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Europe exists too.
Older systems are still found in use where [[fuse]]s take the place of circuit breakers. These usually do not allow sufficient overall current to provide for the array of modern appliances we now tke for granted, and so are upgraded as soon as the homeowner can afford it.
Older systems are still found in use where [[fuse]]s take the place of circuit breakers. These usually do not allow sufficient overall current to provide for the array of modern appliances we now tke for granted, and so are upgraded as soon as the homeowner can afford it.
==Europe==
European countries use a 230V, 50Hz standard for domestic power. The power cable entering a domestic property typicially passes first through a tamper-evident high-current fuse. This serves both as a last-resort isloator, and a means to disconnect power from the consumer unit for maintinance. An earth or ground line comes in along with the power cables in most modern installations - older houses may take this from a water pipe, but this is being phased out. Following the fuse, both live and neutral cables connect to a tamper-evident power meter for billing purposes. The output of this meter is typicially legally defined as the legal demarkation point between utility company and propertyholder ownership and responsibility.
Typicially, the next component will be an isolation switch, allowing the property owner to disconnect power without breaking the tamper-evident seal on the company fuse. Often, this isolator is an RCB which automaticially isolates in the event of a fault. It may be a physically seperate box, or a component within a consumer unit.
The design of the consumer unit is similar to that of a US distribution system, with common terminal blocks for all neutral and ground wires and a single live rail which connects to all breakers. Depending on age and property size, either fuses or a consumer unit containing breakers may be used. This distributes power to each individual circuit. The number and classes of circuits can vary greatly, and typicially include lighting and ring-mains. Newly connected outbuildings should be given their own circuit.
==See Also==
==See Also==
[[Building trades]]
[[Building trades]]