Houses in Iceland are Built to Last!

I am in Iceland on vacation and somehow I ended up on a construction site. I wanted to take this opportunity to show you the huge differences between residential construction in Iceland compared to how my house is built back in Massachusetts. I hope you enjoy.
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Videos produced by The Fixer are provided for informational purposes only. All material provided within this video is for informational, educational, & entertainment purposes only. Some of these projects, materials, and techniques may not be appropriate for all ages or skill levels. Please use all safety precautions while following any instructions or concepts provided by this video. Viewers must be aware that by doing projects on their homes they are doing it at their own risk and The Fixer cannot be held liable if they cause any damage to their homes. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to educate themselves on their local codes and regulations before undertaking any sort of project. Always have safety in mind and have fun!

[@msmayree]

My husband and I lived in Iceland for four years while he was attending the university there. It was wonderful having heated floors and instant hot water. In winter most Icelanders keep a window open to balance the heat and cold temperatures in the house. Hope you’re having an amazing time!!

[@ivanwill]

From London, now living in the US. When I first moved here, and saw the houses made of wood, I kept thinking those things will not last. Oddly enough, some are made quite well. I do miss the brick work from home (Hackney, London). Even more so when I used to hang things on the wall at home. Those things would not fall down!

[@TheducksOrg]

Hah yeah, we build out of brick in my part of australia too.. having an SDS drill for hanging a picture always feels like overkill though ;)

[@JohnSawtell]

Wire has resistance to current passing through it. This resistance converts part of the energy into heat. The larger the wire the less the resistance to current passing through it and therefore the less it heats up for a given amount of current passing through it. Therefore wire sizes in a house are determined by how many amps that need to be passed over a given distance with a safety margin with it needing to be capable of sustaining that load without heating up so much it melts. This is also why there are rules on how much you can shove inside any particular size conduit or junction box. When you double the voltage you halve the current which means that you don't need as large of a wire to keep the wire from heating up. A good example of this interaction would be a corded vacuum with a long small gauge cord and how it heats up quite a bit over the course of cleaning your floors. This is also why their is such a large wire going to the starter in your car. Even though the wire is short the car only has 12 volts so that motor has to pull a lot of current which is why the wire needs to be so big.

[@rpaasse6453]

What John says is correct. Every group has a 16 amp breaker. 3500 watts max makes 220 volts. P= U x I ( 3520 watt )

[@jjjacer]

to add with the car, the starter draws around 125amps (on a small 4 cyl) and on 12v that is 1500watts, so you need wire that can handle the 125amps (usually 2-4 gauge), in a house on 120v 1500watts is around 12amps (so around 14guage), and on 240v (iceland-europe) it would only be around 6 amps (probably 16guage). Although the longer the runs the larger the wire.

[@ID10TDriving]

Excellent explanation, to add to this. Remember the equation Watt=Amp*Volt. Everything that runs on electric is trying to achieve a certain amount of wattage. So think about how huge wires on poles would have to be to supply a neighborhood of 50 houses at 200amps. Wires on poles run high voltage low amps, so they can use thinner wires. So 200a * 120v = 24000w. Then 50*24000w = 1.2 million watts. Divide that by 220v (houses are fed by 220 but split at the box for normal outlets) and that means the wires would have to carry about 5500 amps. Imagine the thickness you’d need. Since voltage causes much less heat, outside wires run high voltage, low amps, then the transformer that feeds your house converts that higher amperage and lower voltage, but achieves the same wattage.

[@JohnSawtell]

*24kw (your missing a zero).

[@ID10TDriving]

@@JohnSawtell thanks! Fixed it.

[@xhonkeri4066]

This is how houses are built anywhere outside of North America

[@comesefosseantani231]

Yes, in Italy too.

[@Rapha2587]

You're absolutely right! I would be scared to death to hang anything on the walls... I would love the convenience of repairs, though. 😂

[@OmaBike]

Yep, Netherlands and Germany from my experience, are all concrete and brick. .

[@sully8317]

Mostly all brick in the UK and Ireland.

