My place had a 3 phase supply 110volt.
Whilst I was there they upgraded the road and moved all the cables underground, also replaced the transformer and still left us on 110 volts, whilst houses further back into the campo were changed to 220.

My first place in Spain a maisonette had all the power points downstairs at 220volts whilst the lighting downstairs and the power plus lighting upstairs was 110 volts

Fred I am not denying the existance of 110v in Europe, it was many years ago an indicator as to who - UK or US - had won the power station contracts. That is why so many countries of US influence are on 110v.

however, it is believed to be safer especially for contractor working which is why many UK contractors use stepdown transformers and all their tools are 110v.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file11548.pdf
Many of the UK appointed Notified Bodies for the LVD and the UK Authorities remain concerned that with the UK electricity supply being 230 V +10% -6% and much of Europe being 230 Volt +6% -10% and the standards testing at rated voltage +/-6% that there is a small possibility that some electrical equipment may be unsafe at voltages for which it has not been tested.
Though this issue is often referred to as a UK problem it is not. The UK is one of about 11 countries in the EEA which have an upper voltage limit of 230 V +10%, with of the order of another 13 scheduled to move to the same upper limit in 2008. There are also a number of countries with lower limit less than 230 V –10%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_e...nd_frequencies
lists the various voltages and frequencies.

Lol,hope not.

I must agree with the above.I have some builders in at the moment doing just this.

However a few years ago during the building of Ocean Village in Gibraltar I witnessed Spanish contractors using 440volt three phase saw benches on wet muddy ground powered by extension cables, not even armoured.

I am curious if I can use other items to help switch to 220V?

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

you can use a 110/220 step up converter
http://www.ehow.com/how_5127231_conv...t-outlets.html

BUT
THE HIGHER THE CURRENT THE MORE YOU HAVE TO ENSURE YOUR INSTALLATION IS SAFE

you may wish to consider units on each socket for individual control
http://www.google.co.uk/products/cat...ed=0CEMQ8wIwAQ

I AM NOT AN APPROVED ELECTRICIAN AND IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS SHOULD CONSULT SOMEONE WHO IS

[QUOTE=Domino;10261214]
however, it is believed to be safer especially for contractor working which is why many UK contractors use stepdown transformers and all their tools are 110v.[/I]

That's as maybe with lower volt = safer. But 110v carries more amps than a 220v source. Therefore, you must not run a 220v cable / extension cord strip on a 110v system.

Because that 220v strip [ item ] will be asked to carry higher amps - which are present in 110v.

No so much the 110v system now applied to power tools makes it safer, in the UK, but moreover the nice stepdown units ( large bricks with slave connections ) - which are noticeable in-line - are normally a high grade breaker / safety catchment zone. That, is the smart device IMO vS 110v

footnote: Of course, 110 safer than 220 on many levels
But the amps is what will hurt to most...

DSB.

[QUOTE=bealerDSB;10266500] I am not sure what you are trying to say here, but it seems wrong

110v or 220v AC at the wall socket it makes no difference to an extension lead, it is the amperage you are trying to pull through that is important.
any fuse fitted at plug or inside the extension may be degraded in its blowing level by that reduction in voltage. But usually the max fitted is 13A, so if you are pulling more than 13A which at 220v = 2830W at 110v = 1415W then you are cruising for at best blown fuse.

the simple way I look at it is - equate to a water line, the pressure is there but you only get the pressure (current) you ask for at the tap. You cannot get more pressure after the tap if it isnt there on the supply side.

one thing to remember when using rolled up extension leads - always unroll before use, pulling high current through a rolled up extension will cause it to heat up and under certain conditions melt the outer sheathing which could cause a fire. Also you will get a very loud BANG

They should be marked with the maximum allowed wattage, both rolled and unrolled.

ISTR the original JO-JO reels were not until there was an "epidemic" of burn outs. So they stuck a label on it, which over time came off. But who reads labels and things, its an extension lead.

However, out of laziness or convenience (I let you delete as you deem fit) very few people will unroll a reel of cable to have to roll it back up again 2mins later. Even you have done it Fred, I know I have.

TBH I hate the things, even the short ones can be lethal from a trip basis, spent too long in offices where they are used as a "temporary expedient" for several years. I have seen a couple of monitors pulled off desks because of them, a broken arm because a high heel snagged on one.
But until such time as architects and the like ensure mains supply is located in places where it is needed instead of where it looks good and out of the way then extension leads will remain out there.

I remember causing a fuss when a contract electrician used one on site, the plug top was falling apart, there were chunks missing out of the outer sheathing, it really was a potential death trap. His company tried to bill me for the 2 hours "wasted time" he spent going to get a new one before I would allow him to start work.

so, in summation - upgrading an electricity supply should only be carried out by approved electricians - there is someone to counter sue when your supplier hits you with a writ for unsafe installation.
ELECTRICITY KILLS.

[QUOTE=Domino;10266629] How many amps are carried in a 110v system?
How many amps are carried in a 220v system?

When you double from 110 to 220 you half the amps.
Therefore the amps are far higher on a 110 compared to a 220.

That's all I was trying to say. Don't look JUST at the v being lower is the safe denominator. ( AMPS are higher in the lesser volt systems )

DSB.

Ohm's law

Current = Volts / Resistance

Therefore if one grabs a live wire in one hand whilst making contact with the other hand to something that will allow the electricity to flow through the body from one hand to the other.

The body resistance hand to hand should be reasonable uniform.

Therefore increasing the voltage will result in an increase in Amps.

Therefore 220 volts will have twice the Amps of 110 volts.

[QUOTE=bealerDSB;10268513] IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH WHAT I SAID ...........................

[QUOTE=Domino;10266629] go back also to my analogy about the water - you cannot take out more than is in the pipeline. so with electricity.
if there is only 15A on the line then you cannot take out much more than that, although it will give higher and start to blow fuses/mcb's
if you are lucky you will only have a burn mark where you made the final contact, if you are unlucky..............

to help you to believe what you are being told please go to
http://www.supercircuits.com/resourc...Amps-Converter

where you will see that a normal 220v 13a cct will allow you to pull 2830w (effectively 3kW) load whilst at 110v the same circuit only allows 1415

THAT is why the 110v system is seen as being safer that 220v - only half the load for the same circuit before the fuse/mcb blows

remember also that a fuse (of any type) is there to protect the circuit/equipment, only an earth leakage circuit breakers (ELCB/MCB) is there to protect people - so put as many as possible into an electrical system

YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE !

Hi, very interesting thread. I would like a bit of help. Just returned from Spain I think my Potencia is about 8KW but I am confused what I have ie
on my consumer board the supply comes straight in to a 32a DP Breaker
and then goes on to a 32a RCD and then the circuit breakers. When we overload nothing trips, it is as if we have a bimetallic cutout somewhere
that resets itself after a few seconds. Is this in the first Breaker? Then over the road where the meter is we have a 32a cartridge fuse but then after the meter the tails go into a white box (with live terminals exposed!) and then out and accross the road underground to the house. Is this our ICP? is it this that is tripping and resetting itself? It is about 80-100mm cube with nothing on it at all visible.A bit of education on this would be great.