In countries like Germany, balcony-mounted solar panels are all the rage. But from breaker-masking to voltage mismatches, America’s grid isn’t ready for it—yet.
I mean, your outlets definitely are, compared to what we have as a standard.
I will take Technology Connections’ opinion on it over yours, but yes having two pin outlets where if you start plugging it in the live connection is exposed during the process is very much stupid
Except with proper arc and ground fault protection on a circuit, which is mandatory on basically everything in North America now, you could half insert a plug and stick your tongue to it without getting a shock.
Our household wiring standards are intrinsically safer than the UK. They need the overbuilt outlets and plugs that Technology Connections likes, because the UK took so many shortcuts on their building wiring.
Can’t really fault them: they developed those standards during a massive copper shortage. To minimize copper use, they ran as few circuits as they could, which means each circuit is drawing absurd loads. They developed “ring circuits” which used undersized wiring and are one loose wire away from an overload. They had to build excessive protections into their plugs so they could safely plug every device they owned into one high-power circuit.
He did day that about our plugs a lot. Maybe you would you like a link to the technology connections video saying basically exactly what @chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world said about our split phase 120/240 setup then?
I mean, your outlets definitely are, compared to what we have as a standard.
I will take Technology Connections’ opinion on it over yours, but yes having two pin outlets where if you start plugging it in the live connection is exposed during the process is very much stupid
Except with proper arc and ground fault protection on a circuit, which is mandatory on basically everything in North America now, you could half insert a plug and stick your tongue to it without getting a shock.
Our household wiring standards are intrinsically safer than the UK. They need the overbuilt outlets and plugs that Technology Connections likes, because the UK took so many shortcuts on their building wiring.
Can’t really fault them: they developed those standards during a massive copper shortage. To minimize copper use, they ran as few circuits as they could, which means each circuit is drawing absurd loads. They developed “ring circuits” which used undersized wiring and are one loose wire away from an overload. They had to build excessive protections into their plugs so they could safely plug every device they owned into one high-power circuit.
We used dozens of properly-sized circuits.
Yeah, but why compare it to UK? It’s the US of Europe, compare it to the European standards.
You referred to Technology Connections. Unless I’m mistaken, he had an unhealthy obsession with UK plugs.
He did day that about our plugs a lot. Maybe you would you like a link to the technology connections video saying basically exactly what @chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world said about our split phase 120/240 setup then?
https://youtu.be/jMmUoZh3Hq4