OT - What is household current in Canada?

110 (or was that 115? I always forget), and the two flat pins just like the US. There is also often a ground pin, between and just below the two flat pins.

That's great, I won't need a voltage reducer then. Thanks.

Not that easy. There metric volts.

That's ok my laptop is a Toshiba!

Its all the same as USA, in fact It's all one interconnected power grid between the major power providers in the USA and Canada. You will find local variations in voltage IF you are on a feed with major commercial machinery cycling on and off but all you need is a voltage stabilizer to smooth out any spikes, just like at home.

BTW get a 3 way stabilizer not the cheapie version, that way you have ground and neutral potential protection. Replace it every couple of years with a new one, you cannot really trust (or test) a voltage suppressor that has had to work.

Many many many years ago part of Quebec was running an isolated 40 cycle system but that is long gone.

That was funny. I can't believe you had to ask that.We don't have power....... we burn whale blubber, live in igloos and ride dog sleds 'eh. Of course we're interconnected, that's why when one of your dumbass grids overloaded in NY it took out most of southern Ont.

Yeah everyone told me you used whale blubber and ride dogs. Opps that was dog sleds. But I didn't believe it and just had to ask.

Actually I'm coming to Canada to buy equipment for 58 cents on the American dollar. I guess that makes me pretty stupid.

Oh yeah, I'll sell it in the US for actual value.

Brian

By the way, just because two areas are interconnected by a group of power grids doesn't mean they have the same household current. All houses have 220 volts of single phase current going to them. As I've never been to Canada or know anyone there how would I know if the household appliances were 110 or

220 volt? In Europe everything is 220 volt.

I mean you guess are French, right? LOL

Brian

Don't particularly care what you're doing in Ont. Just thought it was funny, proves the American egocentric stereotype a little more. As a Canadian and Italian passport holder, I suppose I know nothing of it.

If somebody would say 100 Amp service, or 200 Amp service I would understand that just fine, but 220 Volts of current? What does that even mean?

??? I works for the layman. Kinda like saying you get 20 psi of flow from your garden hose...so what's... voltage is the amount of electron "pressure" and current is amount of "flow"???

:-) mark

Plug a 110v appliance into a 220v socket (it shouldn't even fit), but if it does and you get kerpufff. A little smoke maybe even a nice warm fire and in the case of a laptop $1500 - $3000 US what is that $2250-$4500 in funny money down the drain or up in smoke which ever term you prefer. Just because we are on the same power grid doesn't necessarily mean that Canadians regulate power in the same fashion, the power cutting through your back yard is thousands of volts because at higher voltage there is no resistance, then at the transformer it converts it into a feasible current that comes to the house and may be regulated again. He wasn't being arrogant just making sure he is informed and doesn't show up assuming that everyone has the same power standard as here in the US.

Corey

The resistance in the wire does not change with voltage, but the voltage drop through a wire increases with current. Power delivered at a higher voltage uses less current, so there is less voltage drop and less power loss in the line. And you can use a smaller wire with less current.

Which - since this IS an automotive group...not international electricity group - is why cars are now 12 volt not 6 volt. The smaller wires saved the car makers billions.

Probably has nothing to do with a battery of equal size and weight that's a

12 volt will out perform a 6 volt huh?

Actually, the public demand for more electric powered accessories such as radios and additonial lighting played a major role in the switch to 12 volt systems. I have always been disapointed that the auto industry never upgraded to aircraft standard. Remo

electricity

Actually their going to do better than that. See this article.

Brian