electrical phase

I am reading 241 Volts phase to phase with a Fluke 2860 A. Phase to ground is 120 on each leg.

On the topic of this thread. Would audiophiles not benefit from my suggestion of keeping one of the two 120 volt supplies as the primary power for the stereo and the noisy stuff on the other?

Other than the confusion about the set up of the breakers in the box and the fact that I have 3 phase, it seems the two 120 volt supplies most readers (probably) have could still benefit from Killerpiglets idea of separate runs.

Also, why could everyone not use a meter to differentiate between the two 120 volt drops? I do this often behind my equipment. I just meter several plugs, and the one that is the low leg gets the digital equipment, as I keep it on the opposite run from the analog gear.

I would be surprised if two runs coming in were EXACTLY the same voltage, and this would be an easy way to tell them apart. It always works here, the voltage may change a little during peak usage periods, but the two supplies stay almost the exact number of volts apart, day or night.

Albert,

Are you reading all three phases 120v to ground?

Albert,

There's no way to separate a 2-pole 220v breaker to one side or the other. I think we all know that? No matter what you do the noise from your 220 circuits will always be present on either side of the panel.

You could in theory separate all your 110v breakers to one leg of the panel, but that's not necessarily a great idea.

The main objective when terminating a panel is "load balancing" That is to say an equal amount of amps on each side. This will reduce the load on the neutral conductor. When you have 50amps on one leg and 50 amps on the other there is zero amps on the neutral.

However if you had 100 amps on one leg and 10 amps on the other you would have 90 amps on the neutral (Grounded conductor) This poses some serious concerns. Electricians and engineers always seek to reduce the load on the neutral by distributing the load equally to both sides of a panel. The same holds true in three-phase power distribution.

You may also want to consider labeling your outlets with a P-touch labeler. You could mark the phase (A, B or C) plus the circuit number and panel designation. That may come in handy when moving things around.

Take care

Balancing the panel= Best installation

I am reading the two phases that come into the house, the third phase as mentioned already, goes to the big commercial AC unit that keeps us comfortable during the hot Texas summers.

Glen, regarding your comment: There's no way to separate a 2-pole 220v breaker to one side or the other. I think we all know that? No matter what you do the noise from your 220 circuits will always be present on either side of the panel.

Looks like from what you said that the 220 shares with both circuits, but the two 120 Volt drops ARE separate, and therefore could be dedicated specifically to the stereo for one drop and noisy ( refrigerator, computers, etc.) on the other.

Back again to the fact that they can be separated, and that is what I prefer to do. Your suggestion to balance the panel is your answer to best sound. So until someone has a bunch of time on their hands to try this both ways (would that prove anything owing to the differences home to home?) we are still two opinions.