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What is the purpose of a neutral wire in an electrical appliance?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
In order for current to flow in a circuit, it must have an "input" wire, and a "return" wire. So "what goes in, has got to come out" of a circuit. The "hot" wire in a home appliance connects to the "hot" wire in an electrical outlet (which in turn is connected to the black color coded wire supplying power to the outlet).
The "neutral" wire provides the return path to the outlet (white color coded wire, and "wider" blade of the outlet) for the current. In a typical, properly wired system, both the "neutral" and "ground" wires are connected to an actual "earth" ground by means of a long (6 to 12 ft.) rod driven into the earth at the power inlet to the home
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As to the "ground" wire (usually a bare wire when "unsheathed" in an outlet box), while it generally IS connected to the "neutral" wire in the distribution panel, and would carry the "return" current, it's intended only as a safety measure to: (1) provide a return current path should the "neutral" wire open or become disconnected, (2) provide a "grounded" current return path should the "hot wire in the appliance be shorted (or develop a low current path) to the frame or outer portions of the appliance.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIt greatly depends on what you are considering an 'appliance'. For a typically small appliance in North America (Canada & USA) will use 'polarized' plugs. In the absence of a ground contact, one of the two blades will be slightly larger thus only allowing the plug to be inserted in one way.
The smaller of the blades is for the Non-grounded, current carrying conductor (I.E. Hot, Black Wire, etc...)
The larger blade is the for the Grounded, current carrying conductor (I.E. Common, Neutral, White Wire, etc...)
The third contact (if present) is the Ground, or the 'Grounded, non-current carrying conductor. And when replacing a grounded plug, never substitute a grounded three prong plug with a non-grounded two prong plug (Also, do not remove the ground 'prong' to facilitate plugging into a non-grounded receptacle or cord, or use a 'Cheater') as the devices safety will be severely compromised and create serious fire & safety issues.
Most larger appliances such as dryers and stoves use both L1 and L2, and may not have a true neutral. While you may see a 'White' wire on one of the contacts of the receptacle, it is typically being used as a Non-grounded, current carrying conductor and is actually a 'Hot' wire.
It is best consult a licensed/certified electrician as improper connections can lead to both fire & safety hazards...
On lamp cords where both blades are of equal size the neutral side of the wire has a raised rib along its length.
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What wire carries the electrical current to the appliance?
The black wire is the hot wire through which the electrical current flows to the appliance. The left over voltage which is usually zero flows back to the main circuit panel through the white neutral wire where it flows to ground.
Should neutral wire of lamp be connected to the 3amp or the 6 amp side of a canopy switch?
You should never switch the neutral wire. The neutral of the appliance should be connected directly to the neutral wire leading to the service panel neutral bar.
Which is the safest position for the switch to turn an appliance on and off?
the safest position for a switch is on the live wire and not on the neutral wire
Is the neutral wire energized when the appliance is off?
No current flows in the circuit when the circuit is open, as in when the appliance is switched off. The voltage is on the "hot" side of the switch when it is in the open position but the neutral is not energized until the switch is closed.
Why it is important to properly ground your electrical appliances?
The ground wire is the low impedance and direct return path to the distribution panelboard. The ground wire carries any fault current back to the panelboard. This fault current is what trips the circuits protection. This protection can be either a fuse but more likely an electrical circuit breaker.One common mistake in the electrical trade is the thought that the ground wire connects to the neutral bus or wire. The ground wire does not connect to the neutral wire or the panelboards isolated neutral bus.The ground wire connects to the ground bus in the panelboard. This is an non-isolated bus that is threaded directly to the panelboard enclosure. The only place the ground bus and the neutral connect to each other is through the neutral bonding screw. This is a screw that goes through the neutral bus and threads itself into the enclosure of the panelboard thereby picking up the ground bus.
What wire carries the electrical current to the appliance?
The black wire is the hot wire through which the electrical current flows to the appliance. The left over voltage which is usually zero flows back to the main circuit panel through the white neutral wire where it flows to ground.
