[sdiy] Neutral ground

[Magnus Danielson]

From: James Patchell <patchell at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Neutral ground [was: midi optocouplers]
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:08:46 -0800
Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.2.20051212140656.00b627f0 at pop.west.cox.net>

> Yes...and no.  Neutral is the return path for the current from the hot 
> line.  Earth (Ground) is not supposed to have any current flowing in it at 
> all...it is ....just in case...
> 
> But yes...they are the same potential...or supposed to be (I lived in a 
> house where Neutral would read about 50 volts above ground.....yikes!)

It really depends alot on the details of the electrical installation. If you
run into gross phase-imbalance in the three-phase system, then this is what to
expect. Can also come from local transformer setup as I recall it. Where I live
we *usually* have three-phase to each home. Things is then balanced fairly well
within each house-hold. It averages out fairly well over a number of house-
holds under the same transformer station. I can see mine if I look out the
right window.

Some contries (such as Norway) have been running three-phase with no zero-
reference, which is a hell when you want a propper Zero. It causes hell. The
benefit is three wires instead of four wires in the distribution network.
Things is being rebuilt to normal three-phase with Zero thought. The benefits
is not weighted out by the problems it causes.

50V between Neutral and Protective Ground sounds really annoying! Can't you
have things fixed?

Cheers,
Magnus

> At 03:49 PM 12/12/2005 -0600, Woody Wall wrote:
> >So does this mean that neutral and earth ground are the same? Or am I 
> >missing something? It's been a long time since I studied this in school.
> >
> >Woody
> >
> >On 12/12/05, harrybissell 
> ><<mailto:harrybissell at prodigy.net>harrybissell at prodigy.net> wrote:
> >>USA uses 120VAC...
> >>
> >>Hot will have 120V AC with respect to earth ground
> >>
> >>Neutral should have no voltage with respect to earth ground.
> >>
> >>They can get reversed sometimes... with disasterous results in
> >>an audio system.  Having one chassis at 'hot' and another at
> >>neutral can mean line voltage in an audio cable...
> >>
> >>H^) harry
> >>
> >>Karl Ekdahl wrote:
> >>
> >> > I'd really like to know what the "hot"/"neutral" is all about, here in
> >> > sweden we've got no such thing but i'm moving to the US in a week so
> >> > i'd better learn....
> >> >
> >> > Karl
> >> >
> >> > Samppa Tolvanen 
> >> <<mailto:samppa.tolvanen at gmail.com>samppa.tolvanen at gmail.com> skrev:
> >> >
> >> >       We Finns are enjoying 230VAC with non-polarized mains
> >> >      sockets.
> >> >
> >> >      Shouldn't We all agree the truth, there's NO neutral wire.
> >> >      Just for newbies?
> >> >
> >> >      Grant said:
> >> >      "It is a good idea to verify that your electronic music
> >> >      studio wall
> >> >      sockets are wired correctly.
> >> >      I have seen strange things happen when neutral and hot are
> >> >      reversed.
> >> >      Even on transformer isolated equipment."
> >> >
> >> >      This sounds like badly designed equipment.
> >> >
> >> >      Samppa
> >> >
> >> >
> 
>          -Jim
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