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Jeff Wisnia

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

wrote:

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:20:22 -0500, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

Awl--

How much is acceptable?
An amp-probe reveals between 2 and 6 amps, depending on how balanced
the load is on each leg of the main panel.
I'm hearing that the neutral from the panel is connected to a *steel*
cable outside, while the hots are indeed connected to copper
conductors. This would explain some current going through ground.

If the water main connection is broken, no noticeable effect in the
house--or so it seems.

Mebbe I'll amp-probe some of my neighbors plumbing.

It should be less than the utility neutral but beyond that it is
unpredictable without knowing what is on the utility side of the water
line. If this is all metal pipe, the ground electrode system might be
as good a conductor as a perfect neutral wire. Bear in mind the
utility grounds their side of the XO terminal of the transformer too.
This makes the piping system a parallel path and there is nothing you
can do about it. Just be sure you have a good amount of current on the
neutral and that the phases have equal voltage referenced to neutral.

At last, someone who understands parallel current paths and agrees with me.

It ain't necessarily so that the the OP MUST have hot to neutral leakage
somewhere in his home's electrical system.

Er, that was hot to ground leakage....

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.