Technical > Home Improvement > Why is neutral conncted to ground in the fuse box/panel?

Why is neutral conncted to ground in the fuse box/panel?

Neutral should be connected to ground in the main panel but not in any subpanels.

reply to redholm
Always been that way in our live time.

However, it's only ONE connection between neutral and ground that has to exist. That means there is only ONE link between all the neutral and ground for the whole MAIN panel.

Simply put: If there is hot current that gets into contact with a grounded item (like metal casing of a range or dryer) then you want that hot current to have a path back to the neutral in the main panel and then trip the breaker/fuse. The ground rod isn't supposed to be that return path (That's in the "not simply put" version which I won't write).

reply to redholm
Is this literally a fuse box? How many fuses in it?

Are there any other overcurrent devices upstream from that panel?

Any other panels?

reply to redholm
not to be an ass, but if you don't know this then you don't need to open the panel except to change a fuse/reset a breaker until you learn more.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to alkizmo
alkizmo,
Good explanation, I came from a place where there are GFI in the main panel (all breakers) so no need to connect ground to neutral to get the fuse/breaker to trip.

John Gault,
It was in the main panel, sorry for the use of fuse box (not a native English speaker)

reply to garys_2k

reply to davidg
I appreciate the concern, no plans to do/change anything.

reply to redholm
I believe the neutral and the ground are connected on the pole anyway.

reply to redholm

Maybe it is my use/misuse of English. I did not try to say that a GFI was an over-current limiting device.

The scenario that was described by alkizmo ‘hot current that gets into contact with a grounded item’ is a scenario where a GFI would trigger.

reply to garys_2k
sorry, but asking questions on a forum is not the PROPER way to learn about electrical. you will get such wide response(most of them completely wrong) that it will only serve to confuse and endanger someone. If he really wants to learn, and i hope he does, then the better method is to get someone that knows to teach him. there are also some basic electrical books available fairly cheap that will give someone the very basic understanding they need to do minor home electrical work.

i never said NOT to ask, just to not do anything in the panel until he learned more. a live panel is not the place for someone that has no basic knowledge, you can and will get hurt quickly.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine!

reply to davidg

reply to davidg

reply to davidg
+1 again

I guess that those of us wasted our time studying and getting our license? All we need to do is to come to a Home Improvement forum and ask about anything we need to know.

To think I could have avoided 2 years of M - F, 8 hour classes and 5 years of 3 and 4 nights per week of classes.

There are people on here that have no business opening up a panel yet are encouraged by some to perform functions that these folks should not be attempting. What's even worse is some of the posters giving this advice clearly don't know themselves.

reply to davidg
And this is why Detective David Mills should I never opened the box.

reply to Jack_in_VA
I personally do think the ‘You are in over your head’ posts are useful. Electricity is dangerous and it is important to follow code so the next electrician does not get a nasty surprise. I have been lurking in this forum and one of the reasons I read it is just because there are professional that take their time to explain things. Jack_in_VA you are on my list of pros that I read extra carefully.

I am a curious person and have lived in many places in the world. Some of them did not have a neutral to ground connection in the main panel. Maybe they had a connection upstream at the pole. The last place I saw no neutral ground connection had a whole house GFI. One lab I visited had two grounds, regular ground that was connected to neutral and reference ground that was not.

Sorry if not providing any context in the first post.

/edit typos

reply to redholm
We have had this discussion several times. Typical electrical distribution system used MGN - multi-grounded neutral.

»standards.ieee.org/about/nesc/ir532.pdf

The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires Neutral be grounded at the Service entrance panel. That is also the location were safety ground if bonded to Neutral. As robbin posted the main disconnect is the only location the two can be connected together.

More details about service entrance requirements.
»www.comed.com/Documents/customer···der1.pdf

/tom