Interestingly, the National Electrical Code of the United States is the source of the confusion between the ground wire and a neutral one. The neutral is an insulated wire because it is part of the circuit which flows electrical current. The neutral wire allows the completion of the circuit and the switch to have power even when it's turned to the off position when you want the lights off. so what is the purpose of a return, neutral wire? New to NNC? if i put an open switch on the hot/live wire right before, say, a radio, no power goes to the radio. The connection of a generator to a home using a transfer switch must be performed properly to ensure the integrity of the complete electrical system. What is the difference between the green ground wire and the white negative wire. The neutral in some case is used to carry excess current in an unbalanced circuit. So, what does the neutral wire do? Crimping electrical circuit wires is typically acceptable for the ground wires, however it is not a good practice for current carrying conductors. Do-It-Yourself Electrical. A neutral wire is the part of a typical three-wire circuit together with a hot wire and a grounding wire. Unlike the neutral wire, the ground wire does not actually carry the electricity. So where is the neutral wire? The neutral wire serves as common return to all the three phases acting outward from N 1. Is that correct? Thanks for sharing your question with us Wayne, In a normal situation with the neutral path intact, you would have 120 volts measured from across the light bulb or the receptacle. The neutral wire is connected to an earth ground. If the loads on the 3 phases are not balanced, the varying load on one phase does not cause large voltage changes on the other two phases. In Europe, there is a neutral connection in most countries, but the plug is designed so it can be swapped with the hot wire by simply rotating the plug. It remains has power when the switch is in the On Mode. Dave, Electrical Questions and Electrical Answers. The neutral points in both alternator and the load are joined together. But, a reason I can think of for why you would be asking is you are looking at a switch that requires a neutral. Home electrical wiring projects with pictures and wiring diagrams. I cannot possibly thank you enough. Out of the three, it is the one that is most commonly misunderstood. We will send you an email to reset your password. The colors white and gray indicate a neutral wire. One of the wires' insulation MUST be marked with a color difference or the ribbing. Electrical Wiring NEC names the grounding connection as a "grounding" conductor and refers to the neutral connection as a "grounded" conductor. Doing so allows the conductor's power to alternate and makes the circle of the electrical transmission complete. In this case, both sides of the light (hot and neutral) are the same, thus no potential difference (voltage), and the bulb does not light up. A ground wire provides the pathway for the voltage to reach the earth. These require both 120V and 240V, so they do require a neutral. The cable you take from the star point is called a neutral It is neutral with regard to all the phases Question 1 is yes they are carrying equal current,if they weren't then as you say the RCD would trip Voltage is apparant when there is a potential difference between conductors Neutral is a circuit conductor that normally completes the circuit back to the source. This link is helpful as a Homeowner However, if you see a white wire with electrical tape on it, that may indicate that it's being used as a hot wire. Some gadgets in the continent are designed to use a 208V 3-wire system with three hot wires and one ground wire. Here’s something that may help you: If you take a look at a typical electrical overhead power line that provides 240 volt service to a home you will notice that there are only two wires on the primary or secondary side of the power pole which either connects directly to the home service or to a step down transformer. The neutral is created at the home main electrical panel where it is bonded to the earth ground. In this case three wires will lead out from the transformer to each home electrical service connection. It's also possible to have some other colors may come into play depending on the system. But you do if you are grounded and then touch the white wire! I know to connect the hot wires to the live conductors and the ground to the ground. I currently have too many electric wire nuts on the wires in the box to allow full insertion of my switches. The black “hot” connection is broken to turn the light on/off, the white “neutral” connection completes the circuit. Electrical Wiring They are the safety wires in the electrical system). If you are in the process of home renovation, you might have dealt with neutral wires while replacing lighting circuits in your house. Electrical Panel Circuit Listing. These computers derive their power from two hot wires. The neutral prong is the wider of the two plugs. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published, Forgot your password? Neutral lines are at zero potential relative to the ground, meaning that ideally, they do not pose a shock hazard (but good safety practice is always a good idea). Without this neutral wire in place, the circuit is broken any time the switch is now in the off position. The neutral wire should be connected to a white wire in the box. To use a ground wire for anything other than a ground would be very dangerous and is not recommended. A neutral wire helps to complete this loop by bringing current (electricity) back to the power supply, completing the circuit and keeping the power on. could i just then have 1 hot/live wire and a ground wire coming out of it? However, a smart switch is an electronic system that requires a full circuit. The electrical service to the home from the utility company does not have a neutral wire, however it does have a ground conductor. Doing so allows the conductor's power to alternate and makes the circle of the electrical transmission complete. While all wire colors are important to understand and utilize properly, the neutral wire is a consistently overlooked piece of any electrical system. And ground wires are often plain copper, but the ground wire color can be green. Neutral bars are widely used in residential and commercial electrical service panels to terminate all those white 'neutral' or 'return' wires from the many load circuits in the building. How Do I Correct Ground Wire Electrical Code Violations? That’s the main purpose of a neutral wire, to serve as a pathway for energy to return back to the original source. Grounding wires are bare or have green insulation. I have been learning about electricity for at least 30 years and the more I see, the more I know there is yet to figure out. The only place the neutral wire is connected to the ground system is at the main power source, which is the main service panel where the ground system is bonded to the earth. In an electrical circuit, a neutral wire delivers the remaining power that was left after your smart switch or any kind of appliance draws current, back to the transformer outside your house. It will only do … I am connecting to a circuit cable with three conductors, with one ground wire. In this case, the power is carried by two hot wires in the circuit, and the neutral wire is omitted completely. This is how the circuit is ultimately completed or closed. Neutral wires are only present in AC alternating current power circuits. (notice, I did not say groundING. The main function and purpose of Neutral Wire in Electrical Circuit is to provide a return path for current in single phase supply. The Grounded Electrode Conductor In a plug, the live wire (brown) and the neutral wire (blue) are the two wires that form the complete circuit with a household appliance. In this case you may not have a neutral present in the box where you want to put the switch. By carrying the fault currents, a ground wire ensures the safety of an electrical circuit. All of the answers here are correct. It will run along with the positive wire, which is what brings the electricity from the panel (or other source) … For example, if a lightning strike damages the lines outside of your house, a ground wire is there to guarantee that your appliances are not burnt in the process. Assuming a storm knocks out the pole transformer which supplies electrical current to my house, if I use a generator to power my breaker panel, how does the neutral wire work? This article looks at common 120 volt and 240 volt house wiring circuits and the circuit breakers that are installed identifying the types and amperage sizes used in most homes. Dave. Usually identified by its white color, it takes the unused electricity back to the transformer. 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