What is the the purpose of the ground wire on an appliance?
If there happens to be a fault on that appliance the ground wire is the faults path back to ground.
What is the purpose of the neutral wire in an appliance?
In order for current to flow in a circuit, it must have an "input" wire, and a "return" wire. So "what goes in, has got to come out" of a circuit. The "hot" wire in a home appliance connects to the "hot" wire in an electrical outlet (which in turn is connected to the black color coded wire supplying power to the outlet). The "neutral" wire provides the return path to the outlet (white color coded wire, and "wider" blade of the outlet) for the current. In a typical, properly wired system, both the "neutral" and "ground" wires are connected to an actual "earth" ground by means of a long (6 to 12 ft.) rod driven into the earth at the power inlet to the home . As to the "ground" wire (usually a bare wire when "unsheathed" in an outlet box), while it generally IS connected to the "neutral" wire in the distribution panel, and would carry the "return" current, it's intended only as a safety measure to: (1) provide a return current path should the "neutral" wire open or become disconnected, (2) provide a "grounded" current return path should the "hot wire in the appliance be shorted (or develop a low current path) to the frame or outer portions of the appliance.
Should neutral wire of lamp be connected to the 3amp or the 6 amp side of a canopy switch?
You should never switch the neutral wire. The neutral of the appliance should be connected directly to the neutral wire leading to the service panel neutral bar.
Which is the safest position for the switch to turn an appliance on and off?
the safest position for a switch is on the live wire and not on the neutral wire
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.
Is the neutral wire energized when the appliance is off?
No current flows in the circuit when the circuit is open, as in when the appliance is switched off. The voltage is on the "hot" side of the switch when it is in the open position but the neutral is not energized until the switch is closed.
Why it is important to properly ground your electrical appliances?
The ground wire is the low impedance and direct return path to the distribution panelboard. The ground wire carries any fault current back to the panelboard. This fault current is what trips the circuits protection. This protection can be either a fuse but more likely an electrical circuit breaker.One common mistake in the electrical trade is the thought that the ground wire connects to the neutral bus or wire. The ground wire does not connect to the neutral wire or the panelboards isolated neutral bus.The ground wire connects to the ground bus in the panelboard. This is an non-isolated bus that is threaded directly to the panelboard enclosure. The only place the ground bus and the neutral connect to each other is through the neutral bonding screw. This is a screw that goes through the neutral bus and threads itself into the enclosure of the panelboard thereby picking up the ground bus.
Is orange the neutral wire in a plug?
No, the colour white is used to identify the neutral in electrical distribution systems.
What wire would you use for a receptacle in kitchen?
To answer this question more information is required, as to the appliance electrical consumption.
What is the main purpose of the grounding pin on a three prong plug for an appliance?
Mainly to prevent electrical shocks to the user of the appliance. Also helps keep the appliance from being damaged. <><><> The purpose of the grounding pin or prong is to connect the metal casing and any metal parts inside the appliance straight back to ground independently to the neutral wire. Then, if ever the metal casing or any metal parts inside the appliance become electrically "hot" or "live" because of an equipment failure, accidental damage - or some other cause of a malfunction - the direct path back to ground will in effect produce an immediate short circuit that will make the fuse or circuit breaker, that is protecting the circuit supplying current to the appliance, to operate to break the supply of current. By doing so, it helps to prevent electrical shocks to the user of the appliance. For more information see the answer to the Related Question shown below.
How is an appliance grounded when it has 2 prong plug?
Assuming inside the lighting/distribution panel, the Neutral bar is "bonded" to the ground bar. Then the neutral prong (usually larger) of the receptical is then directly wired to the Neutral bar in the panel. The above technique keeps the NEUTRAL at GROUND potential, however, the metalic frame of the appliance remains UN-GROUNDED if the supply cord is only 2-wire. The NEUTRAL connection inside the appliance is not allowed to be bonded to the frame of the appliance. Therefore, the un-grounded metal frame of the appliance can become a shock hazard if there is a fault in the appliance's internal wiring
