US Receptacle Circuit Wiring? I live in UK and I'm planning to build
I live in UK and I'm planning to build a lodge over in US. I will be doing my own electrical electrical system. Here in UK, most receptacle circuits get going, and return to, the breaker box. The idea is this effectively doubles the cable size as juice can flow contained by both directions. We usually back this beside a 30A breaker. Why are domestic outlet circuits only of what we ring up the "radial" type in US? That is to read out, beginning at the breaker box and climax at some remote point on the circuit?
Answers:
In the UK you enjoy 220 volt wiring beside an arrangement like this:
Line 1 >------------------>Breaker<------------... Outlet pin 1
Line 2 >------------------->Breaker<-----------... Outlet pin 2
Ground >---------------------------------------... Ground pin
With 220 volts between pin 1 and pin 2 or anything you call them (I am not an electrician by trade).
In the US we own 110 volt wiring next to an arrangement like this:
Black >---------------------->Breaker>--------... Hot pin (110)
White >---------------------------------------...
Ground>-------------------------------... Ground
Neutral is connected to ground where on earth the electricity enters the building. The purpose of Neutral is to get the return current from the load on the outlets hindmost to the transformer. Hot is always 110 volts ac above Neutral and Ground. Ground is one and only supposed to ground the parts of the equipment in the hand of people. Ground should simply carry current when a ground bad habit circuit interrupter is about to be tripped to protect the human user from an electrical shock.
Our US system also have two phases of 110 on most locations and in homes especially when 220 volts is human being used by air conditioners, heaters, ovens, and dryers (laundry).
This is how that works:
Black - Phase 1 >------>Breaker<-----> Phase 1 HOT
White - Neutral >---------------------------> Neutral
Green - Ground >---------------------------> Ground
Red - Phase 2 >-------->Breaker<------> Phase 2 HOT
Again I am not an electrician and I do not claim to own this 100 percent intact because local laws and state law may determine the proper wiring for adjectives homes and businesses within a location. But this is essentially how it works.
Between Black and Red there is 220 volts because Black is going Positive when Red is going Negative beside respect to Ground or Neutral and vice versa. Half of the loads in the home on 110 volts are going to be on the Black side coming from the transformer and partly are going to be on the Red side. All of the wiring may be black except surrounded by the circuits where 220 volts are used. There the colors must be at variance to distinguish the phase. And to the circuit box one half of the initial input must be the black rope and the other be the red again to distinguish the phase.
Transformer 1 >-------< Lead 1 to Breaker Box - Black
Transformer 2 >-------< Lead 2 to Breaker Box - White
Transformer 3 >-------< Lead 3 to Breaker Box - Red
Earth Ground >--------< Grounded at Building - Green
(Ground also connected to white where it enter building)
Voltmeter measures:
Black to White = 110 volts AC
Red to White = 110 volts AC
Black to Red = 220 volts AC
Well, I won't have to comment on the limitations of your erudition as there are law against doing your own wiring minus an electrician's license. Although I can do, and have done, some of my own electrical system because I do know electrical code, I'm still in defiance without a proper license and could be fined for vandalism if it were ever discovered. There are breaker types, sizes, cable sizes, jacket type, conduit requirement, prohibited metals, strain reliefs, NEMA compliance, etc. You're allowed to do the wiring contained by your own home. It still needs to be inspected and approved. I'm not sure what you be going to by the circuits begining and returning to the breaker box. That happens here as in good health. It's just that one of the wires is hot and one is what is call neutral. The liquid flows out the hot wire and posterior to the breaker box on the neutral. There is also a ground for sanctuary. You would normally run a #12 NM cable near ground. Start at the break box and run it to the part of the building it go. Then run the next cable. There are both code requirements and simply what is practical that determines the details of the electric wiring. A circuit for a microwave oven in the kitchen would run to that point and no others because most microwave require seriously of current. The 220 VAC circuits for water heaters, clothes dryers, and stoves are sized appropriately and step only to those points. I would incite you to become very identifiable with electrical system in the US since you try this project. If the electrical work, or any work, isn't inspected and approved insurance companies won't cover any damage or losses resulting from the work.
Added
Contrary to what the other party says, you don't stipulation an electrical license to wire your own house. You do inevitability an electircal license to wire somebody else's house or to rope a commercial building of any sort.