On Oct 25, 9:15*pm, Sam E wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:46:17 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article , Sam E wrote:
[snip]

Oh, you mean that if both legs are fully loaded, there's no current being
drawn at all?

Sorry, but you don't understand. The current in the neutral is in fact zero,
if both legs are loaded exactly equally -- and if all the loads supplied are
120V loads, then it is in fact drawing 400A @ 120V.

That current is 200A. That 400A is obviously not in the neutral. WHERE
is it?

There's no current in the neutral if the loads are balanced.

No current. I was replying to the person who claimed 400A.

Assume you are using one leg at 200 amps, that is all the breaker
will handle that is 120 volts X 200 amps or 24,000 watts. If you
again max out the breaker with 200 amps flowing on both sides that is
240 volts x 200 amps or 48000 watts. Thats the same as 120 X 400 amps.
I think the OP wanted to know if he could get a total of 400 amps at
120VAC. Lets rephrase that to could he power 400 1 amp 120 VAC loads
from this box under residential conditions. The answer is yes but that
sounds a lot like a commercial installation to me where the answer
would be NO. I think this is a case of getting the right answers to
the wrong question.