Why do we use 120/240 volts in residential rather than higher voltages such as 480 volts?

Answer 1

Of course even if we be getting 440/480 Volts at home naturally then equipment would have been made accordingly for that Voltage.
Rather the reason is much more simple and practical. Like and other energy it flows from higher gradient to lower gradient (eg. even fluids flow from higher position to lower or heat for that matter). If you follow the electrical line system you will find higher voltage at each consecutive distributing Node; actually you might be receiving 440/480 volts at your main home meter if you are having 220V/240V at your plug points.
So I guess looking at practicability I am sure anybody can decide what choice to make here; Einstein ain't required here. Plus other point also do add up like damage risk etcetra etcetra..
PeaceV

Answer 2

It's true that 480 volts is more hazardous than 120/240 volts.

But considering that if we would have 480 volts as standard instead of a lower voltage, the electricity would cost us much cheaper because the copper wiring line transmission would NOT be so thick and heavy. There would be a tremendous saving just on this proposed technology.

Apart from that the domestic appliances would be much lighter, cheaper for the consumers and having a better efficiency as well on the long run.

As for "More Hazardous" the scientists would take a good care of this. We have too many ingenious people in the world today and plus with the computer aide and sophisticated software I can't see a problem for the proposed idea.

Maybe tomorrow that is what is going to happen.

Answer 3

Purely history and the cost to change. Modern insulators have no trouble with 480 volts and more. It would reduce losses. Only the 'vampires' would become less efficient. That's the name for all those converters you keep plugged in to provide a few volts to your phones, computer peripherals, battery chargers, and so on.

Answer 4

Chalk it up to tradition and Thomas Edison more than practicality and safety issues. Thomas Edison developed direct current (DC) systems at 110 V and he claimed this was far safer than AC. Because Edison had such clout, Westinghouse, and everyone else decided to settle on 110 V, but pushed AC as the standard....fortunately AC power won the day, otherwise we'd have a power plant on every block, and probably generators for every house.

Answer 5

Safety. 120/240, depending on appliance, is a compromise between transmission efficiency, which increases with voltage, and safety, which decrease with voltage. Americans use to being little more than startled when shocked need be much more vigilant about avoiding shocks when they visit Europe; they use 240 (or so) for everything.

Answer 6

In my opinion only, we are in tropical area and uses higher amount of current mostly to run motor to accomplish work.

As observed in US and in some area in scandinavian, they uses low amount of current in their appliance, due to this area are always wet/snowy to prevent accident in grounding.

* 110-120 V -- US/Europe ( this region are snowy/wet)
* 220/230 V -- Asia Tropical
* 480 V -- This will be use only in a large industrial
application.

Answer 7

its dangerous. coz we get AC currents in our household.
the max value of voltage for currents like 120 n 240 can reach a maxima of 311V......which is high but not dat dangerous. On the other hand high voltages like 480V can have maxima upto 680V which is visibly highly dangerous. and wud thus make working with electricals completely hazardous.

Answer 8

If you used a higher voltage it would fry everything in your house that's electric. During a power surge you wouldn't want
to be sitting near anything electrical.