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It amazes me how most of the world is on 240V I'm in Canada and we are like the USA 120V 20A circuits. Today I made tea and I used a standalone electric kettle

It amazes me how most of the world is on 240V I'm in Canada and we are like the USA 120V 20A circuits. Today I made tea and I used a standalone electric kettle which is odd to most of us here in Canada and the US. Most times I would have used the microwave to boil the water. But I used the kettle 120V x 12.5A or 1500W and popped the breaker since the dishwasher was operating and on the same circuit. In Canada we drink a lot of tea; Red Rose, King Cole and especially south-eastern Canada The Maritimes and Atlantic Canada.

LeoPanthera 4y ago
Most US homes actually do receive 240v, it's just done in an unusual biphase configuration with two "hot" phases 180 degrees apart. If you connect a device across the phases it will receive the full 240 volts, which is often done for cookers, clothes dryers, and EV chargers. In theory you could sell a 240 volt electric kettle but your kitchen would have to have a 240 volt outlet, probably a NEMA 6-15. They're not common.
- nraynaud 4y ago
  From watching a bit of YouTube, I think Canada’s kitchens have more 220 outlets than American kitchen. They even seemed to have dual outlets with each outlet on a different phase, so all the ingredients are right next to each other to get an outlet un between phases.
  - b112 4y ago
    I have never seen a 240V wall outlet, in a house, anywhere in Canada ever. They literally do not exists as a standard. Not sure why you'd think so, but no. (ovens and dryers are not wall plugs)
    - dghughes 4y ago
      I'm in Canada in The Maritimes in PEI my electric stove uses a big honking plug for 240V/220V that plugs into the wall. Not wired directly but an actual plug.
    - tlb 4y ago
      I installed a 240V NEMA 6-15 socket in my kitchen in California. It's similar to a regular US/Canada plug but the blades are sideways [0]. It's allowed by the code, but not very common. Then I took a European electric kettle and put a matching plug on it, and I can boil a teapot worth of water in 60 seconds! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#NEMA_6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#NEMA_6
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- ericvsmith 4y ago
  > Most US homes actually do receive 240v, it's just done in an unusual biphase configuration with two "hot" phases 180 degrees apart. If you connect a device across the phases it will receive the full 240 volts, which is often done for cookers, clothes dryers, and EV chargers. It's technically a single phase with two hot legs and a center tap for neutral, also called "split phase". From the neutral to either leg is 120V, from leg to leg is 240V. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power It would technically be possible to have a reverse-Y extension cord that plugged into two outlets and gave you a 240V circuit. The two outlets would have to be on different legs, of course. This is basically what a 240V breaker is doing. I've contemplating wiring up one of these for home and buying a British tea kettle, but the aesthetics got my plan vetoed. Something like: https://www.nooutage.com/images/adaptor-wye.jpg https://www.nooutage.com/images/adaptor-wye.jpg

LeoPanthera 4y ago

Most US homes actually do receive 240v, it's just done in an unusual biphase configuration with two "hot" phases 180 degrees apart. If you connect a device across the phases it will receive the full 240 volts, which is often done for cookers, clothes dryers, and EV chargers. In theory you could sell a 240 volt electric kettle but your kitchen would have to have a 240 volt outlet, probably a NEMA 6-15. They're not common.

nraynaud 4y ago
From watching a bit of YouTube, I think Canada’s kitchens have more 220 outlets than American kitchen. They even seemed to have dual outlets with each outlet on a different phase, so all the ingredients are right next to each other to get an outlet un between phases.
- b112 4y ago
  I have never seen a 240V wall outlet, in a house, anywhere in Canada ever. They literally do not exists as a standard. Not sure why you'd think so, but no. (ovens and dryers are not wall plugs)
  - dghughes 4y ago
    I'm in Canada in The Maritimes in PEI my electric stove uses a big honking plug for 240V/220V that plugs into the wall. Not wired directly but an actual plug.
  - tlb 4y ago
    I installed a 240V NEMA 6-15 socket in my kitchen in California. It's similar to a regular US/Canada plug but the blades are sideways [0]. It's allowed by the code, but not very common. Then I took a European electric kettle and put a matching plug on it, and I can boil a teapot worth of water in 60 seconds! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#NEMA_6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#NEMA_6
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
ericvsmith 4y ago
> Most US homes actually do receive 240v, it's just done in an unusual biphase configuration with two "hot" phases 180 degrees apart. If you connect a device across the phases it will receive the full 240 volts, which is often done for cookers, clothes dryers, and EV chargers. It's technically a single phase with two hot legs and a center tap for neutral, also called "split phase". From the neutral to either leg is 120V, from leg to leg is 240V. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power It would technically be possible to have a reverse-Y extension cord that plugged into two outlets and gave you a 240V circuit. The two outlets would have to be on different legs, of course. This is basically what a 240V breaker is doing. I've contemplating wiring up one of these for home and buying a British tea kettle, but the aesthetics got my plan vetoed. Something like: https://www.nooutage.com/images/adaptor-wye.jpg https://www.nooutage.com/images/adaptor-wye.jpg