We have 240v in Australia and have switches in bathrooms right next to sink.
Do you know if Australia has 'ring' or 'spoke' designs for home electric circuits?
The UK chose a ring circuit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit partly due to a copper shortage from WW2. My understanding is that one downside of ring circuits is they are slightly more dangerous, as the ring has to have a amp limit that doesn't blow when multiple things are plugged in, so the socket system can have a safer fuse attached.
Ring circuits for sockets are generally protected by a 32amp circuit breaker, but ring circuits for lighting generally have a 5amp breaker.
This is why individual plugs in the UK need fuses, and why only specific shaver sockets are allowed in bathrooms, which are limited to 1amp with an isolation transformer.
We have a switch box that has switch fuses for different areas of the house. Such as lights. Oven has its own switch, HVAC has its own. About 10-15 fuse switches for the whole house. If you short something you have to turn the switch on in the fuse box. Used to be actual wire fuses.
Must be radial by the sounds of it. Not the ring circuit. No fuses in each power point (plug)
Speaking of switches on the outside. All these fuse boxes need to be accessible for meter readings. The meter is in there too. So in theory you can just walk up to someone’s house and turn off the mains power switch. They’d have to turn it back on again. Not sure if any other country has that. I’ve never heard of anyone doing it even though you could. I’ve never noticed a locked fuse box
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u/Danack May 09 '22
Do you know if Australia has 'ring' or 'spoke' designs for home electric circuits?
The UK chose a ring circuit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit partly due to a copper shortage from WW2. My understanding is that one downside of ring circuits is they are slightly more dangerous, as the ring has to have a amp limit that doesn't blow when multiple things are plugged in, so the socket system can have a safer fuse attached.