🚀 go-pugleaf

mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington) writes:

>There's one BIG possible problem:  The grounding is done differently.

>As I understand it, European 220V service is like American 120V service,
>in that one side of the line is at ground potential.  Right?

>American 220V service is different.  Neither side of the line is grounded.
>What you have is a 240-volt center-tapped transformer with the center
>tap grounded.  120-volt service uses half of the transformer, with the
>center tap as "neutral."  240-volt service uses both sides of the transformer.

>It's overwhelmingly probable that the power supplies in your equipment
>will expect "neutral" to be grounded, and will fry something if it isn't.

This problem doesn't exist : a piece of equipment which expected one side
to be grounded would be against any safety regulation. Many European plugs
are not polarized (German, Italian, for example, at least in their most common 
versions), therefore total symmetry is required. In particular, tv sets have
had an insulation transformer for more than ten years to prevent the  problem
the old ones had of a 50% chance of a live chassis (even though the chassis
was not accessible to the user).
In addition, also in Europe it is possible to find some weirdly wired building
which has symmetrical 220V lines, and no appliance ever shows any problem.
					   Massimo Macucci
					   macucci@gate.spg.uiuc.edu
					   macucci@pimic.iet.unipi.it