neutral to earth voltage

Thread Starter

shahnawaz

Joined Dec 30, 2008
37
hi dear all
can any one recommend me how much voltage should be enough between neutral to earth(ground) bars for a smooth running of a system.

and one more thing is what the standered of world for the voltage between earth(ground) to nutral. and how much resistance is acceptable for the earth grounding. thanks for a quick reply.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
This is a tricky subject, in more than one way. Here is the problem.

If you have a leg with 10 amps running through it, and the length of wire is dropping 3 volts, then there will be 3 volts between earth and neutral at the socket where power is tapped. Where the two connect (usually the line pole) there is no difference. So even though they are the same wire there can be a voltage differential, because the wire is also a resistor.

There is no standard for this voltage as far as I know, just whether the wire itself is safe to carry the full current load. If it meets the criteria then the voltage difference between earth and ground doesn't matter.

As to the second part of your question I don't know the definitive answer. As far as I know it is a 6 foot spike into the ground for ground.
 

thingmaker3

Joined May 16, 2005
5,083
The NEC, article 250.56, specifies no more than 25 Ohms to Earth ground. Voltage would, per this code article and Ohm's Law, be current times 25.

If the NEC does not apply in your area, I suggest contacting your local authority for requirements. If the NED does apply in your area, I suggest contacting your local authority for any local variances or exceptions.
 
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