Which Electricity Is More Dangerous 220V or 110V ?
The United States and Canada use 110-volt electricity but it seems like most other countries use 220-volt electricity.
I didn’t know why and wondered if 220V was more likely to kill me, or injure me, than 110V
So I Surfed The Electricity Question And Discovered This
How Does Electricity Injure Us?
An electrical injury occurs when a current passes through the body, and interferes with the function of an internal organ, and/or burns tissue.
The intensity of the current is measured in volts and amperes.
All newer American buildings have 240 volts split in two, with 120 between the neutral and hot wire.
Major appliances, meaning, dryers and ovens, are now connected to 240 volts.
So Which Is Better 220 or 110?
220 volts is much more efficient.
If you double the voltage, you draw half the current to achieve the same power.
But Which Is Safer?
Voltage (V) is the potential for energy to move and is equivalent to water pressure.
Current (I) is a rate of flow and is measured in amps.
Ohms (r) is a measure of resistance and is equivalent to the water pipe size.
The primary advantage of a lower current is that you lose less power in the wires feeding current to the appliance, and you can use smaller, cheaper wires for the same power loss rating.
Higher voltage transmission is more efficient than low-voltage transmission over long distances, because the loss caused by conductor resistance decreases as the voltage increases.
It could be argued that higher voltage is more dangerous if accidentally touched, or if there is an accidental short circuit but it’s not that simple
Voltage is not the killer, but current flow is.
You could be exposed to thousands of volts (pressure) when walking across a nylon carpet in polyester trousers (static), and feel next to nothing because there’s next to zero current.
Some experienced electricians are relatively casual about touching 110 V circuits, but they all respect 230 V.
How Can I Protect Myself?
The strength of the electric shock we get depends on the amount of current that passes through our body.
If we use plastic shoes and not leather ones, or stand on a dry wooden chair, then the shoes or chair will offer more resistance and we will be able to safely touch live parts.
Birds On High Voltage Cables
You probably seen birds sitting on high voltage transmission line without getting electrocuted.
They are safe there as they are sitting on the live wire without touching the ground thus not completing the electric circuit.
The Bottom Line.
If you’re unfamiliar with electricity and need to get a repair done, please have somebody do it, that does it professionally.
Or make an effort to learn about electricity before you attempt to carry out electrical jobs.