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This reading must have been taken off of the distribution panel's main neutral conductor. The neutral conductor of a distribution panel carries the unbalanced current. If a panel is perfectly balanced there will be zero current on the neutral conductor. With loads being applied and removed from the distribution panel as equipment is turned on and off the neutral current will change. If the breaker that you turn off while the panel is in perfect balance when it is on, when it is turned off, it will put the panel into an unbalanced condition again and this is the current that you will be reading.

This is the reason that the electrical code allows a reduced neutral conductor size on distribution calculations. On engineered projects the circuit must be connected to the correct breaker position as shown on the electrical blueprint, as the engineer has already calculated the loads to produce the lowest possible current on the systems neutral conductor.

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8y ago
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6mo ago

The increase in neutral amps after shutting off the breaker could be due to a phenomenon called neutral leakage. This occurs when there is an unbalanced load on the phases, causing some current to flow through the neutral even when the breaker is off. It may also indicate a fault in the electrical system that needs to be investigated by a professional.

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8y ago

Something is wrong. If you're talking about the neutral for that particular circuit and it's a 120 volt circuit then the neutral should be 0 when breaker is off.

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Q: Why does Neutral amps increase after shutting off breaker?
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