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1. This is normal if your neutral conductor or a busbar is under size wherein the source is a 3 phase + N + E. 2. Most pre-fabricated 3 phase panelboards have a neutral busbar size just equivalent to phase busbars . 3. When your loads are mostly or all 1 phase in a 3 phase panelboard -- the Neutral Busbar is overloaded and heating will occur or melting. 4. When planning or designing this is given attention in specifying or computing details prior to manufacturing or fabrication of panelboards. 5. If the heating occurs in a conductor -- please check loose connections either side of terminations or you may trace that particular length of neutral cable if it's used (tapped) for other loads.

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16y ago
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4mo ago

A neutral wire can become hot if there is an imbalance in the electrical current flowing through the circuit. This can be due to a loose connection, overloaded circuit, or a fault in the wiring. The excessive current flow causes resistance, leading to heat buildup in the neutral wire.

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14y ago

It must be connected to (or touching) something that allows it to carry a charge. If the wire becomes hot, electricity is definitely flowing (or you're holding it over a fire) and you should probably find out why.

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Q: Why would a neutral wire become hot?
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Why neutral wire doesn't give electric shock?

The neutral wire doesn't give an electric shock because it is the same potential as ground. That being said if you come in contact with the "hot" wire and the neutral or ground wire, you become the load and will receive a substantial shock.


Which is the Hot wire and which is the Neutral wire if the wires you see are a Brown a Blue and a Yellow Green wire?

In electrical wiring, the live or "hot" wire is typically brown or red, the neutral wire is typically blue or black, and the ground wire is yellow or green. So, in this case, the brown wire is likely the hot wire, the blue wire is the neutral wire, and the yellow green wire is the ground wire.


How do you determine hot to neutral?

You can determine the hot and neutral wires by using a voltage tester. The hot wire will have voltage present when measured against the ground or neutral wire, while the neutral wire should not have voltage when measured against the ground wire. It is also recommended to consult a licensed electrician if you are unsure.


Why are the live wire and neutral wire never joined together?

The live wire carries current from the electrical source to the device, while the neutral wire completes the circuit by returning the current back to the source. If the live and neutral wires were joined together, it would create a short circuit, potentially leading to overheating, electrical fires, or damage to the electrical system.


Can a red wire be neutral?

In ordinary circumstances, a red wire is a secondary hot wire in an AC circuit, or the positive power leg in a DC circuit. Red should not be used as a neutral. If it is used for something other than a hot wire it must be labeled on the wire at all connection points- and would STILL be a bad idea.

Related questions

What does an open neutral mean?

Typical home wiring will have one hot wire, one neutral wire, and one ground wire per circuit. An open neutral would indicate that the neutral wire, usually white wire, is broken.


Is the ridged wire neutral or hot?

If wired properly the ridged wire is the neutral.


Why neutral wire doesn't give electric shock?

The neutral wire doesn't give an electric shock because it is the same potential as ground. That being said if you come in contact with the "hot" wire and the neutral or ground wire, you become the load and will receive a substantial shock.


Which is the Hot wire and which is the Neutral wire if the wires you see are a Brown a Blue and a Yellow Green wire?

In electrical wiring, the live or "hot" wire is typically brown or red, the neutral wire is typically blue or black, and the ground wire is yellow or green. So, in this case, the brown wire is likely the hot wire, the blue wire is the neutral wire, and the yellow green wire is the ground wire.


Which of the two wires is hot which is neutral?

If this is a home wiring question and the wires are black and white then black is Hot and white is Neutral. If you also have a red wire, it is the other hot wire, and either the black or the red wire to the white one would be 120 volts, and red to black would be 240 volts.


How do you determine hot to neutral?

You can determine the hot and neutral wires by using a voltage tester. The hot wire will have voltage present when measured against the ground or neutral wire, while the neutral wire should not have voltage when measured against the ground wire. It is also recommended to consult a licensed electrician if you are unsure.


What happens if neutral and hot touch each other?

If a "hot" wire contacts the "neutral" or ground wire, electrical current flows to the ground.


A light switch has three wire colors red and white and green which is the hot wire and which is the neutral?

Red is hot Green is ground White is neutral


Why are the live wire and neutral wire never joined together?

The live wire carries current from the electrical source to the device, while the neutral wire completes the circuit by returning the current back to the source. If the live and neutral wires were joined together, it would create a short circuit, potentially leading to overheating, electrical fires, or damage to the electrical system.


Can a red wire be neutral?

In ordinary circumstances, a red wire is a secondary hot wire in an AC circuit, or the positive power leg in a DC circuit. Red should not be used as a neutral. If it is used for something other than a hot wire it must be labeled on the wire at all connection points- and would STILL be a bad idea.


How do you wire a 3 wire exhaust fan to a 4 wire outlet?

The fan is probably a 115 VAC single phase fan and the outlet is probably a 230 VAC "two phase" outlet. The fan would then have the following wires: hot (black), neutral (white), and ground (green). The outlet would then have the following wires: hot #1 (black), hot #2 (red), neutral (white), and ground (green). Pick either of the two hot wires on the outlet and connect the hot wire of the fan to that (ignore the other hot wire on the outlet) and connect the neutral to neutral and ground to ground. If the wire colors are not as I described above you may have something else (e.g. 3-phase) and that would be wired differently, but those systems are usually used only in industrial settings not the home.


How can you connect a system working with 60Hz 1 Hot wire 1 neutral wire and a ground wire to my utility system that works with 60Hz two hot wires and a neutral wire?

Your 2-wire system is actually connected to one "side" of the 3-wire system. In your utility's 3-wire system you have 2 hot wires that are attached to each end of a tranformer winding and the neutral is attached in the middle and grounded. Typically in the US this gives you 240v (or something similar) between hot leads and 120v from each hot lead to neutral or ground.