What two colors may be used for the ground conductor (neutral)
No. A ground wire is a non-current carrying conductor and cannot be used for hot or neutral.
# A ground electrode conductor is a conductor that originates at the neutral or equipment ground buses in the main service entrance panel board or separating derived system (e.g. isolation transformer) # A ground electrode is a item that is in contact with the earth (e.g. Building metal frame, underground continuous metallic water pipe etc...) # A ground conductor is a conductor that is used to keep an electrical system continuous. Ground conductors are required, by code, in all PVC conduit runs. Ground conductors are also used to keep all metallic components of the installation at the same zero potential to overcome mechanical connections that would not carry a fault current back to the supply distribution panel.
The only designated colors in electrical wiring in North America are White as a neutral and Green as a ground wire. All other colors can be used as live wires. There are specific colors designated by the electrical code for phase wiring.Answer for European SystemsThe relevant regulations define all conductors, other than the protective (earth/ground) conductor, as 'live' conductors. In Europe, the line conductor has a nominal potential of 230 V with respect to the neutral conductor.In Europe, the the three line conductors of a three-phase system are identified with brown, black, and grey insulation, respectively. For single-phase systems, brown is normally used. Neutral conductors are identified using blue insulation, and protective (earth/ground) conductors are identified using green/yellow stripedinsulation.
A bare grounded neutral should never get close to the ground if it is wired properly. When the neutral leaves the meter base it is in conduit and should enter into the distribution panel where it connects to the neutral buss. It is at this junction that the copper ground wire is connected after coming from the outside ground rod or ground plate which ever grounding system was used.
'Can' yes. 'Should' no. <<>> Never use a green wire for a neutral. It is colour coded for a reason and that is to protect the people that work on electrical equipment. If you turn a ground wire into a neutral it then becomes a current carrying conductor. There are times in the electrical trade when grounds have to be disconnected and if it is used as a neutral and the tradesman is holding one end and touching a grounded object a shock will occur. Again never use a green ground wire as a neutral.
No. A ground wire is a non-current carrying conductor and cannot be used for hot or neutral.
As the neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground, ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
The neutral is a current-carrying conductor, the grounding wire is not; it is for safety as an ALTERNATE path to ground. For example, if something happens to disconnect the neutral or if the hot side comes into contact with conductive portions of an appliance, the grounding conductor can save a life by providing a safe fault mechanism.
Yes, ground fault protection for equipment is requiredeven if the neutral will not be used.However, the question implies that it might not be required if there is a neutral. That is not true. With two exceptions, ground fault protection is always required in the US, and it is probably required in other countries as well.The exceptions are the use of an electric cooking range, and an electric clothes dryer. In those cases, the US NEC allows the neutral conductor to also be the ground fault conductor, except for the case where the range or dryer is in a mobile home. In the case of the mobile home, the ground fault conductor and the neutral conductor must be maintained separate and distinct all the way back to the distribution panel.In every other case, including where local code overrides the US NEC's exceptions, it must be understood that ground fault protection (protective earth ground) is not the same as neutral, even though the neutral conductor is grounded.
# A ground electrode conductor is a conductor that originates at the neutral or equipment ground buses in the main service entrance panel board or separating derived system (e.g. isolation transformer) # A ground electrode is a item that is in contact with the earth (e.g. Building metal frame, underground continuous metallic water pipe etc...) # A ground conductor is a conductor that is used to keep an electrical system continuous. Ground conductors are required, by code, in all PVC conduit runs. Ground conductors are also used to keep all metallic components of the installation at the same zero potential to overcome mechanical connections that would not carry a fault current back to the supply distribution panel.
It is the conductor that is used in service distribution panels that bonds the distribution panel's neutral bus bar to the ground electrode (rod). This brings all of the distribution panel neutrals that are connected to the same supply system to the same potential, that being zero. Should a supply service neutral open this ground wire will maintain the systems integrity until repairs can be made.
yes <<>> No, the ground wire is never to be used as a neutral. In this case if you need a 120 volt circuit from the 220 volt circuit a three wire cable (3C #14) must be installed.
The only designated colors in electrical wiring in North America are White as a neutral and Green as a ground wire. All other colors can be used as live wires. There are specific colors designated by the electrical code for phase wiring.Answer for European SystemsThe relevant regulations define all conductors, other than the protective (earth/ground) conductor, as 'live' conductors. In Europe, the line conductor has a nominal potential of 230 V with respect to the neutral conductor.In Europe, the the three line conductors of a three-phase system are identified with brown, black, and grey insulation, respectively. For single-phase systems, brown is normally used. Neutral conductors are identified using blue insulation, and protective (earth/ground) conductors are identified using green/yellow stripedinsulation.
A bare grounded neutral should never get close to the ground if it is wired properly. When the neutral leaves the meter base it is in conduit and should enter into the distribution panel where it connects to the neutral buss. It is at this junction that the copper ground wire is connected after coming from the outside ground rod or ground plate which ever grounding system was used.
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.
Yes 1/0 wire can be used for both ungrounded( hot wires) and the grounded conductor (neutral).
Flexible cord colours are, White for neutral and Green for ground.AnswerIt depends on the standards used in your country. The above answer refers to North America. In Europe, the colours are brown for the line (not 'phase'!) conductor, blue for the neutral conductor, and green/yellow stripe for the earth (ground) conductor. For European three-phase systems, the lines are coloured brown, black, and grey.