Who's rewired their house for this hobby?

On 11/23/2014 07:24 AM, Holm Tiffe wrote: Well, that's what evolution sometimes gets you. The US 3-wire residential distribution system dates from Edison's 1882 DC system (+100,0,-100). One of Edison's original carbon-filament lamps will screw into any modern residential lamp socket. There are homes in the US still using knob-and-tube wiring, as well as Edison-base fuses in the distribution box. Originally, residential distribution was intended for lighting only, so AC versus DC was not an important concern for the average homeowner. 100V (plus a certain amount for line drop) was selected because it was felt not to be a significant electrocution hazard. Although the NEC dates back to 1897, it never has been the sole governing standard in the USA. For example, in the city were I was raised, non-metallic-sheathed cable was illegal; Rigid conduit was the rule. Kept the very strong IBEW in control, it did. When I worked in a steel mill, the distribution panel in our small 4-man shop looked like 460V, 230V, 115V 60Hz AC, 440V, 110V, 220V 25Hz AC and 250V DC, all with accompanying transformers. Larger shops included 3-phase distribution of both 25Hz and 60Hz. The point is, that the US has adopted a course of compatibility with older standards, rather than a revolutionary course. I understand that parts of Europe were also slow to abandon DC residential lighting. --Chuck