240v vs 230v

[Squiffy]

For many years and even now I refer to 240volts for the mains voltage in the UK, however on the occasions that I've had to test the mains over the last 10 or 15 years I've noticed that the value has been less than 240v and closer to 230v. This I have always assumed was due to mis reading of my trusty volt meter and as it really made no difference to me I just excepted the reading. But since I've had solar panels on my house roof I've noticed that the grid voltage reading on the inverter also shows 230-237volts variable over a period, so when Trevor asked if the mainland voltage was different to Ireland I decided to look it up and found that the UK national grid voltage was reduced to 230volts in 1996 with an allowed variance of -5 to +10% to come into line with the continent who use 220v to 230v. It seems that this had gone un announced to the general public when it happened as unless you were involved in specialised electrical installations, it as I've always thought made little difference to the operation of so called 240v applications. .Phil

 

[mistericeman]

There was a time (not sure more recently )
When back in the late 80/early 90s ,
There was a chap in a deep underground (protected incase of nuclear attack)bunker underneath a very unassuming bungalow in cheshire whose job it was to monitor a dial reading htz ...

At times of a commercial break etc on TV the meter would dip below 50htz and at that point he would pick the phone up to Stwlan dam hydro Station and request them to open the valves to lift the power generation levels to compensate for demand ....

Probably all computers now though lol

 

[trevskoda]

Voltage on goods works safe within 220v to 240v, but the middle ground is where we are at today, 230v.