[@hospitalsgivingpatientsdan8894]

Concrete does not breath clay much better brings humanity

[@segullseagull3241]

This brings back memories from when I was five years old and my parents were building our house in Iceland. Obviously, Iceland is fairly cold and the weather can get really crazy so all this insulation is very necessary. However, the most important thing is to have them withstand earthquakes. These houses save lives and suffer minimal damage when an earthquake hits. Thankfully we haven't had to test them against anything larger that 6.5 in recent times and hopefully it stays that way!

[@leabarto8156]

My house is a wood frame like yours. When I lived in Okinawa Japan every building was made of concrete. Even the roof. They have typhoons a lot so every thing was made to withstand a typhoon.

[@aimeem]

Redoing the wiring or plumbing in a concrete house is an absolute nightmare though

[@kingkong7617]

Iceland is a cold country, so you have to build houses differently there to be able to adapt to the weather, but that concrete house is very solid and well built.

[@sbaumgartner9848]

Agree. And expensive. I'd think over $1 million USD. Icelanders do construction, road building, etc. extremely well. I just returned from there - a magnificent experience. Iceland, inspite of it's harsh long winters, is a magical jewel of a place with very advanced thinking populated by people who love their country, history and culture.

[@bunkkasponge]

I'm from Norway and here we build houses with concrete foundation and often first floor is concrete too, and wood framing rest since two stories building is the most common. Roof is often that regular asphalt roll wich i dont know the name of, but some use roof tiles like in the US. Some even still use grass on roof, looks really cool and i guess it's not very cheap stuff under the grass and dirt.

[@crinkle2649]

Wow, that was so cool. You would have to put in an intercom to talk to someone in another room because they would never hear you. They need to make houses like that here because of the tornadoes and hurricanes.

[@Willy0981]

Yeah, that's why I always wonder why in the USA the houses are bulit by wood, isn't it risky becauses isn't there often tornadoes and hurricanes?

[@NickyC-g2n]

I'm in England and live in a 1930's end terrace house. My walls are brick built but with a cavity on the outer walls.It is always fascinating to see how other countries build houses

[@williamlloyd3769]

In Iceland the power plugs and sockets are of type F. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. When I was serving at Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik in 1979-80, I think we used transformers to step down voltage if we had brought over any US gear. Electrical clocks would not work properly. Navy Exchange sold stereo gear from Japan that had built in capability to handle both voltages and frequencies. PS - Icelandic houses have one other feature, blackout curtains. During the summer months the near 24 hours of daylight made it hard to sleep without blocking out the sun!

[@whattheduck0738]

That's really cool to see how different houses are built. Thank you for sharing this info with us.

[@dordingull]

Awesome! Nice feature from my homeland. Never expected to see something on your channel about Iceland. Nice work!

Gamli

[@offertunatea]

I've lived in South Korea and am living in the US now. Most of hoses are built with concrete and have floor heating system in South Korea. That house that you were in looks mostly the same as it in South Korea. Very impressive.

[@gailbutler3310]

My granddaughter just came back from Iceland. She loved it!

[@coppertopjohnson9782]

Very Interesting. Enjoy your vacation. Thanks for thinking about us while in Iceland.

[@brendatenney8404]

So cool. Yeah I sometimes go on a rabbit tunnel of different things on KZbin. Iceland though. Neat spot to vacation. Hope you and Mrs Fixer enjoy. In case Baby Fixer went, hope the little one is able to enjoy too. ❤️❤️

[@jmcgill9688]

Thanks for sharing. It was very interesting.

[@lynnew5619]

We do have a mix of concrete houses, wood houses and those with inner breezeblock then insulation then outer bricks. Iceland looks gorgeous. It’s on my bucket list for sure. 👍

[@ChrysanthsMum]

So interesting! Thank you!

[@DeltaOTB]

5:16 that's a bunker right there. Great isolation from cold and sound. Where I live you always hear the wind blowing, I wish they learned someone from Iceland :D

[@T.E.P.]

Awesomenesssssss so cool ya did this vid

[@pitsnipe5559]

Always interesting how much different construction is around the world.

[@gr1mrea9er82]

Very cool. Enjoy your holiday!

[@BrianChambersUnique319]

Very Cool. I love this.

