Two-Phase Electrical Service
What is two-phase electrical service?
Residential electric service in the United States (120/240 VAC) is sometimes called two-phase service but this is NOT correct. It is only single-phase, since both line voltages are derived from a single phase of a distribution transformer with a center tapped neutral and are 180° out of phase with each other.
Two-phase service is an obsolete style of electrical power distribution where two phases are provided that are 90° out of phase with each other. There were two line wires and one neutral, so two-phase service was commonly a two-phase three-wire service.
Another variation used four line wires and one neutral for a two-phase five-wire service. This was sometimes incorrectly called four-phase five-wire service.
We are not aware of any two-phase service still in use. However, the WattNode should have no trouble monitoring a two-phase three-wire service.