I know this has been discussed a lot and I've done some digging, but I never seem to see the questions asked in quite the way I would like, so here it goes:
1. The neutral bus on the panel is connected to the neutral wire coming from the utility. This is a wire that is run down the pole to ground. This is required to complete the circuit with one of the two energized "hot" wires that also come from the utility that can be traced back to the power plant. When that circuit is closed, 120V is produced. And if you connect the two hot wires, the neutral is not required, and 240V is produced. If this is correct, how can this bare neutral wire be safely run down the utility pole? Is't is part of a circuit with current flowing through it?
2. I understand the concept of a ground for personal safety: if a malfunction occurs and the metal casing of an appliance becomes energized (en extension of the "hot" wire), the ground which is connected to the casing, becomes the path of least resistance to complete the circuit rather than a person touching the case. Correct? I guess the real problem is the discontinuity in the circuit which does not allow the current to travel back through the neutral wire, right? So why have a separate ground wire? Why not just connect the neutral wire to the casing as well? This would do the same thing, i.e. create a path from the case to ground. Where am I wrong?
3. Why are electrical panels grounded to water supply pipes or other grounding rods? Doesn't the neutral wire coming in from the utility do the same thing? Is this just a redundant safety measure in case the neutral is accidentally disconnected from the meter and the hot wires are still active?
4. Is the panel required to be grounded to the water supply or grounding rod? Are both required? I have heard that the connection to the water piping is actually to ground the piping itself. Is that true?
Thanks for the help!
1. The neutral bus on the panel is connected to the neutral wire coming from the utility. This is a wire that is run down the pole to ground. This is required to complete the circuit with one of the two energized "hot" wires that also come from the utility that can be traced back to the power plant. When that circuit is closed, 120V is produced. And if you connect the two hot wires, the neutral is not required, and 240V is produced. If this is correct, how can this bare neutral wire be safely run down the utility pole? Is't is part of a circuit with current flowing through it?
2. I understand the concept of a ground for personal safety: if a malfunction occurs and the metal casing of an appliance becomes energized (en extension of the "hot" wire), the ground which is connected to the casing, becomes the path of least resistance to complete the circuit rather than a person touching the case. Correct? I guess the real problem is the discontinuity in the circuit which does not allow the current to travel back through the neutral wire, right? So why have a separate ground wire? Why not just connect the neutral wire to the casing as well? This would do the same thing, i.e. create a path from the case to ground. Where am I wrong?
3. Why are electrical panels grounded to water supply pipes or other grounding rods? Doesn't the neutral wire coming in from the utility do the same thing? Is this just a redundant safety measure in case the neutral is accidentally disconnected from the meter and the hot wires are still active?
4. Is the panel required to be grounded to the water supply or grounding rod? Are both required? I have heard that the connection to the water piping is actually to ground the piping itself. Is that true?
Thanks for the help!