26 Nov
2014
26 Nov
'14
8:08 p.m.
On Wed, Nov 26, 2014 at 9:01 PM, Billy Pettit <bpettitx at comcast.net> wrote:
I can't speak to other areas, but where I live, in
California, 3 phase is already brought in to most houses. But it is split at the power
box. One phase to common is used for 120 volt single phase service. The other two phases
to each other give 220 volt for major appliances. This shifts from house to house to
balance out the loading.
Actually what you describe is single-phase, with split-phase wiring to
the house. There might be three-phase distribution on the pole, but
the transformer on the pole has a single phase primary and a 240V
secondary with a center tap. It's wired to your panel such that 120V
circuits are between one end or the other and the center tap
(neutral), and 240V circuits are wired from one end to the other.
Balancing the load is done by wiring some pole transformers with the
primary between phase 1 and 2, some between phase 1 and 3, and some
between phase 2 and 3. But each house only gets single-phase power,
not three-phase.