How am I not dead?

[prichard]

Yes, now you say so: when i was in Canada there was a transformator at the beginning of every single house line. Here in Europe there is a transformator in every neighbour hood and 3 phase and null wire running to about 10 to 50 house holds, depending on rural or city neighbourhood.

Is the North American system also 3 phase 240v and a null wire for 120v ?

We have 240v, 120v to neutral as well as 208/120 and 480/277. 480 only for industrial applications. Household is usually 240/120 1phase.

Also, I believe you have 50hz where we are at 60hz.

 

[CobyRupert]

Is the North American system also 3 phase 240v and a null wire for 120v ?

Residential in the US tends to be single phase 240 volt service with a center tapped null to get 2 legs of 120v that are distributed to wall receptacles. Call this single phase 120/240 volt,

Low voltage 3hree phase services and panels in commercial and industrial applications tend to be 120/208 volt, 3 phase

 

[aczlan]

Yes, now you say so: when i was in Canada there was a transformator at the beginning of every single house line. Here in Europe there is a transformator in every neighbour hood and 3 phase and null wire running to about 10 to 50 house holds, depending on rural or city neighbourhood.
Is the North American system also 3 phase 240v and a null wire for 120v ?

A transformer here will cover 5-10 houses (in a subdivision, probably more in a more crowded city setting), but out in the country there are only 1-4 houses per transformer (2 on ours).
Being as you are running 240 for "normal" household loads (and 480 for big ones as I understand), you can go twice as far on the same size wire powering the same wattage worth of loads.

Aaron Z

 

[rd_macgregor]

What, nobody going to mention getting zapped by an electric fence? Our hot gate wire can knock me to my knees if I don't duck low enough. It isn't going to kill me, but sure is unpleasant.

 

[k0ua]

What, nobody going to mention getting zapped by an electric fence? Our hot gate wire can knock me to my knees if I don't duck low enough. It isn't going to kill me, but sure is unpleasant.

I have been zapped twice by an electric fence. Both were very unpleasant encounters. One was when I was a child and walked up to examine a road sign and did not know the fence wire was there and I simply walked into it. I jumped back pretty quickly. I first thought that a wasp or bee had stung me until I saw the wire.

The second time, as a teen, another teen handed me a water hose to drink from that was spilling out right next to a electric fence wire that I did not realize was there, and he did since it was his home. In getting the drink I accidently let the water stream play across the energized fence and received a shock in my mouth and hand. The audience of several teenages boys thought it was extremely funny. Me, not so much.

The only thing that might be worse would be peeing on an energized wire, but I wouldn't have any first hand experience on that one thankfully.

 

[Soundguy]

I've been hit by an electric fence a few times as we have had them for cows n whatnot over the years.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I put in a cyclops 5 joule fence. I live in fear of that thing.