Euro 230 volt outlets wired with US 208 or 230 volts

[Jerry Revels]

What are the issues with wiring a EURO or UK style receptacle that requires 1 line / ungrounded conductor, 1 neutral and a grounding / Earthing conductor and supplied with typical US 208 or 230 volt supply using 2 line / or ungrounded conductors and a grounding conductor. The obvious is there is no natural and the device is not being wired as intended. It works because I have seen it in use but the questions are:

How does it work, what is the theory?

Is it safe and if not what are the safety hazzards?

Are there NEC refferences that address the use of these European devices in this application?

[Besoeker]

What are the issues with wiring a EURO or UK style receptacle that requires 1 line / ungrounded conductor, 1 neutral and a grounding / Earthing conductor and supplied with typical US 208 or 230 volt supply using 2 line / or ungrounded conductors and a grounding conductor. The obvious is there is no natural and the device is not being wired as intended. It works because I have seen it in use but the questions are:

How does it work, what is the theory?

Is it safe and if not what are the safety hazzards?

Are there NEC refferences that address the use of these European devices in this application?

It works because there is a potential difference between the wire connected to the terminal that would normally be live and the one that would be neutral.

It would be no more dangerous than any other receptacle using 208/230. If it's a UK type recepticle, the shutters that automatically cover the live and neutral when not is use could possibly be considered safer than US style receptacles.

The British equivalent of the NEC is BS7671 - Requirements for Electrical Installations makes no reference to US installations. Given that the National in the the National Electrical Code refers to the USA, I would be very surprised if it made any references to UK or European equipment.

[Central Scrutinizer]

this is similar to using BS4343 (sorry, BS EN 60309-2, old habits die hard) on a generator used as a floating power supply, i.e. with no neutral/earth link,

if you measure these, you will find that if you measure from an indepndant earth to either the L or N terminals you will read 115V, but 230V between them - if you earth the neutral to Zero, then the L will push up to 230V - the voltage is the same, it is just being referenced differently

[Besoeker]

this is similar to using BS4343 (sorry, BS EN 60309-2, old habits die hard) on a generator used as a floating power supply, i.e. with no neutral/earth link,

if you measure these, you will find that if you measure from an indepndant earth to either the L or N terminals you will read 115V, but 230V between them - if you earth the neutral to Zero, then the L will push up to 230V - the voltage is the same, it is just being referenced differently

If it was a truly floating system, the voltage to earth/ground for either conductor would be indeterminate.

That said, in my experience, it isn't very common to have a completely floating system in the US.