American power connector

I spent some time in Sweden, where it is 220 single phase 50 HZ. In the US, it is 120V 60 HZ single phase. there is a hot a neutral and ground (earth). You can wire up "stuff" for 220, which is still single phase (is you go across both sides and not reference ground). Some co-workers Sweden used the electric dryer socket to get the power they needed for some of their "stuff". Most electronics use switching supplies, so they will work from 100 to 250 VAC. As for the outlet, the at it, there are 3 holes the one on the left is neutral (the return) which is a bigger blade so it can't be plugged into the hot lead. the hot is on the right, and ground (earth) is the round one on the bottom. On 220 outlets, they look like this __ __

O the 2 at the top are 220, the bottom is earth Good Luck Frank

don't

Which is line/live ? In the UK red was the live conductor for many decades (now brown in conformity with other European countries).

Graham

In the U.S., 110VAC service, 'live' is black, and neutral is white. Go figure.

It's always been my cynical view that this 'plan' was put in place by a consortium of electricians to kill off do-it-yourselfers that would assume the color coding would be rational and logical.

Jonesy

--
  Marvin L Jones    | jonz          | W3DHJ  | linux
   38.24N  104.55W  |  @ config.com | Jonesy |  OS/2
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For an Englishman, the US colo(u)r code is easy to remember. Think 'Black Death'

We used to have green for earth (ground) - but, for a long time, now green and yellow. Close enough. Think 'England's green and pleasant land' - 'land' = ground. The only problem is white - a sort-of 'neutral' colo(u)r, I suppose.

--
Ian

Trouble is a colour which is logical to one ain't to another. Ground (earth) is usually a shade of brown - but not with electrics.

Think the unified Euro colours - green/yellow for ground, blue neutral and brown line was arrived at to allow a colour blind person to differentiate between them rather than any other logic.

It's one thing I'd be in favour of having a world wide standard for - and also car wiring colours.

--
*Someday, we\'ll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject 

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Black is live, red is also used as live, most often in a 240V circuit where you have live on both sides. White is neutral which connects to ground in the panel.

Just don't get "Black = dark, cold; White = white hot" burned into your brain. :-)

Jonesy

Right. Thanks for the explanation.

Yes, familiar with that one.

Graham