you always put a warning sign on a breaker and/or controls. A simple and effective safety measure your co-worker ignored. Another safety rule: you don't remove a sign if it's not placed by you.
With this logic almost all European installations are "400" volts as phase to phase is 380-420 and phase to ground 220-240 volts.
That's actually true and acknoledged, here in Australia all live electrical hazards are labelled as "danger 415 Volts"
Yeah, it's called '3-wire' power and is good for 400V.
I just found out that while most of modern Belgium has three phase with 400V between the phases and 240 between phase and neutral (as most of Europe has), some older installations have 240V between phases. And this can sometimes differ per house in a street.
Yes, here in Sweden we have 400 volts phase to phase and 230 volts phase to ground. We also have all 3 phases in our homes instead of the split phase system.
I just wanted to say the same thing :)
"I'm showing you mine, so you don't have to see yours." - Put that on a Tee.
And we had a similar sentence at home today - daughter was watching me play a flight sim, and told my wife "He's got his landing gear out." Umm...
Are we not doing phrasing anymore?
Great video. RCD or MCBO are now mandatory on every single circuit in Australia. I’ll never be convinced electricity isn’t a big deal.
why would some person suggest to you that " electricity isn’t a big deal.". i am utterly baffled? does this happen a lot in Australia?
Interesting point regarding the UK plug switches: Yeah, a lot of our stuff that's not pure electrical does not have an off switch (generally electronics just.. don't) as you're expected to interrupt the circuit at the wall.. however: We have the switches for a different reason.
Our plugs are so big and over-engineered for safety that insertion cycles becomes a problem so they're actually there to save a pile of plugging in and removal causing work hardening/loosening of the contacts in the socket - flick the switch rather than break the receptical by having to over-use it..
Yeah, here in the US we don't worry about stuff like that. Our plugs come pre loosened.
I will still never get over Tom Scott's video on British plugs where he explains that in the olden days, British appliance manufacturers weren't required to put plugs on their products, so most appliances came with a bare wire that the customer had to attach a plug to themselves.
Also it means we can remove the foot hazard caused by having dangly plugs everywhere 😎
Sammie1053 Ironicly in the US, you can still buy an appliance without a cord, so you have to buy the cord and wire it up. I think it is mostly on stuff like refrigerators and washing machines, tho.
Edit: What I meant to say was ovens and dryers. Sorry about that.
@@Sammie1053 We still commonly teach students how to wire plugs in physics lessons in school - incidentally it's quite useful because it means plugs can be removed and added to cables so we can change cable lengths etc ourselves without wasting perfectly good plugs 👍
Alec: *draws eyebrows on house*
My smooth brain: haha house angery
no talk me angey
The house is mad because it only has 120 volts :)
"But first, a quick reminder of what transformers do. They're more than meets the eye."
GOD DAMMIT! XD I love you and hate you for that joke lmao
Can't believe I missed that. Fucking love this guy
I didn't even catch it until I saw it written out. I facepalmed SO hard... :P
@Francis Hubert neither do I. Slap the nerds
@Francis Hubert It's part of the transformers, cartoon theme song
@Francis Hubert ruclips.net/video/nLS2N9mHWaw/видео.html
Glad you didn't run down the rabbit hole of the different types of 3 phase transformers (Y, Delta, corner grounded Delta)
- Wait, it's all 240 volts?
- Always has been
LOL
CaptainAmericaReference.gif
also it's all metric
"A spark from inrush current won't hurt anything"
Electroboom: "Hold my beer..."
the guy who managed to blow up a UK plug
next level
It doesn't hurt the device any more than a power outage would, but the spark can char the terminals.
I read this sentence as he actual spoke it, like a subtitle, lol.
I was surprised that he didn't mention his previous video where he showed the fact that there is a spark inside of the switch, so there will be a spark regardless.
It'll hurt a room full of hydrogen.
As an professional electrician in germany, I find this video very interesting and informative.
Also an example for “other countries other manners“.
Thank you.
"other countries other manners"? I'm not sure I'm understanding this... perhaps an idiom isn't translating well? Wie sagt man auf Deutsch?
@@DavidLindes Andere Länder andere Sitten
@@DavidLindes "Different countries, different customs" should be closer to the german "Andere Länder andere Sitten"
@@DavidLindes Soon goes it loose.
I laughed so much when hearing the buzzing noise of the service panel. Awesome bit. 😆 🤣 😂 Love your videos.
Anyone else now want a shirt that says "Like a 'lil furnace, but tumbly." ?
I was about to write a comment about how adorable that line was.
You're weird!
That runs on natrual (sic) gas. :)
Yesssss!!!!
ruclips.net/video/1TqBSI8ZBzQ/видео.html
I miss a lot of important stuff when I'm busy laughing. The 60hz hum was too funny.
