Understanding How 3 Phase Power Works

While most of the nation has an electricity connection in our homes, exactly how many of us know the key differences between single and 3 phase power?

Most people are already aware of the fact that electricity is transported throughout a home or business through wiring, and almost always consists of three cores – active (red), neutral (black) and earth (green). The active core is responsible for sending the electricity, the neutral core returns the electricity, and the earth core connects to any exposed conductive surfaces, which more or less offers the first line of protection. 

However, the size of our home and the appliances we use in it will often dictate how much power we consume, and how much we can expect to pay for it. Larger properties with heavy duty machines or devices such as commercial air conditioning systems, electric hot water systems or workshops may require a 3 phase power connection, but upgrading to a larger power capacity in domestic settings is a growing trend seen right around the nation.  

An Introduction To 3 Phase Power 

Many Australian apartments, units and flats only require a single phase power connection, purely because their size doesn’t allow for strong enough consumption that risks tripping switchboards. Single phase supply provides a single alternating current which flows in one direction, between a positive and negative maximum displacement points, and reverses to flow in the other direction. The issue for some applications is that as the voltage passes from negative to positive, no energy is being generated for a fraction of a second when the measurement sits at zero, which can affect the level of power generated.

In comparison, a 3 phase power connection has the capacity to triple the amount of electricity that a household can harness. By adding another two circuits set at 120 degrees – or one third of a cycle – a 3 phase power connection generates a consistent and stable power supply that’s significantly larger in capacity when compared to a single stream. This “upgrade” also reduces the issue of no energy being generated at zero, as each phase reaches this point at a slightly different time while the other two are still producing energy.

While 3 phase power can provide a lower 120 volts for standard appliances like a washing machine or toaster, it can also cater for larger 208 volt power needs such as a compressor or commercial oven. While long popular for commercial environments and common in large businesses, manufacturing, industrial applications, and data centres, this unique ability also makes 3 phase power a popular alternative  to supply power for multi-dwelling buildings, office blocks, and highrises.

To check whether your home has a 3 phase power connection, all you need to do is look at the ‘main switch’ or ‘normal supply main switch’ on your switchboard. If the switch looks like three switches combined into one and is wider than 3cm, you have 3-phase power. If it’s a single switch and slim, you have single-phase power. However, given that we now live in the digital age with more screens, climate control and home security systems than ever before, upgrading your property to 3 phase power might just be an affordable, long term investment. 

If you’re on the hunt for a decent sparky to help illuminate your home and improve its overall efficiency, finding a reputable and local electrician to bring your vision to life can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, the team at Shield Electrical offer a solution. 

Where To Get Advice On All Things Electrical 

Here at Shield Electrical, we are a Brisbane based electrical contracting company, and pride ourselves on being shockingly good at watt we do. For us, friendly and reliable customer service isn’t just a nice add on – it’s how we do business. Don’t take our word for it though, just ask our clients. 

Established in 2015, Shield Electrical is lighting the way when it comes to providing electrical work with world class customer service. With our headquarters based in the central suburban pocket of Coorparoo, our team of qualified industry professionals are readily available to deliver quality workmanship, fast quotes, and affordable pricing.

Whether you’re on the hunt for an electrician for domestic services, residential, commercial and industrial construction, security systems or even just further energy saving tips, get in touch with us at Shield today to source practical solutions that don’t break the bank.