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Any problems with shared neutral for for 4 15 amp breakers each on dedicated circuits?
Yes. If it a residential home then you can only have two breakers per neutral and they need to be on opposite legs of your panel. If it is a commercial 3phase panel then you can only put 3 breakers on a shared neutral. Here's why. In your panel assuming its residential you have two power wires and one neutral and these power wires are called legs. If you attach two breakers on the same leg that is across from each other on opposite sides of the panel or skipping a space between breakers on the same side at 15A apiece you return on the neutral will not be balanced and you will have the possibility of 30A coming back to your panel on the neutral which will fry a 14 Awg or even 12 Awg for that matter and cause a fire. Now if the breakers are in tandem that is they have the breaker tie that connects two breakers together they will be on separate legs and then only will your breakers/circuits be balanced and it will be safe to share a neutral on. If two tandem breakers are connected to a single neutral and they are all 15A breakers your return would be 30A again because although your tandem breakers are balanced now you have two tandem breakers returning a potential 15A per two breakers and that adds up to 30A. The next problem you have is when you share a neutral as per the National Electric Code if one breaker trips the other breaker also sharing that neutral must trip so that when the power is off any current that could possibly return through the neutral wire will be cut off. So now this creates another problem with 4 breakers sharing the same neutral is now there is no way to get all four to trip at the same time if there was a ground fault (a short) or an overload. and someone could get nailed by any current coming back on the shared neutral. All the same applies for 3phase except there are 3 power wires and you can use 3 breakers with a 3 breaker tie instead of just two. You either need to run one neutral per tandem breaker or four neutrals for four circuits/breakers. Tandem breakers controlling two separate circuits are a pain because when one breaker trips they trip the other circuit also. Tandems are mostly used for two circuits going to the same appliance so that no power on either leg reaches the appliance when it needs to be off.
What else can I help you with?
What is an electric shared neutral?
An electric shared neutral is the white or negative wire that is shared between two electrical circuits on a basic single phase system. Most electrical devices use 120 volts and require a "hot" wire and a neutral wire to operate. Some larger devices use 240 volts and require two "hot" wires to operate. Two circuit breakers in an electrical panel can share one neutral wire as long as the breakers are not on the same "leg" of power. When looking at an electrical panel there are usually two "legs" of power feeding all the breakers, each leg has 120 Volts to ground, if the "legs" are combined you will have 240 Volts. A neutral wire can be shared by two circuits as long as the breakers are on separate "legs". If someone needed to add two circuits in their home, the could run what is called a 3-wire romex, It has a black wire, a red wire, a white wire and a ground wire. The white wire is the neutral for both the black and red 120 volt circuits, and the breakers for the new circuits would need to be on separate "legs" in the panel.
Do you have to pin breakers together when sharing the neutral on branch circuits?
Pinning breakers is becoming a thing of the past. This is due to the manufacturing of two pole breakers with one common trip reset handle. The electrical code states that on a 240 volt breaker if one leg trips the other leg must be disconnected from the supply also. This is a safety factor so that if they weren't tied together and one leg tripped the other half of the breaker would remain "hot". Any one working on that circuit in the tripped position could get a nasty shock from the un-tripped leg. Pinning the breakers on 240 volts was done because it was convenient to use single pole breakers in the distribution panel. To abide by the code the two single pole breakers were common tied together. When the branch circuits share a neutral to a common box they have to be common tied for the same reason above. This type of circuit is found on kitchen counter receptacles. Two separate circuits that share a neutral and go to separate junction boxes do not need the breakers tied.
Can a 240 circuit with red black white and bare ground be changed into two separate 120 volt circuits using the same neutral white wire for both 120 volt circuits?
No, a neutral wire should not be shared between two separate 120 volt circuits. Each 120 volt circuit requires its own dedicated neutral wire to maintain safety and prevent overloading. Sharing a neutral wire between two circuits can result in overloading, tripped breakers, and potential electrical hazards.
What are the names of all the parts inside a breaker box?
Common parts inside a breaker box include circuit breakers, bus bars, terminal screws, neutral bars, ground bars, and a cover. The circuit breakers are used to control the flow of electricity to different parts of the building. The bus bars distribute the electricity from the main circuit to the individual circuits. The terminal screws connect the wires to the breakers, while the neutral and ground bars provide paths for neutral and grounding wires, respectively. The cover protects the internal components from dust and accidental contact.
Can you put 2 circuits on one neutral in a single phase house panel?
No, you should not put 2 circuits on one neutral in a single-phase house panel. Each circuit should have its own dedicated neutral wire to avoid overloading the neutral conductor and ensure safe and proper functioning of the electrical system. Mixing neutrals can lead to imbalanced currents and potential tripping of circuit breakers.
What is an electric shared neutral?
