I wonder how important AC power frequency will be in the future? Certainly, important for the power grid and in my lifetime. Yet with brushless DC motors and inverter driven electric motors now appearing in refrigeration appliances to include industry using inverters for motor control and EV’s. There certainly seems to be less reliance on the frequency of incoming AC power.
I agree. My understanding is that operating a 110v device on 120v should not make much difference, whereas extended use of a 120v device undervoltage at 110v may result in damage, blow a circuit board on your fridge, etc. Notice that current (pun intended) push is to increase standard residential voltage from 120v to 125v, so the " powers that be" must not be concerned with a little overvoltge. The fact that the increase has not already been approved, however, tells me there is some resistance there..
Proponents are said to be Amping up their efforts. Ohm, my! 🙂
Mike because low voltage on resistive loads means 2 to 1 loss in heat output (10% loss in voltage gives you a 20% loss in heat). I would recommend you stay true to the 120 VAC setting. That said because loss in voltage in a Inductive circuit means a rise in current draw again I would stay true to the 120 VAC. As we add more and more goodies to an RV they are starting to use some 240 VAC (50 amp service only) appliances and a 10% loss in voltage can cause the resistine and inductive appliances to act with unexpected results. Now change in Frequency creates a different result which really only effects inductive loads.
Thank you, Mike, I am glad to know I have my inverter set to the best overall voltage. We never turn our inverter off, other than when our RV is powered by shore power or generator and the inverter transfers to that power source once checking to see if it is stable and falls within the incoming voltage limits, we set. We just have the need and convenience of using any 120V device in our RV to power all the things we want and need to use. From charging electric bike batteries, making toast, coffee, and running our AC in the evening/night and for stopping for lunch on the road. And the inverter is the only high drain device that can really pull down our battery bank in short order. I never worry about 12V appliance current draw of LED lights or the absorption refrigerator, TV, or any of those low power consumption appliances, nor the propane furnace when used. And this does answer a question other RV owners who install and set up their own inverters might have, the best voltage setting to use.
Someday I’ll tell you all the story of how America ended up with 120/240-volt split-phase power, and most of Europe has 240-volt, single-pole power.
Don’t get me started on Hz… 😁
I wonder how important AC power frequency will be in the future? Certainly, important for the power grid and in my lifetime. Yet with brushless DC motors and inverter driven electric motors now appearing in refrigeration appliances to include industry using inverters for motor control and EV’s. There certainly seems to be less reliance on the frequency of incoming AC power.
I agree. My understanding is that operating a 110v device on 120v should not make much difference, whereas extended use of a 120v device undervoltage at 110v may result in damage, blow a circuit board on your fridge, etc. Notice that current (pun intended) push is to increase standard residential voltage from 120v to 125v, so the " powers that be" must not be concerned with a little overvoltge. The fact that the increase has not already been approved, however, tells me there is some resistance there..
Proponents are said to be Amping up their efforts. Ohm, my! 🙂
Mike because low voltage on resistive loads means 2 to 1 loss in heat output (10% loss in voltage gives you a 20% loss in heat). I would recommend you stay true to the 120 VAC setting. That said because loss in voltage in a Inductive circuit means a rise in current draw again I would stay true to the 120 VAC. As we add more and more goodies to an RV they are starting to use some 240 VAC (50 amp service only) appliances and a 10% loss in voltage can cause the resistine and inductive appliances to act with unexpected results. Now change in Frequency creates a different result which really only effects inductive loads.
Thank you, Mike, I am glad to know I have my inverter set to the best overall voltage. We never turn our inverter off, other than when our RV is powered by shore power or generator and the inverter transfers to that power source once checking to see if it is stable and falls within the incoming voltage limits, we set. We just have the need and convenience of using any 120V device in our RV to power all the things we want and need to use. From charging electric bike batteries, making toast, coffee, and running our AC in the evening/night and for stopping for lunch on the road. And the inverter is the only high drain device that can really pull down our battery bank in short order. I never worry about 12V appliance current draw of LED lights or the absorption refrigerator, TV, or any of those low power consumption appliances, nor the propane furnace when used. And this does answer a question other RV owners who install and set up their own inverters might have, the best voltage setting to use.