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=== === This is known as a "Disconnected Neutral (Open neutral)" fault condition. It occurs whenever the Neutral wire for a circuit becomes disconnected from the household's main power supply panel whilst the Live or "hot" wire for the circuit still remains connected to the panel AND the circuit has appliances plugged into the socket outlets.

In that situation, if you put a voltage indicator, such as a test screwdriver with a neon lamp onto the Neutral wire it will glow just as if it was Live, because it is being fed with a very small current coming from the Live supply via the plugged-in appliance(s) to the Neutral wire.

If you unplug all appliances, lights and whatever else may be connected to the circuit, the Neutral will no longer seem to be Live because there is no longer any path from it to the Live supply.

No ordinary circuit breaker on the main supply panel would trip in this situation because the current flowing from the Live via the appliance(s) to the Neutral to the test instrument is not high enough to cause the circuit breaker to trip to shut off the current.

Even if there is a GFCI or an RCD in the circuit that too is unlikely to trip in this situation because the test current is so small and is of the same size - an equal current flow - in both the Live and the Neutral wires.

A "Disconnected Neutral" fault condition is VERY UNSAFEbecause somebody who does not know about the danger could easily touch the Neutral wire and get a bad shock whilst trying to find out why no appliances work when they are plugged into a circuit that actually has such a "Disconnected Neutral" fault condition.

Hence a "Disconnected Neutral" fault is a very unsafe condition and should be corrected at the earliest possible opportunity by someone who knows exactly which wires to check and then connect properly.

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For your safety and that of anyone else who may to use the appliance, ask a professional licensed electrician to advise you or to do the work for you. If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power

at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND

always use an electrician's test meter having metal-tipped probes

(not a simple proximity voltage indicator)

to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

: IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

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14y ago
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14y ago

All the neutrals are connected together on a bus bar and are bonded to the equipment grounding conductor and the grounding electrode conductor which goes to the ground rod.

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Q: What is the reason for a neutral wire becoming energized and the circuit breaker not tripping?
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What prevents the main circuit breaker and the mission essential circuit breaker of the secondary distribution center from being energized simultaneously?

an interlocking device


What will happen if a phase and neutral test by a mutimeter shows continuity?

If the test shows that there is a continuity between the phase leg and the neutral with no load connected, then that circuit should not be energized. If the circuit was energized then the fuse or breaker protecting that leg will trip the circuit open.


Will multiple tripping of a circuit breaker damage the circuit breaker?

You don't specify whether you mean low-voltage circuit breakers, such as MCBs (miniature circuit breakers) or high-voltage circuit breakers. In either case, repeated tripping under fault conditions causes arcing which damages the main contacts of the circuit breakers. For this reason, high-voltage circuit breakers are taken out of service after a specified number of tripping operations, so that the contacts can be maintained or, if necessary, replaced. MCB contacts are inaccessible, and the MCB may eventually require replacing.


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an interlocking device


What protects equipment from too much current by tripping a switch that breaks the circuit and stops the flow of electricity?

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Why does your main circuit breaker trip when your dryer runs 15 minutes Is it because your vent needs to be cleaned?

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What will happen if a phase and neutral test by a mutimeter shows continuity?

If the test shows that there is a continuity between the phase leg and the neutral with no load connected, then that circuit should not be energized. If the circuit was energized then the fuse or breaker protecting that leg will trip the circuit open.


Does a hot day trip a circuit breaker?

The ambient temperature does have an effect on the tripping point of a breaker. If a breaker is operating at near capacity the additional ambient temperature will lower the breaker trip set point.


Why do people consider it a real bother when a circuit breaker switches off?

It means that the person has to go and re set the breaker. If people understood that the tripping of the breaker is a safety device and by its tripping it might have just saved them some money. By preventing a fault that a short circuit or an overload could cause might just have stopped a potential house fire.


Will multiple tripping of a circuit breaker damage the circuit breaker?

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What would cause a breaker to trip?

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