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The potential for electrocution is eliminated if you switch the "live" leg instead of the neutral.

The transformer that feeds your house is typically capable of delivering 240 VAC. The transformer is "center tapped", meaning that the center of the output coil is literally "tapped" to become the third wire. At the transformer, most electrical service companies ground the center tap, making it effectively, zero potential voltage.

By the time it gets to your home, however, the neutral may actually carry a small potential, making it slightly different than the ground wire that runs through your home.

Switching the neutral breaks the connection and turns off the appliance, however it leaves the rest of the circuit live, and creates a significant electrocution hazard.

However, switching the "live" leg terminates the electrical potential at the appliance and eliminates the electrocution hazard.

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15y ago

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