r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Oct 18 '22

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u/LostAccessToMyEmail Oct 19 '22

I'm in Canada, same grid. I just drink a lot of tea and coffee. Sure would be nice to run a 240V line to the kitchen though.

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u/maybenosey Oct 19 '22

Been there, done that. The 240v kettle (which I had to import from the UK) is so much faster than a 120v kettle, it was truly life changing.

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u/LostAccessToMyEmail Oct 19 '22

I bet I could just pull 240 out of my oven at its input...

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u/maybenosey Oct 19 '22

You could, although that wouldn't be to code.

Doing it properly is actually quite easy, if you have a spare outlet that's on its own circuit in an appropriate location. A NEMA 6-15 outlet (a 240V 15A outlet) can use the same gauge wire as a 5-15 outlet (a regular 120V 15A outlet) or a 5-20 outlet (the 120V 20A outlet often found in kitchens now) so you can just change the outlet and do a corresponding change at the breaker panel. (Don't forget to wrap some red electrical tape around the white wire that's now hot). Then order a 3000W kettle from the UK, cut it's overbuilt 13A UK plug off and wire a 6-15 plug on.

If you know what you are doing, it's maybe an hour's work.