It almost sounded like a photonicinduction video
What Transformers Do: “They’re more than meets the eye”
🤣 Came here for this, started typing the same and saw you did
Goodness when he is about to open the panel, I think this is one reason I watch all of these all the way through
I hope no transformer meets my eye. EVER
More than meets the I (current)
So I'm not the only one that thought he missed a opportunity to wear a Autobot shirt..lol
I will finish watching this later but note: Most large loads in the US are served with 480/277 VAC three phase. 240/120 VAC split phase is mostly just single family home residential power, and even large apartment buildings are served with 208/120 VAC three phase. Most energy is delivered at 480/277. Basically anything above a 1 megawatt transformer. Most ceiling lighting in large buildings is 277 VAC.
in europe almost everything is 230/400v 3 phase
This guy’s aesthetic is those “I Spy” books
That's why we love him.
His head could be photoshopped on to a 50's superman picture and you wouldn't notice.
Tyler lol I love that but don’t diss my man!
He def read Judy Bloom
My grandfather died in the AC/DC Wars; he was Thunderstruck.
That joke was a touch too much.....
LOL
such a shocking sense of humor
On the Highway to Hell?
@@sujimtangerines no, shockingly it was on electric avenue...
"A quick reminder of what transformers do. They're more than meets the eye!" ******GROAN
This made me really happy
Took a moment for the joke to process
But that's not important right now 😂
80s joke.. Wahoo!
@@Froggability I beg your pardon, Transformers are as cool today as they were 35 years ago, and I'm not desperately trying to hold on to my childhood at all.
First off your presentation is informing and entertaining. It did cover a lot I missed or forgot. We are not only coping, but improving in the plug/socket area. Plugs now have that rim to keep the fingers away from the prongs. Appliances are double-insulated and wall adapters by design won't let you anywhere near the prongs. Then again accidentally coming in contact with 120V is the best safety teacher if you live through it.😊
120V best teacher? I had them at home and a few times they hooked me up as a receiver and I didn't feel any respect. now I have 230v (because I live in Poland) and after nothing else I started to care about not becoming a consumer
*laughs in 3 phase, 30A × ?, 240V electricity*
In all seriousness tho, this is quite informative and has cleared up a lot of things I was wondering about when it comes to US electrical systems
We laugh in minimum 380V 3PH 16A in our houses. Most often in 25A.
@@Pentti_Hilkuri 16A is actually really low… in order to be selective that means you can only run 10A circuit breakers. I'd hope you get 25A minimum.
@@arienh4 AT my country most houses have 20A inlet which then is only split intro "lights" and "sockets" lol At least we got current leak protection onto the system. Chile btw 220v
@Cr0Lar I mean we can get three phase installed. A lot of people have 3 phase in thier sheds or garages for things like mills and lathes
Most houses in Germany have 3 phase 240V 50A or 63A .
100A is not as common but gets used too.
It is common to have a "400V" 32A (5p CEE) outlet in the garage/workshop,
the bigger garages/workshops will also have a "400V" 63A outlet.
Gets used mostly for: air compressors,, grinding wheels, saws and welders
I work in electric wholesale.
This man feels like America's more tech-focused Tom Scott.
uhh....
agreed
Truth
OMG, they should collab!
...
Once the Coronavirus COVID-19 quarantine-a-thon is over.
Except Tom travels the world while this guy never leaves his house.
You know it's bad when Technology Connections tells you to stop being pedantic
It’s not even being pedantic, it’s just wrong. The voltage is a range, 120 or 240 is just the ”average”. No one wants to say ”we have 115 to 125 volts” all the time.
@@hasmatiks Also people conflating service voltage and utilitization voltage. They like to reference the voltage value on the back of their appliances, it doesn't mean what they think it means.
i watched that whole end rant and I am in awe. Give 'em hell, Tech Connections!
My grandfather had a propane dryer with the bottom all opened up surrounded by wood. It was quite terrifying seeing it in operation because you could see the flames.
that's weird
hmmm, fume hair
I'm proud to say I've been shocked by 240UK and 120US. 240 hurt more. I have also stood on a UK plug. Being shocked by 120V hurts less than stepping on a UK plug (in the common case)... I don't think anyone has died from stepping on a plug, they just wish they had.
Say no more, I've been shocked by 120AC, 240AC, 400AC and 570DC... Nothing in the whole world compares to stepping on a UK plug!! It's a horrible sensation!!
@@TiagoAlmeidalive
I have never stepped on a UK plug ever. I know no one who has. I have had these around me all my life.
@@johnburns4017 so?
Avoiding electrical shocks is much easier and less costly than avoiding using more copper or aluminium to make thicker wires to carry more current in low voltage.
@@iamnormal8648
Also, fitting RCBOs and RCDs keeps people alive.
