Learning about Electricity

 I started learning about electricity very young. It was a way for me to have something to talk about with my father. So, as a child I read popular mechanics and Popular Science and things about Cars and trucks from about age 5 or 6 so I would have things to talk about with my father. Also, my Grandfather and Uncle and Dad all were Electrical Contractors in their lives too in addition to being electricians and learning the trade first so there was this independent way of thinking for yourself that was ever present in my family always. And so getting an Electrical Contract in another state or locality my grandfather did regularly until 1927 when he bought his house and land in Lake Forest Park in the Seattle Area with Black Cherry and apple trees and boysenberries and raspberries growing on his land. I used to walk out my back door and pick raspberries at age 2 or 3 where they were growing then. I had to learn how to not get stuck by the prickles while picking raspberries then.

One of the more interesting things about electricity is that it is always going from your home to the power station where it is generated and back all the time even if you have everything in your home that is electrical off. However, you only get charged for what you actually use through your electrical meters on your houses and apartments.

I didn't learn this fact until later in life so I was pretty surprised by this.

Next, at least in the U.S. the electricity comes into your home or apartment as 220 single phase Alternating Current which means usually 2 large black wires and one that we often paint white to know it is the neutral. The Two black wires are the hot ones and the neutral carries the electricity back to the power station in the 220 cycle. It comes to the power pole as 1000 volts usually and then your transformer on your telephone pole steps it down from 1000 volts to 220. Higher voltages carry further without line drop. this is why this is done. However, in a rain or lightning storm sometimes transformers can explode like Hand grenades. So, if one explodes try not to be there when it happens because this can be fatal if it explodes because pieces of it could go through you (metal) during the explosion. Exploding Transformers are always a problem during lightning storms for example. So, especially stay away from transformers during lightning storms.

Then the two black and one white line goes into your power panel from the transformer on a telephone pole usually (even though this can be done underground too) in some places.

Then you might wonder how you get 110 volts alternating current to most things in your house or apartment? Well you take one of the two black lines coming in and by itself in single phase this creates 110 volts and the white is the neutral for both the 220 and the 110 volts only you need both black wires for 220 and only one black wire coming in for 110 in your house. So, usually electric stoves and hot tubs and some other appliances might be 220 volts but most things in your house are 110 volts at most of the standard plugs in your homes.