ECN Forum Forums Thread Like Summary - 240V only in a home and NEC?

Is it anything in NEC that makes it wrong if you wire an entire house with 240 only.

Of course you may only use approved components and US standard 240V outlets.

I do not believe it is good solution but will it be OK to NEC?

As grown up in Europe, 240 is often convenient for me. Should I build a house in North America I would probably had both 120 and 240 ind all rooms if it is OK in NEC (Would that be OK?)

I think from a practical sense you would need to figure out what appliances you really liked from the old world and just wire outlets for them. To make things simpler I think I would change the plugs to NEMA 6-15s and use US receptacles. If these are going to be used in the kitchen or bath you also need GFCI protection but that would most easily be provided with a single GFCI breaker feeding a sub panel that had your 240v circuits. The 50a aimed at spas might be the most cost effective. They are most commonly used in the 240v arena.

I also wonder about the plethora of LED and low voltage equipment. We have receptacles with the ubiquitous USB-a 5v outputs and that may solve some problems but I have wondered if having a 12/5v circuit or two would be advantageous to avoid so many "vampire" power supplies running 24/7. Between the chargers in the receptacles and all the wall warts I have plugged in I bet there are 25-30 here.

I like your GFCI solutions, the look of the NEMA oulets are nicer then the typical European outlets, but maybe not as saferegarding the risk of touching the metal parts of the plugs that may visible when the plug just is almoast plugged fully in. The totally safest outles may be a third standard, the new South African std seems to be great. Adapters are generally a risk, so keeping the national standards will still be the safest.

My conclusion of this thread will be that Europeans moving to USA may change their plugs, and get 240V outlets for equipment they want to keep, but the most will probably be best to replace with local standard units.

Most of Norway has traditionally had a Y 230. but the center point has not been bonded to ground, so it has usually not been a neutral at all. New transformers for new buildings use the more common European system of 400/230V Y, quite similar to the US 480/277V system. It has been some regional differences, The Stavanger area used the 230/400 (Earlier 380/220) system, Arendal area used a grounded center on the 230y but no Neutral wire in the supply system.