• observantTrapezium@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    I had the opposite problem, I brought a soldering iron from Europe to Canada, and despite using a step up transformer, it just couldn’t get hot enough to melt the solder!

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        1 day ago

        Splice on a second plug, so you can use two outlets at the same time.

        (/s, mostly… this can actually work, if you can find two outlets on opposite phases.)

        • Trail@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          But it wouldn’t be 200%, it would be something like 170% power assuming 3 phases, right. Too lazy to do the math.

          • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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            1 day ago

            You’re correct, but not in North America. We don’t bring three phase to the home.

            Our final distribution transformers have a center tap on the secondary coil, bonded to neutral. So, one side of the coil provides a 120v leg with respect to that neutral, and the other side provides an opposing leg, 180° from the first, and 120v with respect to that same neutral. Most of out appliances use leg-to-neutral, 120v. But leg-to-leg is 240v.

            (Commercial and industrial facilities can get a wide variety of voltages in single or three phase, and we do have some actual, 2-phase generators and customers: the phases are 90° apart rather than 120° or 180°)

            • evidences@lemmy.world
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              22 hours ago

              The technology connections video talking about 240v power mentioned some apartment buildings having 208v because they’re bringing in two phases instead of center tapping or whatever. So their comment could be right in the correct locations i think.

              I’m clearly no sparky.