[Boatanchors] LINE VOLTAGE, FILAMENT VOLTAGE and SANITY

[Glen Zook via Boatanchors]

I have lived in this house since April 1972 and the average line voltage has been at least 125 VAC.

The majority of electric suppliers, these days, run 125 VAC +/- 2-volts with the high side, 127 VAC, being very common during the warmer months when air conditioning loads are high.

For over 10-years, I was employed by TXU, the electric company for almost half the State of Texas.  Although I was a telecommunications consultant, I was also very aware of things like line voltage, r.f. interference, etc.  In addition, I was also a member of the TXU "Speakers Bureau" which supplied speakers, and programs, on all sorts of subjects, for clubs, groups, and organizations.

My normal topics were lightning protection and r.f. grounding with some nuclear power generation thrown in for good measure.  However, at every speech, someone would ask why their light bulbs did not last long.  The answer was very simple:  The vast number of light bulbs sold by retail outlets were rated at 120 VAC and the line voltage was, generally, at least 125 VAC.  The solution was to purchase light bulbs with 130 VAC ratings.  Of course, the retailers wanted to keep selling 120 VAC bulbs because of repeat business.  The 130 VAC bulbs were generally available at home improvement centers.  However, even those businesses put the bulbs in places were they were not obvious.  Again, because of repeat business.

Frankly, the vast majority of electric companies are not going to reduce the line voltage because some amateur radio operator wants it reduced.  In fact, higher voltages are going to become the norm because of increased power requirements and the fact that it would require a substantial amount of money to rewire the entire distribution system to be able to increase available power without increasing the voltage.
 Glen, K9STH

Website: http://k9sth.net
      From: rbethman <rbethman at comcast.net>
 To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 10:34 AM
 Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] LINE VOLTAGE, FILAMENT VOLTAGE and SANITY
   
All,

You absolutely will not win!

The only way you can possibly come out with a "break - even" 
methodology, would be to install an entire Electrical Panel Voltage 
regulator system.

WE - The consumer are the head of the dog that the tail wags.

The Utility/Power provider is *NOT* going to run larger conductors! 
They will simply continue as they have, and run higher voltage to 
overcome the I(squared) R losses.

To us all, it means that this higher voltage issue will only get worse.

I've been observing this for at least ten to fifteen years!  I *never* 
see anything below 122VAC using an HP-410B.  It is as calibrated as well 
as it can w/o taking it to a commercial outfit that would perform a 
traceable calibration.

We have lived here since 1988.  It has been this way the entire time. 
Now it only getting worse.

Owning two different VTVMs, and a couple of DMMs, I see the same thing.

Here, the entire distribution system is underground cables.  The costs 
to change them is prohibitive.  The silly city even runs its own diesel 
plant to produce power during peaks.

One would *think* that this is a costly proposition.  Apparently not 
costly enough!

The monitored voltage runs between 122VAC to 127 VAC.

That leaves the entire house, (Actually the entire neighborhood.), 
dealing with every single electrical device/appliance running at 
voltages above their labeled rating.

Until WE - the consumer, get up in arms and collectively squawk and 
complain, NOTHING will change.

The "bean counters" care less.  They are only looking at the bottom line.