[@rosemarshall1219]

On the other way, as european, i am always amazed by américan wood constructions

[@sbaumgartner9848]

Canadian construction is said to be higher quality than American. It could be because we have SLIGHTLY harsher winters in some places in Canada. Canada is not like the North Pole like most people think. Southwestern Canada has mild rainy winters and daffodils and tulips bloom early in the year.

[@lindysmith13]

Wow, what a great trip that must have been. Thanks for showing us that build. I wouldn't mind a house built like that.

[@ahnilatedahnilated7703]

When you have geothermal heat, you can do a lot. Then when you have thick walls and great insulation, you can heat it with a toaster.

[@Riversbend710]

Great video. Love new ideas.

[@michellegilliam2892]

In Arizona there is a lot of Caliche soil down a few inches and it is like stone. When I garden I first have to wet the soil to soften it then take a pickaxe and shovel to it. For that reason you almost never see a house with a basement; nearly all homes are sitting on a concrete pad and quite often the plumbing is in that or under that concrete. Inside framing is traditional lumber but exterior walls are often concrete block with stucco surface. They are certainly different from back east.

[@eillengracia8286]

That house is built similarly to our houses here in our country, watching from the Philippines 🇵🇭 MABUHAY!

[@kimberlyakers5923]

thanks for the tour

[@ReginaPortoBarreto]

Aqui no Brasil a maioria da casas é de alvenaria (tijolo, cimento e lajes e vigas de concreto), há muito pouco tempo chegou o drywall e agora o steel frame.

[@kristinesquires6612]

Glad you took a vacation! You work really hard on your house. I look forward to every one of your videos. I live in a trailer house. The most I could do is change a bathroom faucet. But no leaks!

[@JOHANNA-qd6iz]

Here in the UK we have brick built houses. I have never understood why houses are built from wood when the weather can be so bad in the USA

[@shoyrushoyru]

we probably needed somewhere to put all the wood from all the deforestation we did. i wonder though, america with a generally large population in terms of counties in the world, what the difference in environmental effects of building almost entirely with concrete would be on quarries and stuff compared to our main focus on deforestation for lumber. i dunno, i look at it like "our buildings can technically fall down easily but can also easily be edited and modified by/for the homeowner." i suppose theres pros and cons of each way of construction. theres always room for improvement somewhere though, than copy-paste construction solutions thrown all over the multiple climates of the country with their unique issues

[@diyfferent]

I've seen many brick homes destroyed by tornadoes. Brick houses aren't guaranteed to survive all bad weather. Also, can't build brick buildings in earthquake-prone areas. The reason we build a lot of homes out of wood here is because we have a lot of tree farms, so we have a lot of lumber. There is no wood shortage unlike other countries. It's easy to build wood homes, and it's also easy to repair them. The reason you have brick homes in the UK is because you guys barely have any trees so to import all the lumber from other countries would cost a lot of money.

[@steenfraosterbro3268]

Copenhagen, Denmark. House from 1900. All brick with tiles on the roof. Just had to change the original roof tiles last year. Iceland is amazing and so I Massachusetts. Love the East coast.

[@liatori6214]

I've lived in 4 countries in my life. Norway, Germany, U.S. and South of France. Urban, suburban, rural and very rural. ☺ All different kind of housing. Norwegians have a lot of wooden homes as well. I do not know too much about construction. It is interesting to learn about new energy sufficient and environmental friendly ways of building. We all can learn from each other!

[@5thdimension625]

I’m jelly of your fabulous vacation. Thanks for this awesome video. Remember, I have several projects for you if want to come to beautiful northern Michigan for a vacation. Room and board provided with use of boat on an all sports 900 acre lake along with paying for your work of course. The offer stands.

[@yolantajennings1893]

In the Caribbean we use concrete and bricks internally and externally. Concrete externally and red brick internally. Some person choose to put the 'card board ' inside to section off rooms.

[@hulda2002]

wow cool, I live in Iceland :D Have a good trip

[@ldqa2737]

I can't believe it. Iceland! My friend and I are always saying we're going to go. I hope you enjoy. See travels!! 😎

[@vannylu]

visited iceland recently as well🥺such a miracle place

[@martiniindustries]

The amperage concept is explained by Ohm's Law. Ohm's Law: V=IR Where: V=Voltage (volts) I = Current (amps) R = Resistance (ohms) Therefore if you double the voltage of a given circuit, you halve the amperage, which in this case allows for a smaller gauge wire.

