What is the function of neutral wire in the three pin plug?

Answer 1

A fuse is an overcurrent protection device. So the fuse fitted inside a plug is designed to protect the circuit which it supplies. British plugs are rated at 13 A, but must be fitted with an appropriately-rated fuse, based on the load supplied from that socket.

Answer 2

Answer for UK, Europe and countries running a 50 Hz supply service.

The neutral provides the return path for the supply current that comes in on the live wire. So the live and neutral are the two wires that connect the power to the load.

The neutral is usually connected to ground at the supply transformer, which might be at the end of the street. However it is possible for dangerous voltage pulses to appear on the neutral wire under fault conditions.

Also in a 3-pin plug is the earth wire that connects the exterior surfaces of all appliances so that they are all at the same potential and cannot give electric shocks. That is also connected to ground and to the gas and water pipes at each property.

Answer 3

In the UK plugs are individually fused, and they are usually sold fitted with a 13 amp fuse.

Smaller fuses can be used for low-power equipment, and common fuse sizes in use are 3A and 5A. Fuses can also be bought rated at 1A and 7A.

Typical fuses would be 3A for lights and radios, 5A for TVs, computers and irons, and 13A for refrigerators, convectors, water heaters, driers and machines like vacuum cleaners.

These would all be plugged in to a 30-amp ring circuit using 2.5 mm2 fixed wiring.

Answer 4

Electricity is used to move Energy from one place to another and it must flow in a circle (called a Circuit). A Generator takes electricity from the Earth (literally the ground), adds Energy to it and sends it 'out' through the Hot wire. The Electricity then goes through some device, gives up the Energy the Generator put into it and flows back to the Generator through the Neutral wire to start the cycle again. It is called Neutral because it has no voltage (Energy) left in it, it is just an easy and safe way for the 'used' electricity to get back to the Generator that 'made' it in the first place. In the US the Neutral wire is often called 'return'.

Neutral is usually connected to 'ground' at a Distribution Panel where the main power enters a building. This connection is not technically necessary for Electricity to work, it is just safer if Neutral is regularly connected to a good solid ground to ensure it flows where it should and not through people.

Answer 5

The neutral wire in a three-pin plug completes the circuit and provides a return path for the current to flow back to the electrical supply. It carries the current back to the source and helps to balance the electrical load in the circuit.