0
What are two places that neutral buss bar in the service panel can be grounded?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
<<>>
You have the neutral coming into the box and the ground wire going to either a grounding rod or the water line where it comes into the house.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Can the bare grounded neutral conductor of a service be buried directly in the ground?
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.
Is the neutral wire consider a hot wire?
Neutral is neither Hot nor ground. Neutral is the return wire for electrical service. It is a requirement , by law, that the Neutral Wire Feed into an electrical service box (main panel) be BONDED to the box and the Earth ground. Thie effectively makes the neutral in circuits out of the service panel equal to ground. But as it enters the service panel from the utility and meter pan, it is not ground. <<>> The only time that the neutral can have voltage on it is if it gets disconnected from the distribution point. Then the voltage that is supplied to the load will continue through the load and stop at the disconnection point. If you touch the uninsulated part of the neutral wire and touch any grounded equipment at the same time your body will act as a conductor for the load circuit. You will receive a nasty shock. This scenario is the only time that the neutral is "hot".
Why do you isolate the neutral?
If you are working with a sub panel, there are a few reasons to isolate the neutral. Firstly, currents will then return to the main panel and service ground.
Why the neutral line spark when touches the ground in the panel or other circuit?
The neutral conductor, or "grounded conductor", takes the unbalanced current back to its origin if wired correctly. If it finds a ground path before it makes it back to the panel, it will take it. If you take a neutral off its path back to a panel, and happen to touch a grounded surface, such as a metal case, you will become the ground path. That being being said for safety's sake, I will continue. The neutral wire completes the circuit. A neutral wire unattached to a neutral bar is an extension of the "hot" wire, or ungrounded wire, and will spark if grounded. If that unattached neutral touched a different circuit of a different phase, then what ever was connected between the hot and neutral wires just went poof. I hope that helps a little.
How do you know what wire is ground on 200 amp service?
On a 200 amp or any size service the ground wire is easily identified. Look in the distribution panel for the neutral bus bar. This is where the service neutral (white wire) is connected to the distribution panel. There you will see a bare copper wire connected to the same neutral bar. This is the ground wire that is connected to the ground rods out side of the house.
Can the bare grounded neutral conductor of a service be buried directly in the ground?
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.
Why do you have 230vdc from neutral to ground in a three phase 460vac panel?
Neutral is grounded in a distribution panel. At best, it is only a few tens of millivolts away from ground and it certainly would not be DC - it would be AC.
Do you need a grounding rod at a subpanel on a detached building?
Yes. The panel must be grounded with its own grounding rod. The ground will not be provided with the feeders to the panel, these will only contain your phase wires and neutral. Also make sure that any subpanel installed does not have the neutral bonded to ground. This should only be done at the main panel where the electrical utility service is connected.
Is the neutral wire consider a hot wire?
Neutral is neither Hot nor ground. Neutral is the return wire for electrical service. It is a requirement , by law, that the Neutral Wire Feed into an electrical service box (main panel) be BONDED to the box and the Earth ground. Thie effectively makes the neutral in circuits out of the service panel equal to ground. But as it enters the service panel from the utility and meter pan, it is not ground. <<>> The only time that the neutral can have voltage on it is if it gets disconnected from the distribution point. Then the voltage that is supplied to the load will continue through the load and stop at the disconnection point. If you touch the uninsulated part of the neutral wire and touch any grounded equipment at the same time your body will act as a conductor for the load circuit. You will receive a nasty shock. This scenario is the only time that the neutral is "hot".
Why do you isolate the neutral?
If you are working with a sub panel, there are a few reasons to isolate the neutral. Firstly, currents will then return to the main panel and service ground.
Why the neutral line spark when touches the ground in the panel or other circuit?
The neutral conductor, or "grounded conductor", takes the unbalanced current back to its origin if wired correctly. If it finds a ground path before it makes it back to the panel, it will take it. If you take a neutral off its path back to a panel, and happen to touch a grounded surface, such as a metal case, you will become the ground path. That being being said for safety's sake, I will continue. The neutral wire completes the circuit. A neutral wire unattached to a neutral bar is an extension of the "hot" wire, or ungrounded wire, and will spark if grounded. If that unattached neutral touched a different circuit of a different phase, then what ever was connected between the hot and neutral wires just went poof. I hope that helps a little.
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
What is an grounding electrode conductor?
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.
What size neutral wire for 200 amp service panel?
AWG # 3/0 copper.
How do you know what wire is ground on 200 amp service?
On a 200 amp or any size service the ground wire is easily identified. Look in the distribution panel for the neutral bus bar. This is where the service neutral (white wire) is connected to the distribution panel. There you will see a bare copper wire connected to the same neutral bar. This is the ground wire that is connected to the ground rods out side of the house.
Where do you hook your neutral in your breaker panel if there is no neutral bar?
Unless the panel is the Main Panel (first panel in the system after the service feed) all panels have a neutral bar. Otherwise you are missing pieces. If this is the Main Panel, the neutral bar is bonded to the ground by a bus-bar. If this is the case, neutrals should all be connected to the same side of these bonded bars. Electrically it makes no difference, however it is a good practice to keep electrical panels neat and organized. If this is not the Main Panel and there is no neutral bar, STOP, PUT DOWN THE TOOLS, CALL A PROFESSIONAL. This panel is missing pieces and may be dangerous. It is possible to have a panel without a neutral. This panel would serve only 240 volt loads where no neutral is needed, however I have not seen this done in residential applications.
Can you crimp copper grounding electrode to aluminum neutral of service entrance?
You should not have to crimp the copper grounding electrical wire to the aluminium service neutral. There is only one place where these two wires should meet. In the service distribution panel there is a neutral block where the two wires are connected. There are individual terminal points in the block. Tighten the ground rod wire under one of these points and place the incoming service neutral under another point in the same block. In this same block there will be a machine screw that bonds the neutral block to the distribution panel's enclosure.
