Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by cptcobalt on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @12:09PM
(#37310003)
In the US, the amount of three phase electricians that will work at a Residential home and not charge you an arm and a leg for it is vanishingly low, almost certainly not worth it.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by mitthrowaway2 on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @12:37PM
(#37310394)
That's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem. If residential three-phase electricity were commonplace, electricians would all happily handle it at their standard rates, your air conditioners and refrigerators would all be running on it.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by MichaelZuo on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @01:32PM
(#37311173)
No? It clearly takes more training and has more liability since the consequences of a mistake are more serious. The average billable rate would inevitably be higher regardless.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by jrockway on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @01:51PM
(#37311430)
What kinds of mistakes are harmless at 120V @ 100A vs 400V @ 30A?
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by rootusrootus on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @02:19PM
(#37311776)
Touching 120V with dry skin is nearly always harmless. 240V is considerably more exciting.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by Blackthorn on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @02:36PM
(#37311995)
Maybe it's a little different for just a converter, but mine didn't have a problem installing a Phase Perfect and running a few three-phase outlets for it.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by b3orn on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @03:12PM
(#37312448)
Wait, there are special electricians for three-phase in the US, is this like an additional certification or are the normal ones scared of three phases?
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by kelnos on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @03:31PM
(#37312718)
Not sure if there's an additional certification, but it would not surprise me at all that an electrician here would not want to work on a home with an unusual setup that they're not particularly familiar with.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by CapitalistCartr on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @04:11PM
(#37313258)
Electricians specialize. Resi guys do residential and rarely to never handle 3 phase. I do commercial and light industrial because heavy industry isn't around here and I despise doing resi work. Three phase is usually run everywhere by the power co and a transformer (pole pig) converts to single phase near the residence.
Re:Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V?
by chinchilla2020 on Tuesday August 29, 2023 @06:59PM
(#37315290)
There isn't. But residential electricians are specialists. Then there are commercial and industrial ones, etc, etc.