What is the most common residential electrical service type?

The most common residential electrical service type is single-phase service. This service type is prevalent in residential areas primarily because it efficiently provides the necessary voltage and current for standard household appliances and lighting circuits.

Single-phase service typically delivers 120 volts or 240 volts, which is adequate for most residential applications including heating, cooling, and general power requirements. It consists of one alternating current (AC) waveform, making it straightforward to distribute and more cost-effective to implement for regular homes.

While three-phase service is utilized in commercial settings and for industrial applications where higher power is required, it is not common in residential installations due to its complexity and higher costs. Dual-phase service is not a standard term used in residential wiring; instead, the term "split-phase service" is commonly used. Split-phase service is actually a variation of single-phase that uses two 120-volt lines to provide 240 volts for larger appliances. However, it is still classified under single-phase service in terms of its basic functionality.

As for split-phase service, it is widely utilized in North America primarily to supply both 120-volt and 240-volt circuits within the same household but still falls under the category of single-phase service in the context of residential electrical systems. This