Where does the protective conductor go?
How do I find the protective conductor?
The different conductors within a current-carrying cable always have different colors. Blue or black stands for «live», brown is «neutral», grounding is always green-yellow. This is the protective conductor, if there is no green/yellow wire then there is no earth ground either.
How does the protective conductor work?
How does the protective conductor work? The protective conductor appears as a yellow-green cable in a three-wire connection line in electrical devices and, in principle, does not carry any current in the initial situation.
Can you omit the protective conductor?
grounding is only necessary if there are metal parts on the luminaire that can be touched. If this is not the case, the earth can simply be killed. However, it is essential to secure against contact with the other wires in the cable!
What do I do with the neutral wire?
The neutral conductor (N for short) is usually one of three types of conductors (outer conductor, protective conductor, neutral conductor) in the cable. It has been marked blue since 2003 and is used to distribute electricity to the end devices.
How does the protective conductor protect me?
22 related questions found
Where does the current flow in the neutral conductor?
The total current of the three external conductors flows through the neutral conductor to the star point of the local transformer station. The sum results from the instantaneous values of the currents that are shifted by 120° in phase angle.
What happens if I connect the neutral wire to earth and?
If you now connect the N conductor to PE after the FI, 100% of the current no longer flows back via N. The result: he switches off. This happens to protect against voltages on conductive housings. Therefore, metal parts should always be grounded.
Where is the ground connected?
If the lamp has a green-yellow cable (earth conductor), you must also connect the earth. The connection for the protective conductor (earth) is usually in the middle of the terminal block, but the protective conductor can also be located directly on the lamp.
Why are LED lamps not grounded?
Whether you use an LED or an energy-saving lamp in a pendant lamp or wall spotlight does not affect whether the lamp must be grounded. The construction of the lamp is decisive.
Why is there current on the neutral wire?
This means that there is also «current» on the neutral conductor, but no current flows when it is touched, since there is no voltage. A current only flows when you connect the outer conductor and the neutral conductor, but neither of the two leads current in or out.
Is neutral the same as ground?
Phase conductor, neutral conductor, protective conductor
In contrast, the zero conductor or neutral conductor — color blue, abbreviation «N» (neutral) — transports the electricity from the consumer back into the grid. The protective conductor (earth, color yellow/green, abbreviation «PE» for protective earth) diverts potential body currents to earth.
What should be considered when connecting the protective conductor?
Every connection (e.g. screw, clamp connection) between protective conductors or between a protective conductor and other equipment must have permanent electrical continuity and adequate mechanical protection and strength.
When do you need a protective conductor?
All conductive parts of electrical devices of protection class I must be grounded via the mains-side protective conductor so that their electrical potential corresponds to that of the ground in the event of an operating error with uncontrolled current flow despite the conductivity.
Are all houses grounded?
According to DIN 18014, you must install a foundation earth electrode in all new houses. This way you ensure the important. protective grounding. You can set up a foundation earth electrode in two different ways: On the one hand, you can opt for the ring earth electrode that runs in a ring around the building.
How can you test whether the protective conductor is working?
There are three control lights on it, if all three are on when plugged in correctly, the protective conductor is grounded. If only one is burning, insert the plug the other way round, three must be burning. Burn to the two, read the description, either the protective conductor or the neutral conductor is not connected.
How can I determine what is earth phase and neutral?
- Identification color brown: the live outer conductor, the phase. The current flows to the lamp via this wire. …
- Identification color blue: the neutral conductor or zero conductor with the abbreviation N. …
- Identification color green-yellow: the protective conductor, also known as grounding (PE).
What can happen if a lamp is not grounded?
If there were actually a circuit, i.e. both conductors in contact with each other via the housing, there would be a short circuit and the fuse would blow immediately. Without grounding, the case would have to be in the circuit at the same time you touched it to get an electric shock.
When do you not need a protective conductor?
Equipment is divided into three protection classes. Protection class 1 devices must be connected to the protective conductor. If, on the other hand, it is a device or a lamp in protection class 2, earthing is not necessary.
How to insulate protective conductors?
Luminaires whose housing is made of plastic do not need a protective conductor connection. Do not insulate the protective conductor coming from the wall or ceiling and include this wire in such a way that it does not interfere. If the insulation has already been removed, you can insulate it by wrapping it in electrical tape.
What happens if you swap n and l?
So is it problematic to connect the two cables the wrong way round? No, the overhead lights are on. Since the electrical system in the household works with alternating current and the current changes direction several times, this does not pose any serious danger to people.
Are the neutral and protective conductors connected?
A stipulation in Section 543.4.3 of DIN VDE 0100-540:2012-06 is clear that once the PEN conductor has been divided into a neutral conductor and a protective conductor, the two may no longer be connected to one another.
Why is classic zeroing forbidden?
In the GDR, aluminum cables were installed, which inherently had unreliable terminal points. For these reasons, «classic zeroing» has been banned for new systems in Germany since May 1, 1973 and in Switzerland since January 1, 1974.
What happens if the neutral wire is not connected?
However, if the neutral conductor (star point) is interrupted, the resistances of the consumers on the individual phase conductors form a voltage divider, which means that the potential of the now star point is «shifted». This unequal load distribution is referred to as «unbalanced load».
Can there be current on the neutral wire?
With alternating current from the socket, one speaks of the phase and the neutral conductor. There is no current on the neutral conductor, but on the phase.
Why don’t I get a shock when I touch the neutral wire?
Whether direct or alternating current. You can grab the neutral because it’s been grounded. When you are standing on earth your body is at 0V as is the blue wire. And where there is no potential difference, no current can flow.
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