🚀 go-pugleaf

Dave wrote:
> 
> We're onto our fourth electric element for our Siemens fan-assisted
> oven since the end of 1998 - just over two years. As our local spares
> shop (Wallaces) charges about £48 for these, we're getting a bit fed
> up with the hassle and expense.
> 
> Anyone care to comment..?
> 
> The mains voltage is higher than the 230VAC that (AFAIK) is supposed
> to be the norm throughout Europe. I've just measured it on my Fluke
> meter at 240.1 Volts AC.
> 
> The Electricity Board is obliged to keep within what voltage limits?
> I believe they used to be allowed +/- 6%.

I beleive the EU did enforce a change in the NOMINAL voltage (UK from
240 down to 230, most of the rest of Europe up from 220 to 230). 
However, if you're right about the +/-6% then that means a range from
216V to 243V (approx). So 240V is perfectly allowable (as is 220V in
Europe).

I work all over Europe, and we check the voltages every time we connect
transformers because they have an input selection of 220/230/240V, and
output=230V (if the input is set correctly!).  From experience, UK has
always been 240V and Rest of Europe 220V - I've never seen 230V out of
the wall!!

I remember there being lots of stories on the news about the change,
like UK lights would be dimmer, kettles longer to boil... (Europe would
be brighter/faster and things would break more often).  This is complete
rubbish! All goods sold to Europe have been specced to 210-250 for many
many Years, and remain that way even after 'coordinating' the voltage.
The coordination was probably an EU thing, 'Europe' as a sales area is
somewhat larger!


> There's been a few 'brownouts', to use an Americanism, hereabouts in
> Bruntsfield lately. I suspect that if the power fails for a few
> hundred milliseconds, then there could well be a voltage surge when it
> returns.

They will certianly do it no good.  UK power companies are allowed a
certain amount of power surges and powerouts per year, within certain
levels.  Not sure what they are, but SWEB power fluctuations managed to
break power supplies in about 5 of our PC monitors and also workstation
power supplies. By "break" I mean we saw sparks and bright flashes
coming out the back bright enough to reflect off walls and ceilings!!! 
SWEB admitted fault, but also stated that they were within the allowed
limits. The insurance company coughed up and it's up to them to sue
SWEB.

> I'm considering claiming my insurance and writing to the Lecky Bored /
> SSEB / Scottish Power - or maybe it's the gas board, seriously!

Power co will just write a letter saying that they are within their govt
imposed limits, and that it is up to the user to adequately protect any
sensitive equipment.

What's the excess on the insurance policy? Probably not worth claiming.
Plus they'll increase premium to recover the money again!!!


Hope that lot is useful (may not be factually correct, but that's my
experience around Europe!)

-- 
Andy Moore
    Email:  andy@andysrockets.co.uk
            http://www.andysrockets.co.uk