[Amps] what is a 4 wire 240VAC service?

[Jim Tonne]

>   . . . why did North America not follow the rest of the world
>    and move to a 230V system? That is, a 3 wire 230V AC 
>  service.

In the eastern part of the state of Tennessee in the U.S.A.,
in the year 1936 (or so), a federally-mandated operation
called "Tennessee Valley Authority" did in fact set up a small
town (Norris) in which they tried, probably as an experiment,
3-phase power for the residential areas.   

I don't have any information regarding how long that lasted,
the kinds of connectors used and so on but I suppose I could
find out since I live in Oak Ridge and surely someone would
know the details.

Bottom line:   it WAS tried.

- JimT