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-   -   What is the difference between 110 volts and 115 Volts? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=188940)

  • Feb 27, 2008, 01:12 PM
    abdullah25
    What is the difference between 110 volts and 115 Volts?
    What is the difference between 110 volts and 115 Volts?
  • Feb 27, 2008, 01:34 PM
    topladyj
    Yeah 5 volts just kidding sorry I had to do it. Good luck getting an answer cause I don't know.
  • Feb 27, 2008, 03:11 PM
    KISS
    There are nominal voltages and 100, 120, 208, 240, 277 are popular in he US. You haven't heard about 208 or 277 because these are voltages available in a 3 phase industrial environment. 100 isn't a US voltage at all, but it happens to be a standard in some areas of Japan. 50 hz and 60 hz power systems are common and therefore some equipment is marked 50/60 Hz. Universal power supplies are available where the voltage can be anywhere from 95 to 285 VAC.

    Part of it's history or even folklore. I lot of devices were specified to be tested at 117V.
    You'd probably like 120 V +-10% for a piece of eqiupment and 120 V +-5% for the actual power. The power company cannot regulate the power into everyone's home separately, there are losses that must be taken into account.

    Also voltages vary around the world. I don't have a reference handy.

    Here is some old antique equipment using the 110/220 power source.

    There is generally enough sloppiness in the design to let everything work out. Something designed to operate on 100 V won't operate on 120V.
  • Feb 27, 2008, 07:36 PM
    KISS
    Here is a list of AC power around the world: Mains power systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    So, you can see the wide variation. There is a global economy and we have to compete.
  • Feb 27, 2008, 07:45 PM
    biggsie
    It starts at 120 volts at the nominal "delivery voltage" at the power plant(e.g. the meter) between the utility network and your house. 110 volt is the standard "utilization voltage" for most household appliances in North America. The 10 volt difference is for voltage drops through the interior wiring of the house. In North America, many domestic electrical appliances have a “nominal” voltage of 115 volts with a tolerance of +/-10%.

    Different countries use different household voltages - for example the standard in the UK is 240 volts and in much of continental Europe it is 220 volts.

    An American traveling to Europe will require a voltage converter (transformer) to operate a 110-120 volt device from a 220-240 volt power supply. Some devices, such as laptop computers, often come with a voltage converter that can operate with input voltages from 100 to 240 volts. If so, the device or its power supply will probably have a label showing acceptable input voltage and frequency ranges. If in doubt, show the device to a suitably qualified electrician before use.
  • Jan 1, 2011, 12:49 PM
    barbercosta
    Hi there biggsie and others members, I'm from europe, I have this Andis hair Clipper that a friend of mine brought me from U.S.
    I read your comment and I was just looking for a voltage converter (transformer)like the one you've said to be needed to operate some devices when an american traveling to europe.
    In my country we use 230volts / 50Hz.
    I already bought a transformer but still not solved my problem because in the clipper sais 15W / 115VOLTS and this transformer that I've purchased it's a 45W / 220-240volts to 100-120volts.

    Can you help me??
    Can someone HELP ME PLEEEEEASE :(

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