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In the electrical system of the US what is the difference between the neutral and the PE Ground?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
US NEC: The neutral conductor is an insulated grounded conductor used as the current return in a circuit. The color designation for neutral is white. The protective ground (PE, protective - earth) is a non-insultated grounding conductor used to shunt fault current to ground, tripping the protective device. The color designation for PE ground is green. Neutral and PE ground are tied together at the distribution panel. PE ground is also connected to a solid earth ground, such as grounding rods driven into the earth. Downstream of the distribution panel, PE ground is never used to carry operational current. Any current flow on PE Ground, other than parasitic current, is considered a ground fault, which must be corrected. In fact, GFCI (Ground Fault Current Interrupting) breakers will trip when neutral current does not match hot current, an indication of PE ground current flow.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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What is difference between shunt trip and ground fault circuit breaker?
Ground fault breakers monitor the current on the neutral wire flowing back to the neutral bar, a 4 to 6mA difference will trip the breaker, Shunt trip breakers on the other hand can be tripped remotely from some other type of switch or location. In industrial applications it is used to shut power off in an emergency situation, when access to an electrical panel may denied.
When you test the outlet you get no current between power and neutral but you get it between power and ground?
There is an open circuit on neutral. You should have power between hot and neutral, as well as between hot and ground. Note well, however, that you should not pull any power between hot and ground, because ground is not intended to be a current carrying conductor - it is only there as a protective earth ground in the case of fault. You can not easily tell, at the outlet, if neutral and ground is reversed - you need to pull a load and then double check with a clamp on ammeter at the distribution panel.
Will an arc fault breaker work without a ground?
Yes a GFCI will work without a ground wire. A GFCI looks for a current differential between current in on the "hot" wire and current return on the neutral wire. Since current is the same throughout the circuit, no difference, no trip. If the load grounds out or shorts out, the current then takes the path of least resistance through the ground and not the neutral. This creates a difference between the "hot" and return neutral current and the device trips the circuit open.
Why we don't get shock if we touch neutral wire..we need two wires to close circuit pH and n when circuit closes current will flow around the circuit and one wire gets shocked other not why?
We don't get shocked when we touch neutral and ground because neutral is grounded back at the distribution panel, so the effective voltage between neutral and ground is very low. It won't be zero, because there is current flowing on neutral, causing a voltage difference between the load and the distribution panel, but it is low enough, assuming there is no malfunction, to not cause a shock.In the case of touching hot and neutral, or hot and ground, you will get shocked because there is line voltage between hot and neutral, and because neutral and ground are connected together, there is also line voltage between hot and ground.Note, however, that connecting a load between hot and ground is a violation of the code and the intent of the design, because ground is not rated to carry current except in short term fault conditions - you must always connect a load between hot and neutral, or between hot and hot, as the case may be.
Can you use ohm-meter to measure a resistance between the neutral line N and the ground E?
If the meter is sensitive enough and there is a resistance between the neutral and ground then the meter should be able to detect it.
Difference between ground and neutral?
As i know,neutral is the return path of current & ground is for any leakage current
What is a ground fault?
difference in current between hot and neutral conductors
What happens if neutral and hot touch each other?
If a "hot" wire contacts the "neutral" or ground wire, electrical current flows to the ground.
What is the reading ground to neutral?
Ideally ground and neutral should be at the same potential, but as there is current in the neutral wire and no current (normally) in the ground wire there can be a difference. I have personally measured over 25 VAC on the neutral relative to ground in some systems.
GFCI circuitry often checks for a difference in current between the ground and neutral?
A GFCI monitors the current in the ungrounded (hot) conductor and the grounded (neutral) conductor. If there is more than 6mA of current difference between the two the GFCI will open the circuit.
Is it OK illegal or dangerous to connect the neutral to ground to make the circuit work?
If you have to connect the neutral to ground to make the circuit work then you have an open neutral in your circuit. Be careful in handling the neutral as there can be voltage potential on the neutral if a load is connected. In a properly wired home that has been inspected by the local electrical inspector the neutral should be bonded to the ground at the main service distribution point. There will be a green screw that projects through the neutral bus and is threaded into the back of the electrical panel. This should be the one and only place in the whole electrical system where this neutral to ground connection takes place. Dangerous!!!!! The ground is the safety to prevent you from getting shocked due to a malfunctioning piece of equipment. By using the ground for a neutral you will be energizing the entire ground system of you house or business. Thus anything with metal on it and a ground wire going to it will be electrified if the ground fails at the breaker box or building ground rod. Do you want to take this risk? Not I..........
What is the reason of the existence of a potential difference between the neutral point of the generator and the neutral point of the receiver?
Ground loop current, which is undesirable and every effort should be made to eliminate it.
What is difference between shunt trip and ground fault circuit breaker?
Ground fault breakers monitor the current on the neutral wire flowing back to the neutral bar, a 4 to 6mA difference will trip the breaker, Shunt trip breakers on the other hand can be tripped remotely from some other type of switch or location. In industrial applications it is used to shut power off in an emergency situation, when access to an electrical panel may denied.
Before installing the metal distribution boxes an electrical technician will need to remove the electrical bonding of the neutral and ground?
Conductor
What does a neutral atom in its ground state look like?
This atom hasn't an electrical charge.
What can happen if a utility-sized electrical generator has an ungrounded neutral?
What you need to define is the statement "utility- sized electrical generator". It depends on what the generators output is used for as to the way it is internally wired. In some configurations there is no neutral to ground as in a Delta configuration.If the generator is configured for a Wye output and the neutral centre tap is not grounded there will be a floating voltage between the generator and the utility system ground. It is for this reason that the generator's neutral point is grounded to bring the floating voltage down to zero volts to ground.
What is the function of neutral in electrical system?
See related link. The neutral wire provides the electric current a return path back to the electrical generation system. It is connected to earth ground, and should have no electric potential in relation to earth ground.
