[Elecraft] KPA1500 AC Mains wire colours

[K9MA]

Some equipment in NA is wired with both phases plus neutral, so that 120 
V is available. Electric clothes driers and stoves, for example, which 
have light bulbs and sometimes 120 V outlets. (You can imagine what 
would have happened if 240 V bulbs had been required here.) However, at 
one time the code did not require separate neutral and ground wires, so 
the ground was used as the 120 V return. If the ground opens up, your 
whole stove is suddenly at 120 V. Unfortunately, some of those are still 
around, and seem to be sort of grandfathered, or just ignored.

Hopefully, there's no ham equipment wired that way!

73,
Scott K9MA



On 5/18/2019 19:16, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 5/18/2019 4:28 PM, Clay Autery wrote:
>> 230VAC on 3 wires?  Never knew they did 3 wire 220V....  I always 
>> assumed it was still 2 hots and ground (plus an optional neutral).
>
> Two hots (phases) and ground is three wires. Single-phase power 
> normally comes into a building in North America as two phases and a 
> neutral. We connect a 240V load between the two phases, and a 120V 
> load between one phase and a neutral. It's not unusual to feed a 
> sub-panel with both phases, neutral, and ground so that the panel can 
> feed both 120V and 240V loads. The key here is that loads must NEVER 
> be connected between a phase and ground, ALWAYS between phases or 
> between phase and neutral.
>
> You probably know that EU runs on 230/240V, wired phase, neutral, and 
> ground.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
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-- 
Scott  K9MA

k9ma at sdellington.us