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In alternating-current systems, we don't have a 'positive' and a neutral conductor, but a 'line' and a neutral conductor.
The neutral conductor is connected to the earth and, so, has a potential of approximately zero volts.
The line conductor, on the other hand has a potential of approximately 230 V (in Europe) or 120 V (in North America) with respect to the neutral conductor. For this reason, line conductors are frequently referred to as being the 'hot' conductor.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoa hot wire is a living wire or positively charged wire and a neutral is the ground or negative
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What is the difference and how to differentiate between neutral and hot wires if both wires have the same color?
If the electrical box is grounded, check with a tester, the "hot" wire will have a voltage to the the grounded box the neutral wire will not. If the box is not grounded, with the breaker supplying the voltage turned off, use a tester on the resistance scale to check for continuity between the wires and a cold water pipe or some other grounded medium. The neutral will have continuity between the wire and a ground the "hot" wire will not.
Why are the live wire and neutral wire never joined together?
An electrical circuit forms a loop. The "live" or hot wire supplies the voltage, which is returned on the neutral. If the hot wire and neutral wire were connected together without a load between them, the circuit would be short out and trip the circuit's protection device.
Why do gfcis trip?
GFCI's trip on an un balance between the current on the "hot" wire and the current on the neutral wire
Why are you reading 230v between neutral and hot on a dryer receptacle?
it is a miss-wire, check what voltage you get between ground and the other hot!
The black wire is hot but there is no current between the hot and neutral wire. There is current between the hot and ground wire?
You have a potentially deadly wiring problem in which the open neutral could mean someone accidentally switched off the white wire instead of the black wire, or some other horrible mistake. Please call a qualified electrician to diagnose this problem immediately.
What is the difference and how to differentiate between neutral and hot wires if both wires have the same color?
If the electrical box is grounded, check with a tester, the "hot" wire will have a voltage to the the grounded box the neutral wire will not. If the box is not grounded, with the breaker supplying the voltage turned off, use a tester on the resistance scale to check for continuity between the wires and a cold water pipe or some other grounded medium. The neutral will have continuity between the wire and a ground the "hot" wire will not.
What is the permitted difference in amps between a live and a neutral wire?
The correct answer is 120 volts between the hot conductor and neautral in a residential dwelling.You can have 347 volts between the neautral and hot in a commercial space.
Why are the live wire and neutral wire never joined together?
An electrical circuit forms a loop. The "live" or hot wire supplies the voltage, which is returned on the neutral. If the hot wire and neutral wire were connected together without a load between them, the circuit would be short out and trip the circuit's protection device.
Will an arc fault breaker work without a ground?
Yes a GFCI will work without a ground wire. A GFCI looks for a current differential between current in on the "hot" wire and current return on the neutral wire. Since current is the same throughout the circuit, no difference, no trip. If the load grounds out or shorts out, the current then takes the path of least resistance through the ground and not the neutral. This creates a difference between the "hot" and return neutral current and the device trips the circuit open.
Is the ridged wire neutral or hot?
If wired properly the ridged wire is the neutral.
Why do gfcis trip?
GFCI's trip on an un balance between the current on the "hot" wire and the current on the neutral wire
Why are you reading 230v between neutral and hot on a dryer receptacle?
it is a miss-wire, check what voltage you get between ground and the other hot!
The black wire is hot but there is no current between the hot and neutral wire. There is current between the hot and ground wire?
You have a potentially deadly wiring problem in which the open neutral could mean someone accidentally switched off the white wire instead of the black wire, or some other horrible mistake. Please call a qualified electrician to diagnose this problem immediately.
What is a ground fault?
difference in current between hot and neutral conductors
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.
What to do with the white wire in track light with black green and white wires if the house does not have a white one?
The white is neutral. The house does have a neutral wire even though it may be black. One of those black wires is the neutral and the other is the hot wire. You will have to determine which is hot and which is neutral. You can easily do this with a voltage tester. The wire that lights the tester is the hot. When you wire the light simply wire the hot to hot, and the white and green to the other wire.
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?
Brown = Hot Blue = Neutral Yellow/Green = Ground
