[GreenKeys] Australian Power cords.

[Dave Horsfall]

On Thu, 9 Jun 2022, Doug Jackson wrote:

> We have a Mains Earth Neutral system (MEN).

*Multiple* Earth Neutral, IIRC.

> Voltage is supplied between an active line and a neutral, with the 
> neutral also being earth bonded at the switchboard.

Hence the many earth wires, grounded back to a single point (a 6 ft copper 
stake hammered into the dirt, or to the nearest water pipe, but *NEVER* a 
gas pipe), if I recall my AS-3000.

> Pulling current from any pin to ground will trip a safety element called 
> a Residual Current Device (RCD) - That's what protects kids from 
> sticking forks into toasters..

Or, for that matter, non-technical wives...  I spotted her poking around 
in a live toaster trying to pull up a half-slice with a fork, and dragged 
her away real fast (it was quicker than switching it off).  When I showed 
her the multimeter reading, she learned real fast (otherwise I could've 
been a widower).

> We also have 415 volts available in domestic homes if they have all 
> three phases pulled into the house, measured between the phases.

Yep :-)  I've lived in several places with all three phases, and it can be 
fun mapping them out (along with the RCDs).  It can also be fun when just 
one phase is lost, and you don't have a tripped breaker; if at night, see 
which neighbours' lights are still on etc (one third off == a lost phase).

I've often wondered about the weird US system, with no ground as such.

Oh, our *big* lines (sitting just over the 415v) are 11kV...  Feel free to 
touch those, because you won't feel a thing :-)

"There are old electricians, and there bold electricians; there are no old 
and bold electricians".

"What's black and crispy, and hangs from the ceiling?"  A dead home 
electrician.

-- Dave VK2KFU, whose Dad was a sparky