[@aaronmcghee2837]

You would end up on a job site... while on vacation! Thanks for the video. It's cool to see these kinds of differences around the world. Now go BE on vacation!

[@mattl1962]

Thinner the wire, the less impedance. Also loving the comic sans airstop font 😂

[@mikemcbain4250]

Thanks for the free trip and experience of another country without moving from my couch! I Much love from chicago my ninja!

[@kscheuerman5378]

Please give my best to Mrs. Fixer & Little Fixer. Safe travels for you all. God Bless

[@sbaumgartner9848]

I just returned from Reykjavik with friends. We all suffocated in a cheaply tiny furnished hotel that cost $500 per day per room. The thermostat on the wall didn't work so we had to keep the two small windows that opened open for some relief. This is a very expensive lovely house... and there's lots in Iceland. I agree that Iceland is building nice and well built condos, apartments and houses. All of their infrastructure is top notch and built with the severe climate. Iceland is 'other worldly' - magnificent. Yes expensive. However, everyone should try to go there once in their life.

[@TH3mrBROWN]

😂 this reminds me of my trip to New Zealand, the first thing I saw was a new house build.

[@tracycox2102]

Very cool 👍🏻

[@mandofan2616]

Great video, would be interestibg to follow this project further until the end.

[@kscheuerman5378]

Thanks for sharing, this is very interesting. Nice of them in Iceland to allow you to show us the house. My house is like yours a little bit..... with "things" being built/or changed by people in puzzling ways. My house is in San Diego & was built in the 1950's on a cement slab. My Dad came here because he was in the Navy. He built his house himself, also built in the 50's, & had to jump through many grueling hoops to be allowed to build a basement. He was not, however, allowed to have interior stairs to the basement. He had to make an outside entrance. (He hated that!)

[@garymonaghan7196]

Not to shabby brother!!!

[@Adamslee72]

Great vid in Wales UK my house is stone and the walls are 18" thick inhoe you have a great vacation

[@toonkrijthe7565]

We have an old(ish) house (1924) in the Netherlands. The exterior walls are brick, some interior walls too but others are drywall. For the electric, our houses have either 1 or 3 phases. Between a phase and a null is around 230 V AC, between the phases 400 V AC. Normally our circuits are 16 amps. Which can be a problem with electric stoves in a 1 phase house. In order to facilitate this, we have double circuits (2 live, 2 null and ground). So you have 32 amps. Houses with 3 phases use the 3 phase connection. To answer the question about wire thickness. Power = Amps x Volt. So if the voltage is doubled, you can halve the amps while keeping the power the same. That's the reason why electricity is transported with high voltage wires, thinner cables and less resistance.

[@Smudgie33]

In the UK most modern houses are built with breeze block/brick and inside the walls are plastered. My house is over 200 years old and is made with stone with solid, plastered internal walls. The only room that has plasterboard (think you call it Sheetrock) on the walls and sloped ceiling is the attic which was converted about 50 years ago. Solid walls are great for longevity but a sod when you want to move a light switch. I remember being amazed when I lived in New Zealand and was walking to work one Monday and saw a house framing going up and by the time I walked home Friday night the house was completely finished! This was 25+ years ago so before the Internet so I had no idea houses could be built out of just timber.

[@stan525]

Nice building Tech. now you can write off the trip

[@pedrofmc0000]

If you need to change wires for whatever reason you only need a guide. Wires pass through corrugated pipes in the wall and are dimensioned to put more wires inside if required. It's really weird you need to open the walls. Also, in the USA you'd have to break the drywall, change whatever you need and put drywall again. Some cement with some sand would be enough to cover the walls again. It's easy to work with and those houses are much more resistant and hard than America's ones. Fire protection is also superior. Most of Europe uses the same system for electricity and for the structure of buildings the only difference is we build walls almost always with two layers of walls with bricks with insulation between them. Maybe the only exception would be some Nordic countries which use more wooden houses. The minimum section of conductors recommended for domestic wiring, in an installation with two conductors and grounding with PVC insulation under the embedded pipe, varies depending on the use that will be given to it. For example, the rules in Spain: Diameter: 1.5 mm2: lighting and automation. Diameter: 2.5 mm2: outlets for general use, bathroom and kitchen. Diameter: 4 mm2: washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and electric water heater. Diameter: 6 mm2: kitchen and oven, air conditioning and heating. And yes that insulation is Rockwool (Danish company)

[@yolandamercado6721]

In our country also houses are built like that, but the walls are smooth and the ceilings are also cement with steel bars. And no insulation, because is the tropics.