An electric shared neutral is the white or negative wire that is shared between two electrical circuits on a basic single phase system. Most electrical devices use 120 volts and require a "hot" wire and a neutral wire to operate. Some larger devices use 240 volts and require two "hot" wires to operate. Two circuit breakers in an electrical panel can share one neutral wire as long as the breakers are not on the same "leg" of power. When looking at an electrical panel there are usually two "legs" of power feeding all the breakers, each leg has 120 Volts to ground, if the "legs" are combined you will have 240 Volts. A neutral wire can be shared by two circuits as long as the breakers are on separate "legs". If someone needed to add two circuits in their home, the could run what is called a 3-wire romex, It has a black wire, a red wire, a white wire and a ground wire. The white wire is the neutral for both the black and red 120 volt circuits, and the breakers for the new circuits would need to be on separate "legs" in the panel.
What are the key components and functions of a 3 phase electrical panel?
A 3-phase electrical panel consists of three main components: circuit breakers, bus bars, and neutral bars. The circuit breakers protect the electrical circuits from overloads and short circuits. The bus bars distribute the electrical power to different circuits, while the neutral bars provide a return path for the current. Overall, the panel functions to safely distribute and control the flow of electricity in a building.
Do you have to pin breakers together when sharing the neutral on branch circuits?
Pinning breakers is becoming a thing of the past. This is due to the manufacturing of two pole breakers with one common trip reset handle. The electrical code states that on a 240 volt breaker if one leg trips the other leg must be disconnected from the supply also. This is a safety factor so that if they weren't tied together and one leg tripped the other half of the breaker would remain "hot". Any one working on that circuit in the tripped position could get a nasty shock from the un-tripped leg. Pinning the breakers on 240 volts was done because it was convenient to use single pole breakers in the distribution panel. To abide by the code the two single pole breakers were common tied together. When the branch circuits share a neutral to a common box they have to be common tied for the same reason above. This type of circuit is found on kitchen counter receptacles. Two separate circuits that share a neutral and go to separate junction boxes do not need the breakers tied.
Can a 240 circuit with red black white and bare ground be changed into two separate 120 volt circuits using the same neutral white wire for both 120 volt circuits?
No, a neutral wire should not be shared between two separate 120 volt circuits. Each 120 volt circuit requires its own dedicated neutral wire to maintain safety and prevent overloading. Sharing a neutral wire between two circuits can result in overloading, tripped breakers, and potential electrical hazards.
Can you use a GFCI on an unswitched circuit line red that uses the same neutral white for a switched circuit coming from the other phase line black in a 240v breaker panel?
Yes. You are allowed to use a neutral for one circuit from each phase of your service. For example, in a residential service, you can use the same neutral for circuits 1 and 3. In a commercial (3 phase) service, you can use a neutral for circuits 1, 3, and 5. You will experience problems if you use a neutral for two 'black' circuits or two 'red' circuits, if the circuits originate from the same phase bus bar. Also, AFCI's are sensitive to sharing neutrals, but GFCI's are not.
What are the names of all the parts inside a breaker box?
Common parts inside a breaker box include circuit breakers, bus bars, terminal screws, neutral bars, ground bars, and a cover. The circuit breakers are used to control the flow of electricity to different parts of the building. The bus bars distribute the electricity from the main circuit to the individual circuits. The terminal screws connect the wires to the breakers, while the neutral and ground bars provide paths for neutral and grounding wires, respectively. The cover protects the internal components from dust and accidental contact.
If you are making your own device and you bring in 208 3 phase for part of your needs - how can you properly tap 110 single phase from it to operate other parts of your device?
Your incoming 208V 3 phase power supply will also need an incoming neutral of the same conductor size. Then any single pole breaker installed in the panel will have 110 volts to the neutral. That is you can run 208V 3 phase motor circuits from a three phase breakers in the panel and any number of 110V circuits from single pole breakers.
What is the code ruling in the US on 3 phase branch circuits and the neutral?
A three phase system will have 3 phase branch circuits and no neutral.
Can you put 2 circuits on one neutral in a single phase house panel?
No, you should not put 2 circuits on one neutral in a single-phase house panel. Each circuit should have its own dedicated neutral wire to avoid overloading the neutral conductor and ensure safe and proper functioning of the electrical system. Mixing neutrals can lead to imbalanced currents and potential tripping of circuit breakers.
What are the benefits of using plug-on neutral circuit breakers in residential electrical systems?
Plug-on neutral circuit breakers offer easier installation, improved safety, and better reliability in residential electrical systems.
What is meant by tp and tpn circuit breakers?
The difference of TP and TPN in circuit breakers is the ability of the switch to hold a neutral position. With TPN, a neutral switch position is not possible. With TP, the breaker can be held in a neutral position.
Can 12 2 w gnd wire be used for two different 20 amp circuits safely meaning I would have two separate circuits on two separate 20 amp breakers There would only be 1 white wire returning?
No, sharing a neutral wire between two 20 amp circuits is not safe because it can cause overloading and create a fire hazard. Each circuit should have its own dedicated neutral wire to properly balance the load. It is best to run a separate neutral wire for each circuit in this scenario.
