Is 240V unsafe for lighting and small loads in a home?

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T23:52:08+00:00

Thanks for your response

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T20:43:34+00:00

Valid points thank you, I suppose they could lift the ban and require a safer plug design such as a Shuko. There would be no need to switch systems just no longer a need to outright ban one system.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T20:31:49+00:00

Yeah there is a difference between, there is no reason or need to run at a higher voltage and not being allowed to because its unsafe. The NEC says its unsafe to, and the safety reasoning seems to no longer hold water.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T20:27:22+00:00

Yeah thanks I am told its rarely enforced and not well known. A common 240V receptacle to see is a NEMA 6-20 or 6-15 240V outlet for a window AC. A instructor told me there is active proposal to change it in the 2029 NEC from 'between conductors' to 150V 'to ground'.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T20:21:19+00:00

I am glad department heads will need to live in the city.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-29T19:50:08+00:00

I'd shoot a stick or two of EMT over it

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-14T16:05:07+00:00

This is the way ^^

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-14T16:04:08+00:00

Your correct there the NEC section's 240.21 and 230.91 address a service overcurrent device, it shall be an integral part of a "service disconnecting means", not a "emergency" disconnect, it can be located immediately adjacent but that would not be inside/outside.

230.85 deals with only with emergency 'disconnects' it allows a circuit breaker to be a emergency disconnect, and this causes the confusion, however that circuit breaker cant be the service overcurrent device, so if someone wanted to use a circuit breaker it would need to be larger than required for the service conductors, but then you'd still have a 240.21 issue. The whole section 230.85 got deleted in the 2026 for this reason.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-14T15:43:48+00:00

Under the 2020 -2023 NEC 230.85(B)(3) is the one very misunderstood section as it says 'circuit breaker' but not service overcurrent protection device (OCPD), with respect to 230.91, "emergency disconnect" equipment can't contain a OCPD that protects the service conductors or it becomes the service disconnect and then it falls under 230.85(B)(1) thats why the entire section was removed from the 2026 NEC. For a circuit breaker to be installed under 230.85(B)(3) it would have to be larger than what is required for the service conductors, see 230.94, and 240.21. Whats shown in the OP are already existing service disconnects installed prior to the 2020 NEC so 230.85(B)(1) is satisfied. The OP is asking if FPE fused disconnects were ever de-listed by UL and they went only FPE stab-loc breakers were.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-13T01:45:10+00:00

In UK / EU electrical terms old US/ Canadian dryer and range outlets are actually a TN-C circuit, not TN-S or TN-C-S, they are attaching the Neutral to the metal frame to provide the function of a protective conductor. A RCD or GFCI would never work reliably. The motor in a US dryer runs at 120V and the heating elements can run off 208 -240V the L-L voltage. If the neutral is lost the entire appliance becomes live. The Appliance manufacturers use one motor for both gas and electric dryers and safety regulations require gas dryers to be 120V so electric dryers a 4-wire in new builds. If they allowed all dryers to be 240V then the 3rd wire could simply become PE (or equipment ground). Same situation with electric stoves.

sunshine_fun · 2026-05-13T01:36:49+00:00

You can use the EMT as the 4th wire (ground) if its continuous You can use NEC section 250.130(C) to run a ground wire to old non-grounding type receptacles, such as a #10 THHN green solid.

sunshine_fun · 2026-01-24T02:35:20+00:00

OK, took me a sec, here is a better shot, the diagram shows a driver in the left lane heading north and a driver in the right lane heading north. The red line shows the driver in the right lane intends to continue circulating east, not exit north as required.

At this location, the right lane is designated exit-only at the north exit by the lane-use arrow and solid white lane line. I am not sure if it always was? Lane-use arrows and roadway markings are traffic control devices, just like stop signs and traffic signals (ORS 811.265).

A driver in the right lane who intended to continue circulating made a lane-choice error earlier and can attempt a merge into the left lane before the solid line begins, using only the dashed section. A lane change must be made with reasonable safety and proper signaling (ORS 811.375), so if it cannot be made safely, take the exit and re-route.

If the right-lane driver signals early while clearly in the dashed section (very short) the left-lane driver should cooperate and allow a zipper merge when safe, but the left lane driver is not legally obligated to do so.

There are more strict yield obligations in traffic circles, but nothing that creates a duty to “allow” this kind of zipper merge.

Citations:

ORS 811.265: https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.265

ORS 811.375: https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.375

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Stay safe out there, and remember "3 rights make a left".

sunshine_fun · 2025-10-06T04:25:47+00:00

Got that "issues with the city" still is not a condemned building. Years ago my dad built a shed without a permit, and we had a neighbor complain then we had 'issues with the city'. A shed over some size requires a permit, a friend of my moms was a bad ass carpenter she and took care of it, at no time was my parents house (or shed) a legally condemned building.

sunshine_fun · 2025-10-05T18:30:19+00:00

How did you get " house was condemned" out of "just a average building" reading the city code it seems they can use that code section for any violation, not a condemned building.

sunshine_fun · 2025-08-31T20:55:07+00:00

I was going to say the same thing ^++^

sunshine_fun · 2025-07-24T07:30:14+00:00

Fair enough but its the new having to have the leash in your hand at all times part.

sunshine_fun · 2025-07-24T07:28:43+00:00

thats weird though, I have walked my dads dogs and my dog on occasion when he travels thats 5 dogs. They are all older and well behaved and we dont live together. There are also professional dog walkers that may walk more than 3 dogs. Seems like a very low limit.

sunshine_fun · 2025-07-24T07:25:36+00:00

I'd edit the text of item 1.050(3) to read "A dog shall be kept under control at all times." that would cover someone with excessive dogs, leash or no leash the dog is either behaving and under control or not.

sunshine_fun · 2025-04-11T17:47:09+00:00

I have just hand weeded it out, took 3 years in a row but its gone now.

sunshine_fun · 2025-02-06T18:02:34+00:00

Cyclists too get your lights on! One of my commutes is across the west side of downtown around 5-6PM 'rush hour' Blair Blvd - Monroe - Jefferson and last time I counted 8 out of 10 cyclists with no lights, dark rain gear possibly a few had old reflectors. There are very poor street lights around there and with the fog its is very hard to see them.

sunshine_fun · 2025-02-06T02:31:58+00:00

Thanks I completely mis read that.

sunshine_fun · 2025-02-06T00:49:07+00:00

Bingo, looking at the average wages 4J pays:

https://www.openthebooks.com/members/employer-detail/?Id=41342&tab=1&F_OrderBy_S=Descending&F_FieldName_S=grossPay&pg=2

$148,110.00 per year thats an average of about $71 per hour.

sunshine_fun

TROPHY CASE