[SOLVED] single phase residential?

[flyline19]

In the USA, is the power supplying a home a single phase? is it a single phase but two supplies lines and a neut or is it two phases that work in tandem? For a 120/240 panel Id imagine that its a matching phase but not 120/208. I work in commercial with 3 phase power primarily so I don't know too much about residential power. a couple of my coworkers and I didnt know why they called it single phase because we thought that resi had 2 phases.

 

[Audioguru]

It is 240V center-tapped.

 

[Easy peasy]

and the centre tap is most often earthed ....

 

[Externet]

Call it single phase, call it 180 degrees two phase, call it center tapped, or whatever you want :

The transformer is the one hanging at the utility pole.

 

[Audioguru]

Utility pole? In my neighborhood all electricity, telephone, cable TV and internet wiring are underground.
Only the LED street lights are on poles.

 

[c_mitra]

Utility pole? In my neighborhood all electricity, telephone, cable TV and internet wiring are underground.
Only the LED street lights are on poles.

Where is the power transformer located? I guess except of the kitchen and the bathroom, the house will have only 110/120V sockets, right?

--- Updated Aug 24, 2021 ---

Call it single phase, call it 180 degrees two phase, call it center tapped, or whatever you want :

View attachment 171548

The transformer is the one hanging at the utility pole.

I cannot imagine your transformer is working on DC; why do you indicate +/- on the output lines?

 

[crutschow]

Call it single phase, call it 180 degrees two phase, call it center tapped, or whatever you want :

I think it's more accurately called split-phase, with the two 120V lines having a phase of 180° between the two (with respect to the neutral connection).
It is not two-phase, where the voltages are 90° out-of-phase, or three-phase, where the voltages are 120° out-of-phase.

--- Updated Aug 24, 2021 ---

Utility pole? In my neighborhood all electricity, telephone, cable TV and internet wiring are underground.
Only the LED street lights are on poles.

Well, we can't all live in your perfect country.

 

[Externet]

You still have lights on poles ? I thought your neighborhood was very special !

 

[Audioguru]

Street light poles are used again because on a windy day the drones with the street lights were blown away.

 

[wwfeldman]

i expect the electrician will put a 120 V outlet wherever you want it
likewise a 240 V outlet - (usually kitchen for stove, laundry for dryer, garage for electric car)

 

[c_mitra]

Most of the common US 120V sockets are in pair; they take all the three wires plus a ground wire.

That allows minimum current in the center tap.

 

[Audioguru]

Most of the common US 120V sockets are in pair; they take all the three wires plus a ground wire.

That allows minimum current in the center tap.

Only 2 paired sockets in my Canadian home are like that at the kitchen counter so that each of the two sockets can provide up to 15A at 120V.
All other paired sockets have each pair in parallel.