Terminology
This page is to clarify some of the technical terminology in use on this website and the reasons for my usage of those terms.
European vs American terms
Technical terminology about electrical installations can often vary between North America and Europe. I generally tend to use European terms on this website (and on other places online), as that's what I'm used to, however I occasionally also use American terms for clarity, depending on the context.
For convenience, I have compiled a list of European technical terms, alongside their North American counterparts:
| European word | American word |
|---|---|
| Earth, Earthing | Ground, Grounding |
| Line wire | Hot wire |
| RCD, RCCB, ELCB | GFCI |
| RCBO | GFCI breaker |
| AFDD | AFCI |
| Socket with shutters | Tamper-resistant (TR) outlet |
Light switch nomenclature
Even the names used to refer to different types of light switches vary between American and British English. In general, it seems like the AmE terms are derived from the number of terminals the device has, while the BrE ones refer to what the switch actually does.
|
BrE term: One-way switch AmE term: Two-way switch Meaning: Switch used for controlling a light from one position |
|
BrE term: Two-way switch AmE term: Three-way switch Meaning: Switches used together to control a light from two different points |
|
BrE term: Intermediate switch AmE term: Four-way switch Meaning: Switch used together with the previous type of switch, to control a light from more than two points. |
Voltage ratings
On the various pages present here, different variations of a certain voltage may be used, depending on the context; for example, 220, 230, 240 and 250V, or 110, 120 and 125V.
While in practice the difference between the various voltages is minimal, it's generally preferrable to use the specific one when talking, depending on the specific context (though at the end of the day it's not the end of the world if you get it wrong). Below is a list of where I generally use these voltages and for what reason:
- 220V: This was the old European line voltage (and still used in some parts of the world) - I'll generally use this when talking about electrical history or older items, or when talking about items made for some other countries
- 230V: This is the current, standardised, European line voltage (it was a middle ground between the old continental European voltage of 220V, and the old UK line voltage of 240V). I'll generally use this when talking about the mains voltage in use in Europe
- 240V: This voltage is/was used in some English speaking countries for their mains - most notably, the North American split phase system runs at 240V, and the old UK voltage was 240V (and it still often referred to by that name). However, the use of this voltage was only really common in English-speaking countries - so referring to Europe as using "240V" is technically incorrect.
- 250V: This is generally the rating of devices meant for 230/240V mains, so for example European sockets are generally rated at 250V (even though the line voltage is technically 230V). Seeing devices with higher voltage ratings than the official mains line voltage is quite common, as it adds a margin of tolerance in case the mains voltage is higher than it's supposed to be.