The Neutral Conductor and What Happens When it Breaks

[@Thujaplicata1]

Zack, the way you explain things is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@ZackHartle]

You're very welcome!

[@selfmade128]

Thank you! So glad I came across your channel! Your explanations are very clear and straightforward.

[@russellteejaymolina6736]

Very informative well explain, it means a dangerous thing once the neutral conductor is removed in a wye transformer config 4 wire distribution system. Some loads will be like a firecrackers since they will be operating at higher voltages beyond their ratings, while other loads from other phases will experience low voltage and will experience heating causing damage eventually if not addressed immediately by the utility company. It is a floating neutral. It is like a boat that is not achored when the owner left it, and to his/her surprised the boat is gone taken away by the wave.

[@kingofdice66]

Thank you Senior Pablo!

[@Kenneth-ts7bp]

I once got shocked doing a plumbing repair that had a ground cable going to it from Earth. I was standing in water and soldering the two pipes together. What a pleasant experience when I grabbed both pipes simultaneously.

[@mafosa8519]

Excellent! Like how you formatted the video! Easy to understand. Larry

[@ZackHartle]

Glad you liked it

[@alexstone691]

I love this channel, the whole drawing thing is a genius idea and works great for any kind of explaining

[@ZackHartle]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching!

[@hoivien3001]

I please with your content. Thank you very much. Please keep doing this, Soon you will popular on this platform

[@rickyhernandez4844]

If the ground is hooked up to the neutral point, does that mean that current goes to ground when it's energized

[@510purple]

so the neutral is basically like a wastegate for unbalanced voltage?

[@andrewmicas4327]

I was in a factory when they lost Neutral connection, I had a laptop charger plugged in the Charger literally blew up, Lap top, survived frightened the living day lights out of me. This was in the UK where our single phase voltage is nominal 220v.

[@BritishEngineer]

Nominal 240v And your laptop SMPS will have seen a spike in voltage of over 400+vac, as the rectified voltage is the Vpeakxsqrt2 then we can safely say the main rectifier capacitor handled 560+vdc which was most likely the part that exploded ( those universal smps primary smoothing capacitors are rated only for 450v max)

[@johnfist6220]

You said it becomes a series circuit but what about the third load that isn't visible on the screen?

[@JimFly01]

So what I wanted to know during this whole great video(and it is good) was what the voltage is going to be at the broken neutral to ground or in your drawing at the purple x . This is so important and I cannot beleive you skipped this part about "broken neutrals". No offense , but such a good video should include the shock hazzard associated there. In your circuit the V-drop for both resistors is 115v for the higher Z and 92v for the lower Z so what is the voltage at X (broken neutral to ground) Jim.

[@BerHarSenSam]

Hi Zac, Thanks for this great video and informative explanation. Would you please advise if neutral wire breaks on three phase power supply, within a DB with RCD is installed in, would that RCD trip off and cut the power off in case of loss of neutral wire. Thank you.

[@johnshahin1377]

Thanks alot for your tutorials and it's very useful for me and I've got 309A license

[@aagrafio]

In your example you are not considering the L3. So, the two loads are not in series, as part of the current is flowing to the 3rd phase.

[@nbkk771]

Excellent explanation

[@kakipoon7015]

Will it become a phase to phase short circuit condition when neutral breaks ?

[@johndavies6253]

I wish I’d have had a chance to watch your videos back when I was struggling in technical college, my grades would have been much improved. Great explanation, really clear and brilliantly presented. Thank you!

[@mikegeorge3368]

What about when the neutral isn’t broken but becomes a higher impedance. In Australia we have the earth tied to neutral so if the neutral break current will flow back to the source via earth. Earth stakes can be very high impedance.

[@gamelover2594]

very informative video, congratulation

[@jma8352]

thanks for the education, do you have any recommendations for an auto transformer to run my 2hp well pump with 4000 watt inverter? i have 800 watts of solar panels and will have 8 186 ah 6 volt golf cart batteries

[@tedlahm5740]

Indicated open neutral. The less LOAD (8A of current) will continue to function. HOWEVER do not touch the open neutral (line side) as indicated. Kirchhoff’s voltage rule for series circuits. Believe this is correct, comment please.

[@3-y86]

So wait if i have only ground and live without neutral. Device will not work, but can be damaged? And there is not some device in electrical system what can stop damage?

[@БауыржанЖұмағали-к9э]

тамаша. Рахмет Жигиттер

[@MamasFunkyMonkey]

Awesome video

[@yametekudasaisensei539]

Can you explain it with the 3 phases and 3 unbalanced impedances?, because of the current have 2 paths on the joint, so how i calculate the current on the differents loads when the total load is unbalanced i cant use root3, So i can calculate each (Z) voltage for a given unbalanced load with no neutral

[@ZackHartle]

The principle works out the same with all 3-phases loaded up. You'll only have current flowing A to B, and then B to C and then C to A because of the alternating current sine wave. The math would all be the same though

[@yametekudasaisensei539]

@@ZackHartle yes if you do as a function of time its just a DC circuit.. but for example Z1 would have a voltage because of Z2-Z1 and Z3-Z1 like you say It would give me diferentt values at diferentt times , but there must be a way to calculate the RMS values, i find equations with relationship of the impedances looking for secuence zero voltages but dont know how to apply

[@ZackHartle]

@@yametekudasaisensei539 That's a little beyond my knowledge.

[@ashforkdan]

He writes faster backwards faster than I can forward. Impressive.

[@highgatehandyman6479]

Surely if the is a third phase that becomes a parallel path

[@sudalaiyandiessakiappan5747]

Super sir

[@owenduck]

voltage drop is such a ridiculous term. the voltage isn't dropping, its literally being created by the resistance.

[@geoffgeoff143]

You are ignoreing the main earth

[@andrewwatts8485]

Get a rcd.. URGGH