Electricity Question (Edwards AFB: appliances, houses, garage)

[Shirt]

Greetings all! I'm in the USAF and headed towards Edwards AFB after 8 years overseas. A lot of the houses I have seen mention 220V electricity...is this true? I have been dealing with 220V for years and I can't stand it.

If it is true, is it 50 or 60 cycle? I bring this up for a couple of reasons...1)you have to use transformers for anything not dual voltage and transformers eat up electricity and 2) if it's not the right cycle your stuff doesn't work right (i.e. clocks won't keep time on your microwave, alarm clocks etc.).

Thanks in advance!

Shirt

[EscapeCalifornia]

Everything in the US is 60Hz as far as I know. Houses around here usually have 240v service. That's two 120v "legs" that are out of phase so that you get 120v between each leg and ground, and 240v between the legs. The typical wall outlet is 120v using one leg, 60Hz, up to 15 or 20 amps. Large appliances like stoves or clothes dryers get both 120v legs and thus run on 240v. Some times people will wire 240v outlets to the garage to run something like an air compressor.

[Shirt]

Thanks for the quick reply! I think I get what you are saying which is basically most outlets (except for the heavy stuff) are 120V. That puts me at ease.

Thanks again,

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Shirt

Thanks for the quick reply! I think I get what you are saying which is basically most outlets (except for the heavy stuff) are 120V. That puts me at ease.

Thanks again,

Yep, that's correct.

Happy to help.

[Ultrarunner]

The reason you see 220v listed is that most homes prior to the 1950's did NOT have a 220v service. For these homes, unless the electric service has been upgraded, you will be limited to gas appliances for cooking and clothes drying.

Having 220v just gives you more options and of course the possibility for a standard central AC system.

I would not worry, most older homes here in California have been upgraded.

Every once and a while, I do run into 1920's homes with original 120v 30amp service... so they are still out there.

[Roaddog]

When they mention the house has 220v service it has 220 for a dryer outlet, most everything else is 120 except the A/C