The big difference in the electric terminology and installation regulations and practice in each country!

[Andy78]

Now, now Andy78, that's a tad pedantic of you! LOL!
Plus, you ended your sentence with an unnecessary preposition. If we are trying to assist our American friend with the correct terminology for our superior electrical items, we should be careful not to let him think our grammar is inferior...

Capital letter at the start, full stop at the end. Anything more complex than that and you're talking to the wrong guy.

 

[EricMark]

I had problems in the reverse when ordering parts for USA cars. The one that comes to mind is low voltage is between 50 and 1000 volt AC to earth.

But there are so many, our reduced low voltage is 110 volt between phases, but 55 or 64 volt to earth depending if single or three phase.

I am told you use delta transformers with one winding centre tapped and earthed, so one phase is a much higher voltage to earth and called the hot wire, never seen that in UK.

Also I know Robin tunnel boring machines had an IT 220 volt supply, never seen IT supplies in UK except for shaver outlets. IT = Insulated from terrestrial so TN is terrestrial bonded to neutral. Why terrestrial not ground not a clue.

But work in UK mines and quarries and you will likely feel more at home, we also have some odd voltages 660 volt for example.

Only with out lying farms do we tend to have drop down transformers on a pole, with 230 - 0 - 230 split phase supplies, most places we tend to use 500 kVA or larger to drop down so 400 volt between phases and 230 volt to earth/neutral.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

one phase is a much higher voltage to earth and called the hot wire, never seen that in UK.

I don't think we've ever used edge-grounded delta at all. It's a cheap way to rig up 3-phase on systems where the normal service is split-phase with both lines present in most installations. Because we only ever use split-phase in the absence of 3-phase (as our single-phase is 230V not 120V) we wouldn't have anything to gain from high-leg delta. And I think it is technically 'high leg' or 'wild leg' rather than 'hot', because hot just means line.

The T in TN is Terre, it's French.

 

[Megawatt]

I don't think we've ever used edge-grounded delta at all. It's a cheap way to rig up 3-phase on systems where the normal service is split-phase with both lines present in most installations. Because we only ever use split-phase in the absence of 3-phase (as our single-phase is 230V not 120V) we wouldn't have anything to gain from high-leg delta. And I think it is technically 'high leg' or 'wild leg' rather than 'hot', because hot just means line.

The T in TN is Terre, it's French.

Lucien I personally don’t use Delta 3 phase transformers. And you are right it’s useless to the work I do, the only use for it in my opinion is just 3 phase loads only

 

[KennyKen]

No Hotleg Delta Transformer set ups in UK.

GFCI = RCD

Hot wire = live UK. Active Aus

Travellers = Strappers UK

Romex or NM = T & E UK, TPS Aus

No Split or Polyphase in UK generally used

Red, Black and Blue phase colours are Brown, Black, Grey UK or Red White and Blue in Aus

Receptical = Double or Single socket UK, GPO Aus

EMT - Conduit

No AWG cable sizing in the UK

Midget - Outlet of shallow depth

60hz - 50Hz UK and Aus

 

[davesparks]

Hot wire = live UK. Active Aus

No Split or Polyphase in UK generally used

It's line in the UK, used to be phase. Live is used to describe any conductor which carries current in normal service so both the line and neutral are live.

Polyphase supplies are very common in the UK, but they only get called polyphase in the text books, the rest of us just call them three phase.

 

[Megawatt]

No Hotleg Delta Transformer set ups in UK.

GFCI = RCD

Hot wire = live UK. Active Aus

Travellers = Strappers UK

Romex or NM = T & E UK, TPS Aus

No Split or Polyphase in UK generally used

Red, Black and Blue phase colours are Brown, Black, Grey UK or Red White and Blue in Aus

Receptical = Double or Single socket UK, GPO Aus

EMT - Conduit

No AWG cable sizing in the UK

Midget - Outlet of shallow depth

60hz - 50Hz UK and Aus

I like the terminology and the way electrical is different in other countries

 

[EricMark]

In UK live means all phase wires AND neutral, line means a phase wire, yes I know we say live for phase wire, but should call it line.

There are some things were we don't follow the rule book, in fact it is near impossible, for example line 1 is normally brown, live 2 is normally black and earth is green/yellow, but nearly every 110 volt site supply I have found, line 2 is blue which should only be used for neutral. Also the yellow plugs, which show it is a 110 volt supply, normally are marked L and N rather than L1 and L2 we don't have a neutral in our site supplies.

Rule book says wires buried in a wall need RCD protection, I have never seen the 8 volt supply to a door bell RCD protected. But the rule book unless changed in latest edition does not say under 50 volts RCD protection is not required, sure it is an over sight, but not in BS7671:2008 at least.

 

[EricMark]

Oh yes industrial plugs 24 volt purple, also white I think 42 volt and green used for extra low voltage i.e. under 50 volt AC or 75 volt DC.

For 55-0-55 or 63-0-63 (our 110 volt building site supply) yellow plugs (reduced low voltage), and 230 volt blue plugs, and 400 volt red plugs (low voltage).

 

[KennyKen]

Polyphase is also an US term for Split Phase Ie 2 phases that’s what I was referring to.

I was 15th/16th Edition always referred it as “Live” things change.

 

[Dan]

This is, should be, and can always be an awesome thread if everybody who contributes to it really well. Less bants (with can be misunderstood) and more facts and sharing of info.

It's connecting (pardon the pun) electricians from various countries and it's nice to see some positive (ha) connections between us all in this weird time of so much disconnection globally in community spirit and whatnot.

Let's try and keep this thread a brilliant one.

It's also when the forum first switched to a global domain. So it's something people can be drawn to and contribute to and feel part of the forum even as a newbie.

Welcome to all I say.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The concept of a global electrical forum is baffling. It's nice to chat and knock ideas around, but there are so many detail differences in practice that a thread like this is bound to lead to confusion at times and it's quite hard to offer practical advice. Like the enquiry yesterday from a new poster in the US about disconnecting a cable from a meter socket. We don't have meter sockets in the UK and if we did, we wouldn't be allowed to remove cables from them. Sockets, yes, and meters, yes, but meter sockets? To a UK spark, that thread reads like 'What cheese do I put in my car bicycle?'. It's best for the poster to get local advice from someone who services car bicycles and knows which cheese is compatible with which

 

[KennyKen]

That’s where @Megawatt will come in and hopefully see the post and advice accordingly if the OP was US based. Even though different states differ in code. The rules are still under the NEC, NFPA 70 guidelines

 

[Carl S]

Two of the Americanisms I can’t get my head around. A motor starter is a “bucket”, and a motor terminal box a “pecker head”?????

 

[Bobster]

Two of the Americanisms I can’t get my head around. A motor starter is a “bucket”, and a motor terminal box a “pecker head”?????

Where have you heard those? As you know I split my time 20/30/50% between the UK/Germany and the USA. Not heard of those expressions before.