Table of Contents
- 1 Does neutral wire have to be same size as hot wire?
- 2 Does the neutral wire size matter?
- 3 What happens when phase wire touches neutral wire?
- 4 What is the difference between a neutral and phase wire?
- 5 Should the neutral wire be thinner than the hot wire?
- 6 What are the disadvantages of a neutral wire?
Does neutral wire have to be same size as hot wire?
The grounded neutral conductor of a 4-wire, 3-phase system supplying nonlinear loads must be the same size as the ungrounded phase conductors. The Code considers the grounded neutral conductor a current-carrying conductor due to the harmonic currents generated by these loads.
Does the neutral wire size matter?
The “neutral” wire should ALWAYS be the same size as the “hot” wire. That said, that isn’t alway true either, as there is the case of a 220/120 vac appliance, such as an electric stove/oven. The cord on those will have a smaller neutral.
What happens when phase wire touches neutral wire?
In Short if neutral wire touches a earth wire, Nothing happen in case of AC 2 phase, The neutral wire should provide a return path for load currents. The earth wire should provide a return path for fault currents and protect against electric shock.
Can I downsize my neutral wire?
The neutral (grounded conductor) cannot be smaller than the required size of the GEC (per table 250.66) and is not required to be larger than the largest ungrounded conductor.
Can you downsize your neutral?
It is possible to downsize a feeder or service neutral according to the calculations in the National Electrical Code here: 220.61 Feeder or Service Neutral Load. (A) Basic Calculation. The feeder or service neutral load shall be the maximum unbalance of the load determined by this article.
What is the difference between a neutral and phase wire?
The neutral carries current if the loads on each phase are not identical. This has the advantage that the neutral wire can be made thinner than the phase wires, therefore saving weight and cost.
Should the neutral wire be thinner than the hot wire?
In a single phase circuit the neutral should never be thinner than the hot wire. You can’t assume that the neutral current is always low. In an office where the three phases are used for three separate single phase circuits, they won’t always be balanced. There is another lesser-known problem.
What are the disadvantages of a neutral wire?
In some systems the neutral wire is omitted and the return currents are allowed to flow through the ground. but it have some disadvantage like If the neutral is smaller than the phase conductors, it can be overloaded if a large unbalanced load occurs.
How do you size a neutral wire in a circuit?
Simply so, how do you size a neutral wire? Sizing the neutral: Sec. 220-22. You must size the neutral conductor to carry the maximum unbalanced current in the circuit (i.e. the largest load between the neutral and any one ungrounded phase conductor). You calculate the first 200A of neutral current at 100\%.