"An interesting possible fact" [or some variant thereof] needs to be on a t-shirt
''Damn, that's fascinating thing, which is quite true and has a high probability of being feasible, bro.''
Ok.. maybe not the variant you're looking for...
It's almost, but not quite a Hitchhiker's Guide quote too.
Hey bro', thank you for explaining all this, and doing your research beforehand, you did a great service to those of us who are tired of trying to explain it all every time we have a conversation on the subject. Btw, that little equation you showed (V=IxR) is part of Ohm's Law, which can be configured (using a touch of algebra) in many ways and also includes W (Watts) or P (Power), i.e., P=VxI, etc.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the voltage for residential or commercial power service varies, as does the current available per the transformer and meter installed. Not just in the stated voltage delivered, but variations to the "120-volt" service. It can vary from a proper 120 volts as you measured, down to 110v or 117rms. I've run into this problem while trying to operate certain equipment at customer locations and elsewhere, such as using a portable MIG welder, which fails miserably at higher settings when the available voltage is low.
Also, you'll find in trying to operate certain equipment, or in engineering electronics, particularly power supplies for solid-state and digital circuits, that there is Lots of Filtering required, because the power we receive from these (less than ethical, shall we say) power utility companies, is Real Shit... In my opinion, not nearly worth what they charge for it. Very dirty power with all sorts of anomalies, power spikes, noise, etc., making it far from a good usable and consistent sine wave otherwise.
I'm so glad the 60hz noise was just sfx, my immediate thought was "oh no anything making that buzz in a residential installation is in desperate need of maintenance/replacement😬"
Lots of data packed into an enjoyable video 🦊💜
Mine has a very slight hum but I don't think there was any harm in it and my electric bill seemed pretty good for upstate New York's standards.
Insert the Fluorescent light commonly found in The Backrooms and the one we have in our house.
Or a single coil pickup.
@@Sheehy223 aw snap that too.
I run active humbuckers in my mockingbird and run it through a direct box but yes that too 🦊🤘💜
Interesting to see that the US only has a single panel with everything in one place! Here in Germany, at least my household has a main circuit breaker panel (including a GFCI/RCD/Overly-Curious-Nerd-Life-Saver) and a separate, transparent box for a main big "one-time-use" fuse - 63A in our case. We also have all 3 phase cables coming into the panel, at least according to their color, but I have no idea about the exact details.
And hey, at least your plugs are polarized, unlike our continental European ones. So that's nice at least :)
It depends. As alluded to in the video, many 240V devices (water heater, air conditioner) have disconnect panels. In larger homes, you'll often find pony panels. For example, you have the main panel in the basement, and then on the second floor have a smaller panel fed from the pain panel for all of the circuits on the second floor and in the attic. This reduces the length of circuits, and also makes it easier to access if you trip a breaker.
Edit: I just checked, and it seems as if the four connection coming to our house are all three phases + a combined PE + N conductor. So at least our panel has access to 3*230V AC. Huh
Also, little known fact, we DO have disconnects on the main feed on occasion; if the electrical panel is a certain distance beyond the outside electrical connection (ie. further than literally wall-to-panel), we're required to add a separate breaker disconnect, often integrated into the meter base. Had to do that once when someone added an addition to a house, where the side that was extended had the panel. We ran a lengthy PVC pipe with the main feeds under the house, and the new meter base had the disconnect, to prevent fires if there was a short in the main feed. Because, y'know, utility power lacks the breakers* to do it for you.
* - They DO have breakers, but not ones designed to handle a single house, but rather an entire street (ie. powerlines go down). This is why touching utility power is so dangerous!
...Now I'm starting to sound like TC. XD
You can't make a judgment about "in the US" from a single example video. There is significant variation by region, year built, location of utility inlet, etc, etc.
Our plugs are polarized but almost no appliances or devices care about the direction anyways. Clumsy electricians often wire them backwards with no recourse.
1: as soon as I heard that hum on the circuit panel I was worried that there was something really wrong with your house, glad it was a gag.
2: Thank you so much for explaining that voltage matters! Yes, it is the current that does the damage, but I hate it when people act like the voltage is irrelevant to that.
Hmm. My circuit breaker hums like that. I should hire someone to look into it.
@@simonmacomber7466 The hum is caused by sightly loose wire. Not a big deal, but you can pay somebody to improve that.
Well actually it's the wattage and to be fair, the time does matters as well. (and other crazy stuff like frequency too to be honest.
@@PermireFabrica just don't touch the dang thing
Current doesn't cause damage any more than voltage does. It's meaningless to say that about either of them. Put megaamps through a 0 ohm load and nothing will happen (to the load!).
You could reasonably argue that the power, which is a resultant of both V and I, is the culprit. Of course that's a resultant of voltage and impedance really. Or current and impedance. Or...