[@jimwalker5412]

I live in the UK and that Sir was a very interesting video

[@linaz9307]

Hi greetings from Morocco. Here we build houses in concrete mostly. Unless you live in rural area or some mountain areas. There they actually mixe concrete with wood. If you how ever go to the south in the desert Sahara we still have some nomads families living in tents, but that's very rare. We do also have colored cities, where it is required to paint outside houses in red for Marrakech, blue for Asilah and white for Casablanca. I love your videos and the details of your renovations. So captivating to watch.

[@darwinhall8550]

Electrical power is equal to volts times amps (P=EI). Assuming the device power requirement is constant, if you double the voltage (120vac to 240vac) the current required (amps) is halved allowing a smaller wire size to provide the same electrical power.

[@CHamorita671]

Guam 🇬🇺 all cement here to include the roof since we have typhoons. There are many nonconcrete structures built here, they just run the risk of not qualifying for full insurance coverage and severe typhoon damage. Residents have the option to seek government provided shelter during typhoons if they want to.

[@randyriggs5463]

In Florida, houses are built on slabs. They call them cbs. Concrete, block,and steel. Better hope that you don't have a copper water line bust. Then u have to chip up the slab! Nice home there. Wish that you could do a video of when it is finished!

[@michellegilliam2892]

Same in Arizona

[@donnalouison3288]

I live in Trinidad..the carribean.. my house is also constructed with clay blocks and concrete .The concrete is used to hold the blocks together...but it is not insulated as your house...

[@liza_lou]

Very cool, I wish our homes in North America were more sound proof both from noises within the house and from the wind outside.

[@PegAMurphy]

wow that's so cool I'd love to have a home like that ❤️ I live down in va (where George Washington,Robert E Lee & James Monroe all were born ~ westmoreland county) thx for the tour of the new build I'm Iceland 💕hope yall had a great time 💕

[@judylapointe3507]

very interesting

[@manganvbg90]

Got enough of the 100 degrees heat in NA and going to 50 degrees iceland 😂

[@lpconserv6074]

Absolutely things are done differently in other places. I am retired, semi retired anyway... and I now live in a home we built here that is quite similar to the one you show here. SOLID concrete and steel. Even up through the ceiling, ceiling rafters, roof rafters, and roofing metal sheet. As I am just a couple of degrees north of the equator, so the reason is not because it is cold. It is because around here, nothing made of wood will survive the wood eating bugs more than a few years. Treated lumber here, is more expensive than concrete or steel, and after around 5 years, there are a few kinds of bugs that will get into it and hallow it out. As for the wiring, the voltage there is likely like it is here. 220V or 230V or 240V. Basically double the USA common voltage. The difference is, when they do a 220 Volt run, it is only 2 wires and if you want an earth ground, add a 3rd wire. So with double the voltage, the amperage is cut in half for any given load. USA typical outlet is 15 amp. Here it is also, but the socket with a #14 wire can also have 15 amps but at 220volts which is essentially capable of 3000 watts instead of the 1500 watts in the USA. Insulation here we do not even do. Nominal temps here, 12 months a year is at a high of around 88F rarely hotter. And the COLD days are in the high 60's or low 70's. Common to see the locals here in quilted and hooded parkas at 70 degrees F here in Dec and Jan.. funny for us to see it, as we are still in Tee shirts and short pants.. Keep up your effort, I am subbed and watch for every video coming out.

[@danielkoerner7127]

Geothermal for heated hot water is very big in Iceland. Wish we had that in the US.

