In message ,
wrote:

In uk.d-i-y, Martin Angove wrote:

In a radial the current (except under certain fault conditions) will be
balanced, but in a ring, the slightest difference in impedance between
the two halves of the "live" ring and the two halves of the "neutral"
ring could quite easily lead to (miniscule levels of) unbalance.

Thanks (genuinely) for making it clear what you meant: yes, if your ring
has f'r example a well-made path to supply Live from both sides but a
looseish connection in one of the Neutral legs, you're right that there'll
be an imbalance in the currentses under such a fault condition. I thought
you were suggesting that in a normal condition, a ring would inherently
produce more of a field 'because there's a loop' than a radial would.


I never suggested anything - that was Jim Michaels. I was just backing
him up slightly using what little knowledge I have of these things.

It needn't be a fault condition which causes an imbalance though, if
tiny is sufficient. But tiny isn't going to cause anyone any harm. I'd
suggest that if there were a large enough imbalance in currents in the
two halves of one leg of the ring to be worried, there probably is a
fault somewhere which should be rectified before somebody plugs two 3kW
heaters into a double socket and melts something.

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Two free issues: http://www.livtech.co.uk/ Living With Technology
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