Congratulations on such a great career Professor. Please accept my sincerest gratitude for all the time you have spent with Brady on all the great videos and information that you have shared with all of us viewers. You have provided me with so much entertainment and joy in learning. Im jealous of your full time students who had the pleasure of working with you more closely.
Never stop the snark. It’s become a lifeblood of mine.
You amuse me , as a professional electrician with 47 years in the trade, we all do things different, but in our own ways we are all safe even in the u.s.
Different but safe, I am from the u.k.
An electric shower heater would never pass code in the US, and rings? Or trying to figure out if neutral was black or blue?
But, I admire how tough the BS plugs are, and I think the fuse is a really good idea.
I also could never chain circuits onto a RCD like you guys do. I'd have to run a sperate RCD (we call it a GFI) on each circuit.
@@micah66048 I have separate RCBOs, for each of my circuits in my fuse board here in the UK, don't see what the issue with running a bunch of MCBS off one RCD is though, you've still got residual current protection for all those circuits, it just makes fault finding slightly more difficult than separate RCBOs.
Explain to me how ring-mains are safe? If one end of a heavily-loaded ring-main comes loose, the other side will carry all the load for that circuit and the wire will overheat.
Speaking as an electrician, you can never have enough breakers.
You got that right.
19jc80 which is probably the reason for the Ring circuit in the UK. I have noticed that they don’t have anywhere near the number of circuit breakers in their homes therefore many outlets connected in series to a single breaker.
@@charlesmurphy1510 Which makes fault finding too long, and any fault de energises almost all power. The only advantage from the ring on this regard is that removing a damaged link, you get two radials and no need for installation of a new cable.
@@charlesmurphy1510 we had the Wylex fuses with fuse wire that could be replaced. 32A, 2x 13A and a 6A feed. Still kept that board, it feeds the shed after updating the house. I know of a board in Holland that has 4 wire 3phase, blue is now neutral, on that cable it was a phase. Neutral was bound in with the earth. It was pre ww2.
@@charlesmurphy1510 I read an article about this topic quite some time ago. As far as remember the reason for the ring circuit is that you can double the amount of amps at the plug with the same wire cross-section, as there are effectively 2 lines to the plug. But all plugs need to have their own circuit breaker in them. Let's say for a standard installation with star topology you need 1.5mm² wires for 16A, with a ring circuit you can transmit 32A.
Another reason was increased redundancy, if the line is split at one point.
Great video. Plugs in the UK have a plastic peg finished with the copper contact at the end. When the copper is fully enclosed in the socket even if the plug isn't in all of the way only plastic is exposed so touching a live connection isn't possible. The Earth connector is fully copper as that needs to be stronger as it opens the shutters in the socket but as it doesn't (mostly) carry any voltage, touching it doesn't matter.
"Hey, why don't you guys have 400 volt three-phase power?" he teased while giggling.
because who the hell needs 400 volt power at home :)
@@matthewpepperl many people
Our electric (and induction) stoves run at 240V. Our cars charge from multi-phase power. Some air conditioning devices.
@@martinpejchar9011 Well, gee, I wonder how the U.S. has survived so long without 400V!??! (i.e. You may want to rethink the term "needs." How about using "wants" instead?)
@@martinpejchar9011 please enlighten me i am genuinely curious what 400v is good for at home :)
"To those of you in europe this looks horribly gross and terribly unsafe"
Laughs in hanging brakers
It looks idiot proof. And should be. We still use fusible copper wire here
It makes a lot of sense where you have a huge variety of distribution situations. In the UK we have 3-phase, 440/240v (delta/star voltages). Most households are 240 unless a 440v is specially run for a workshop etc. I love 3-phase as on a 'star' connection, if you get all phases balanced out there is no return current and therefore no return current volt-drops. I think our choice of voltage goes back to wartimes when copper was in short supply. For the same reason our house power sockets are wired in a 'ring' format where the wiring comes back to the fuse board completing a ring for each conductor. Again, you can cut copper size for the same volt-drop. Nothing unsafe about your setup though, although you have to be careful you don't find a socket outlet connected between the two phases.
Maybe not being idiotproof isn't a bad idea at all. I mean, natural selection should do its thing right?
@@brianmason9803 Yes but our plugs are so much beefier to take the current at our disposal, rather than the thin little blades. Beside,stepping on one of our plugs with bare feet is just painful, their's must actually slice into the sole of the foot...
@@Alexander-jr8nw We have GFI, usually limited to individual lines in kitchen, bath and outdoors, mains are available but very rarely ever used.
Alec: "oh..."
Alec: "oh..."
Alec: "oh....."
It seems like Alec has reached his final evolution in bloopers...
The US power system might have some questionable qualities but this honestly sounds like a straight up better way to do it.