[@Michallasz]

If you want to connect the receiver to a 3000W socket, in the USA (110V) you need almost 28 amps. At 230V in Europe, you need 13 amps. The lower the voltage, the higher the amperage needed to achieve the specified power. The greater the current, the thicker the wires must be

[@apolcz]

Wow the difference is huge! Great video, but now I feel like my house is going to collapse on me. 💀

[@jsaysyay]

friend of mine was just in iceland, i need to visit someday soon. cool that you got to visit a construction site there, i bet at least part of the construction is due to how treeless it is, causing such constant freezing wind

[@BirkirAkureyri]

The main reason is not temps but earthquakes

[@glenlongstreet7]

We don't have earthquakes and volcanos in Massachusetts. There was a tornado in my hometown once, but that was in 1918. And there are the windstorms. But otherwise, pretty safe.

[@surferdude-ll2qu]

I feel like they built them homes using massachusetts commercial regs. I was thinking they were gonna use metal studs. It'll be nice if they send you some finished video it'll be nice to see it finished.✌🏻

[@PratyushTewari]

In India, all the walls are made out of bricks and sometimes they are supported with concrete columns/pillars. The roof is mostly rebar concrete in all the cases. Window and door header are made up of concrete as well. Wood is really expensive in India and not used much to build house structure. It is reserved for doors and windows. You might see wooden houses in Himalayas mostly. Not in the planes. There is absolutely no insulation anywhere in the country. Absolutely none. There is also absolutely no heated water running through the house. It is either each bathroom has it's own water heater or common solar heater. Indians love marble flooring or some stone flooring. Wooden flooring is rare.

[@joeford2127]

this is the right way i wish they built like that here

[@deannaoverstreet4146]

Alabama! Thank you!

[@JustinRoffMarsh]

The lower the gauge the lower the resistance. Heat is a function of resistance and current. To perform a unit of work, there's an inverse relationship between voltage and current. At twice the voltage, you draw half the current. Half the current means half the energy lost to heat. Consequently, you can get away with a higher gauge wire.

[@Laguna2013]

I love it! Where can I find a builder in the US who can build to this standard? Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Swiss building techniques would also do!

[@thirdbeat]

think of volts and apms with water flowing through a pipe. volts is the pressure, and amps is the diameter, while the pressure in the US is lower, you need bigger pipes to deliver some amount of water. in EU, the pressure is higher, so you dont need that large pipes to deliver the same amount of water

[@simonegru9969]

Awesome, really interesting. I grew up and lived most of my life in Europe. Always interesting to see how its done in different countries. Now in the US, most of my homes have been fine but currently dealing with a situation that maybe you could help or make a video about. Living in very cold climate and state is Rated R49 and my walls are insulated but not quite good enough. What is the best option to insulated the walls that are already done and closed off? I was thinking of drilling holes in the sheetrock and using fire resistant foam cans to fill whatever might be missing. Any advice? Great videos and thanks.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

Larger wire size is for more amps, we know that. Appliances use watts though. Watts = Amps x Volts. Double the volts and you cut the amps in half.

[@lovisahafdisardottir2229]

Some years ago Keflavík Airport bought a shelter for airplains from USA and the company that they bought it from ensured them it would withstand any kind of weather and then the first winter storm came and the roof peeled off like a banana in the wind so afterwards they contacted the company and said you lied the roof is off after just one storm and the company did not believe and sent a crew to Iceland to investigate and they had never ever seen anything like that in their life.

[@luismadrigalvargas]

Here in Costa Rica a house build with wood would be considered old or historical or still livable but waiting to be demolished, new builds are concrete materials and tin roofs , wood would be use as aid but never on the finish product,

[@valdiorn]

Quality video, I'll be sure to forward this to many people when they ask "what do you mean British houses s*ck?" :) I'm an Icelander who now lives in the UK, and in hindsight, Icelandic houses are one of the most fascinating things about my country. I always enjoy telling people how our walls are two feet of concrete and insulation, and people don't believe me. Now I have this excellent video I can refer people to! :)

[@Chafalota]

THAT IS A WELL MADE HOUSE 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 WHERE I LIVE THEY EVEN ARE NOT MADE OUT OF 100% WOOD THEY USE MDF BOARD FOR MOSTLY ALL OF THE HOUSE.

