[time-nuts] Line Voltage - USA

[Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)]

On 2 January 2017 at 18:14, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk at phk.freebsd.dk> wrote:

> --------
> In message <CAJ_qRvb6-79y99aFgAUowZjJcEUK4LWeAEHwDgR
> qNOsGQVzneQ at mail.gmail.com>
> , Tim Shoppa writes:
>
> >What modern loads are actually sensitive to high (say, +10 to +20%) line
> >voltage?
>
> In EU you're supposed to have 230V +/- 6% in your outlet.
>
> The way this was arrived at was:
>
> A lot of europe used 220V +/- 10% = [198..242] V
>
> Brittain used 240V +/- 10% = [216..264] V
>
> Take the average of the two, and use the low max and high min as limits
>
> QED:  230V +/- 6% = [216..244]
>

Do you have a reference to this +6%? I've heard from various sources that
the UK is 230 -6%/+10%.  If the EU dictates otherwise, then I'm certainly
over the 6% limit. I may or may not be over the 10% limit.

While the UK is still in the EU, it would be good to get this resolved,
since we will be leaving in just over 2 years.

Rules in Brussels override those made in the UK, which is one of the
complaints we have in the UK. But +/- 6% could actually be beneficial, if
it is correct.

I will be measuring at the incoming terminals some time soon. For now I
have added a variac, which has lengthened  the time I can hold my fingers
on the 8970B from 2 seconds to 9 seconds!!! So a very marked difference in
heatsink temperature since dropping the voltage.

Dave