Are 220V and 240V the same?

Answer 1

They are not exactly the same.

In the US, the term 220V and 240V are often used inter changeably. However, for the imported electronic devices which are specifically intended to work only on 220V may be damaged from running it on 240V.

Most 220V devices will work fine on 240V. However, on some devices (mostly the ones do not have voltage regulator), it will cause over voltage for internal circuits, which lead to shortened life.


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Yes, they are the same thing and used in US residential homes. If you take two 120v lines, each being 180 degrees out of phase with each other, you get 240v. Sometimes 120v lines drop as low as 110v, so the terms "110" and "220" are representing the voltage drop.


This is not to be confused with 208v, which requires three 120v wires instead of two, with each wire being 120 degrees out of phase. Typically, residential homes do not have three phase wiring, so don't purchase anything requiring 208v power unless you know for sure that it is available.

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220 to 240 voltages

Yes, 220 and 240 volts are a nominal figure in the same voltage range. It is brought about by the power company, as they have a responsibility to keep voltages within a certain 10% range. The load will only notice a difference of 1% on the load current. e.g. Wattage load of 2400. Amps = watts/volts. 2400/240V = 10 amps. 2400/220V = 10.9 amps. On a constant resistance as the voltage goes lower, the current goes higher and vice versa as the voltage goes higher, the current goes lower.

Answer 2

The two voltages are almost the same but not close enough for the difference to be ignored.

Until recent years mainland Europe used 220V as its standard mains power supply voltage and the UK used 240V. Equipment made for the UK normally worked in Europe and vice versa. There were some devices that weren't able to cope with both voltages. 220V light bulbs, for example, would fail within hours or days if they were used on 240V. Heating elements made for the UK market would generate almost 20% less heat when used on a 220V supply.

The standard voltage across Europe is now 230V. The UK and one or two other countries have reduced their supply voltage while other countries have increased theirs. For new equipment, this means they can be used throughout Europe without any problem at all. For older equipment, the small change in voltage has virtually no effect on it. The change is so small that most people are not even aware that the change has taken place.