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And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

seanbranagh
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

I just find this interesting:
82 REPLIES 82
Peter_Vaughan
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Perfectly normal. The voltage will vary depending on the load on the network and how it s being distributed around the UK. The normal range is 216V -> 253V and all equipment is designed to cope with such.
http://www.russandrews.com/article-4.-Voltage-and-Frequency-Variations-pgfrequency.htm for more details.
Also your UPS will adjust the voltage to 240V anyway.
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Which is also why sensitive electrical/electronic equipment should be plugged into a spike/surge protector.  Wink
alanb
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

The 240 volts is a nominal figure, but is supposed to be kept within a +6%/-6% tolerence at the point of supply.
However, to make things a little more complicated, (or interesting?) UK generators are supposed to be reducing the voltage by one volt per year until it becomes a nominal 230 volts +6%/-10%, in order to meet an EU harmonisation requirement. (The rest of Europe meanwhile is supposed to increase at one volt per year from 220 volts until they reach 230 volts!)
alanb
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Registered: ‎24-05-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Making things more complicated (or interesting), part two ...
My earlier post is not quite correct. The UK is moving to 230 volts +10%/-6% while the rest of Europe moves to 230 volts +6%/-10%. It appears that someone in the UK wasn't happy and bleated, so a typical EU fudge with introduced.
This effectively means nobody has to change their voltage to 230 at all, if they don't feel like it.  Cheesy And here was I thinking all those "red lines" that the British Government keep waffling on about are for something important.  Grin
Strat
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

All in all it still hurts when it runs up your arm Shocked
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netherfield
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Registered: ‎21-12-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

And this why it's called Alternating Current.
seanbranagh
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

It is called alternating current cos it alternates between +240 and -240 50 times a second so therefore the poor electrons never actually get to go anywhere. LoL.
itsme
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Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

240 is the RMS and as such is not negative.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

I know. I remember it well from A-Level Physics. Was just trying to keep it simple. Smiley
pierre_pierre
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Quote from: Strat
All in all it still hurts when it runs up your arm Shocked

It hurt an EDF worker even more two days ago in Chelmsford all 132000 volt of it, still haven't put the pieces of the substation back together
seanbranagh
Grafter
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

It is definitely a dangerous thing. I got hit a couple of times from the mains in an old job but was wearing rubber soled boots and not in contact with anything else at the time so it was obviously not the full force. Was very nasty all the same and a cup of tea was required!
pierre_pierre
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Theve found some bits http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7393218.stm Lips_are_sealed Undecided Embarrassed

look at other relevent story links on page - right
7up
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Quote from: Sean
It is called alternating current cos it alternates between +240 and -240 50 times a second so therefore the poor electrons never actually get to go anywhere. LoL.

Which is the very reason I've never understood the plug wiring convention. Why have Live and Neutral in the first place? Mains powered items don't know the difference and electronic devices step it down and rectify it anyway.
Whats the point eh? Huh
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
pierre_pierre
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Re: And who said mains voltage it 240V LoL

Because strangely, (but dont try it with a finger) the neutral line is as near as dam it at the earth level and the Live line fluctuates + an - about that  Cool