For safety purposes, it’s important to understand the difference between 120 volts and 240 volts before plugging in any electrical tool or appliance. If there’s a mismatch in voltage input and output, you can damage the appliance or worse, injure yourself and even start a fire.
What is the difference between the two? Is 240V indeed better than 120V? Here are all the basics you need to know:
The Joule’s Law
The best way to explain the major difference between the two voltages is to refer to Joule’s Law. The equation goes like this: Power = Voltage x Current. Because a 240V power system has twice the voltage, it will transfer twice the power too.
Thicker wires
A 240V power system uses thicker wires, so there is less draw on the box. Thicker wires are also more capable of handling the current and have more resistance.
Better and brighter lighting
The advantage of 240-volt power is evident when using commercial and residential lighting. Light bulbs, outdoor lighting, and stadium lighting need 240v power to shine brighter. When connected to a 240-volt electrical outlet, the fluorescent lights and discharge lamps also work better because they run off ballast assistance which is used for starting and regulating them.
Lower amperage requirements
If you are trying to run 10,000 watts of light on 120v power, the you are going to need 90 amps from your breaker box. For the same watts, you will only need 45 amps if you use 240 volts of power. The amperage requirements are cut in half.
All this said, 240 volts of power is not necessarily better than 120 volts. There are certain situations in which 120 volts is enough, but there are also situations requiring 240 volts. The ‘best’ choice really depends on the power requirements of your appliances.
For example, everyday appliances typically only need 120 volts. These include refrigerators, microwaves, and dishwashers. Power-hungry appliances such as washing machines, dryers, and ovens will require more voltage and are often available in 240V variants.
Please take note that some homes do not have 240V outlets and electrical wiring, so check your home prior to plugging your 240-volt appliances.
If you want to shop for 240-volt home appliances, power tools, transformers, voltage converters, and other related items, it’s best to buy from an online store that specializes in these products!
About the Author:
Samstores.com is one the largest distributors of household Electronic Goods, we guarantee to offer you nothing but the best in quality of products and after sales service. We deal in 110 Volts and 220 Volts household appliances for North America and 220 Volts for Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia and dual voltage goods for all over the world.