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SPL Tech
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I am looking for a website that explains how 120, 240 and 440 volt circuits work. I am refereeing to the ones you have in your house and such. I am trying to figure out how they get 240 volts from 120 and such.
triden said:A great site to start with would be to visit http://howstuffworks.com They have great articles on power grids ond household circuits. Do a search on electricity at the top of the page.
For your last question...
Most houses in residential areas have 240 volt, 200 amp service that is transformed down from a very high voltage from the power company. Power companies use the high voltage for power transmission because it is more efficient. From that you are able to supply devices in your house with either 120 volts or 240 volts. The 240 volt service contains two 120 volt wires, a neutral wire and a ground. To get 240 volts to an appliance, you connect both 120 volt wires to get a 240 volt potential. To get 120 volts to say a lightbulb, you would connect a single 120 volt lead and the neutral wire (which is at ground potential).
As triden indicated, start with the subject "electricity" at howstuffworks.com, and go through a few pages until you get to how the electrical utility grid works (from generation to homes). Pretty good long tutorial, including 3-phase issues, starting about here:SPL Tech said:I cannot find any articals on howstuffworsk.com about this. :(
Actually, you can think of it this way.SPL Tech said:Obviously that’s not how its done in houses because you can not really series two positively charged lines.
It's just differently constructed transformers.SPL Tech said:Also I am interested in how then get those weird voltage levels, such as 230 volts and 208 volts and whatever other ones there are.
The main difference between these three circuits is the amount of voltage they can handle. A 120 circuit can handle up to 120 volts, a 240 circuit can handle up to 240 volts, and a 440 circuit can handle up to 440 volts.
The different circuit voltages are used to power different types of appliances and equipment. Generally, smaller appliances and devices like lamps and phone chargers use 120 volts, while larger appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners use 240 volts. Industrial equipment and machinery may require 440 volts.
A 120 circuit consists of a hot wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire. The hot wire carries the electrical current from the source to the appliance, the neutral wire completes the circuit, and the ground wire provides a safe path for any excess electricity to flow in case of a short circuit.
A 3-wire 240 circuit has two hot wires and one neutral wire, while a 4-wire circuit has two hot wires, one neutral wire, and one ground wire. The ground wire provides an additional layer of safety, as it helps to prevent electrical shocks and fires.
440 circuits are typically used in industrial and commercial settings to power large equipment and machinery. They provide a higher level of voltage and power, allowing for more heavy-duty applications. It is important to have proper training and safety protocols when working with 440 circuits, as the higher voltage can be dangerous if not handled properly.