[@GamerSwitch545]

3:30 So Power = Voltage * Amperage (P = V * A). To find amperage you solve for A (A = P / V). So, in the USA, if you have a 1100 Watt microwave, on a 120VAC grid it will use (1100W / 120V = 9.17 Amps) where as in Iceland, where voltage I think is 230VAC, a 1100 Watt microwave will use ( 1100 Watt / 230V = 4.8 Amps). Therefore, allowing you to use smaller gauge wiring in country’s with higher voltage.

[@jimdean7335]

Watts is voltage times amps. Amps therefore is watts divided by volts. For a 100 watt bulb on a 100 volt system it would pull 1 amp. The same 100 watt bulb on a 200 volt system would pull 1/2 amp thus smaller wire would suffice. You can use the same math with different voltages and watt loads for real world calculations.

[@bunkkasponge]

I want to visit Iceland someday.....RIGHT NOW! pointy finger

[@T.E.P.]

That’s how we build now in MN Interesting

[@bunkkasponge]

Ohm's law, higer voltage less current on a same wattage lamp and higher voltage has lower drop on long wiring, or more effeciant i guess

[@gslavik]

Voltage for wire size doesn't really matter. What really matters is how much current you want to pass through it. 12 gauge wire will be fine with 20A whether it is at 120V or 240V, makes no difference. But if all your appliances are 240V, they can use half the amperage compared to 120V, so your 20A circuit becomes a 10A circuit, allowing for a thinner wire. If you wanted to put in the same type of 240V appliances that we have in the state in Europe, they'd need to have 12 gauge equivalent wire to handle the load. For other stuff, US incandescent 100W bulb draws almost an amp, while a European counterpart would draw only about half of an amp. And where we have 15A rated saws for 120V, they would use 7.5A rated saw on 240V to get the same power.

[@akhurash]

Electrical power = voltage*current. This is a simplified version of the equation. Thus if your voltage doubles, your current is reduced by half (assuming same power needs to be delivered). Which is why you can use thinner gauge wire in places that have higher voltages. The higher voltage has one draw back, which is you can get quite a bit of inrush current. This is why in places like Europe power factor correction (essentially to deal with inrush currents and current spikes) is a lot more important and required by law (in most places from my understanding). I like in the US but travel to Bangladesh where homes are also constructed with concrete. My family members from back home always get shocked to learn houses in the US, and Canada) are constructed using wood. They can’t understand how it will last.

[@tylerw4593]

Good explanation, but it needs just one correction: Higher voltage doesn't *need* thinner gauge wire as you stated. It can use heavier gauge wire just fine, it's just excessive.

[@RexMoore58]

Do you mean starting current? Occurs when starting a motor, compressor, etc.

[@akhurash]

@@tylerw4593 You are correct. I fixed my post. :)

[@Torbox1]

Basically the gauge of wire is based on the amperage you are running and not on the voltage. In North America where we run 110V in order to get 1100W you need 10A vs most of the rest of the world where they run 220V you only need 5A to get 1100W. The total circuit power rating is the same but because of the lower amperage they can run a thinner conductor, although technically the insulation needs to be thicker but it is already so overkill its basically the same. The same goes for cars as well even at 12V, in order to run 10A you need 12 gauge, but the voltage drop is far worse with DC voltage so the longer the run the thicker it also needs to be. Just a guess about the metal roofing vs shingles is that is sheds snow better so you don't get as much buildup during long periods of snow.

[@seriouslypagan6904]

I want to see the finished product, please.

[@ca6177]

Wow, never knew about how they build in Iceland! Very sturdy! I live in the US so you know how my house is built. Only thing I can say is, my home was originally built in 1918, we have since remodeled top to bottom and we put a metal roof! Nevertheless, I think that how e in Iceland will last forever!

[@Sindrijo]

It's mostly due to Iceland having a cold humid climate while also being prone to experiencing earthquakes.

[@js8039]

Bro when you take a vacay you roll out.

[@lindaroyal8161]

Surprised you're in another country. Do you have family there? I'm north of Tampa Florida. 75 year old wood Craftsman, many original featured that I love.