[AMRadio] 220 vac line

[Gary Schafer]

Hi Bernie,

Many people do not understand the difference between "neutral" and "ground".
They are vastly different! Even if they do terminate at the same point in
the service panel. 

At the outlet the "neutral" is the line for the return current from the hot
lead in a 120 volt system. It is treated just like a hot lead at the outlet
or equipment.

 The "ground" lead is the safety ground lead. You never want any current to
be flowing on the ground lead as it is connected to your equipment cabinets
and chassis'. The only time it will have current is if there is a fault,
short of hot to chassis.

If you used the "neutral" as the ground lead also and it opened up anywhere
on its way back to the panel then you would have 120 volts present on the
equipment cabinets/chassis because the hot lead is trying to return current
by this path. With the neutral isolated from the chassis, if it opens up
there is no harm done.

By the way, a 3 terminal 240 volt receptacle is 240 volts ONLY. No 120 volt
loads allowed as there is no "neutral" involved in this circuit.

73
Gary  K4FMX



> -----Original Message-----
> From: amradio-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:amradio-
> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bernie Doran
> Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 5:01 AM
> To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service
> Subject: Re: [AMRadio] 220 vac line
> 
> Hi Rick: if you are using a three wire receptacle, you have two 120 volt
> legs ( 240)  and a neutral, so run the Neutral( ground)  to the white
> buss,
> they are the same if both connected together but it looks cleaner that
> way.
> best is to run to a four wire recptacle, with two  grounds back ( one
> neutral and one ground)
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rick" <rickb at tx.rr.com>
> To: "'Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service'"
> <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:43 PM
> Subject: [AMRadio] 220 vac line
> 
> 
> > I'm sure this has been discussed but my memory refuses to let the info
> go.
> > I
> > am wiring a 220 VAC line into the new shack and I am uncertain about
> the
> > neutral and ground wires. I installed a new sub panel complete with
> > isolation buss bar for the neutral (white) wire from the 220 outlet.
> The
> > new
> > sub panel has the neutral buss bar grounded to the main panel ground
> buss
> > bar. This is the way I understand it is supposed to be. The outlet I
> am
> > installing is a 20 amp 3 wire (two hot, one ground) unit. My concern
> is,
> > do
> > I use the bare ground or the white neutral wire for the ground lug on
> the
> > outlet? Also, do I simply leave the unused of the two (white or bare)
> > disconnected in the new sub panel?
> >
> > Thanks for any assistance and advice.
> >
> > Rick / K5IAR
> >
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