[Boatanchors] Running European 230 VAC on our AC

[Edward Greeley]

IMO, the best way to keep straight about Neutral vs "ground" is to use 
the terminology as defined by the (US) National Electrical Code (NEC), 
note the difference between "groundED" and "groundING":

What is the difference between a Grounded conductor and a Grounding 
conductor?

Answer:
In residential 120 VAC, single-phase electrical wiring, there are three 
main types of electrical wires:

1. Ungrounded conductor (Hot, and sometimes called "Line" or "Phase")
2. Grounded conductor (Neutral), and
3. Grounding conductor (Safety Ground or Protective Earth)

The groundED conductor is the power return, intended as a current return 
path from the load back to the source to complete the "circuit." Its 
insulation is White, gray or a non-green color with white stripes. The 
National Electric Code requires it be connected to earth ("groundED ") 
at the service entrance and usually only there.

The groundING conductor is usually the safety ground which serves as an 
emergency current return path in the event of a circuit fault or 
overvoltage. Like the groundED conductor, it too is grounded at the 
service entrance, but is also connected to metal surfaces and parts 
along the circuit, groundING them. It conducts current only if the 
current "seeks" to return to the service entrance along a path other 
than the Neutral (like through your chest, should a Hot wire becomes 
loose and contact metal in the circuit that you may touch). Since the 
grounding conductor doesn't normally carry current, its cross-section is 
sometimes smaller than the groundED conductor's. The grounding 
conductor's insulation is green (no other conductors can have green 
insulation) though sometimes it is bare copper. Sometimes the steel 
metal conduit enclosing the Hot and Neutral acts as the grounding conductor.

The exact same situation applies to 120/240 VAC, single phase circuits.

Read more: 
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_Grounded_conductor_and_a_Grounding_conductor#ixzz29y62K1QN


Glen Zook wrote:
> The neutral is NOT 120 VAC above ground!  That assumes that one side of the 240 VAC is grounded which is not the case in this country.  The secondary on the "pole pig" (distribution transformer) is center tapped with 120 VAC on either side of the center tap.  The connection to this center tap is the neutral.
> 
> At the entrance to the building, the connection to the neutral is grounded by an external connection usually to a ground rod driven near the entrance point.  This puts the neutral basically at "ground" potential.  In 240-volt 3-wire systems (no longer approved for new installations) all 3-wires coming from the pole pig continue to the load.  In 240-volt 4-wire systems there is an additional "ground wire" which is connected to the point at which the neutral connects to the external ground rod.
> 
> For the 120 VAC distributed within the building, one side of the 240 VAC and the neutral are involved which gives 120 VAC.  Then, a ground wire is added for safety.
>  
> Glen, K9STH
> 
> 
> Website:  http://k9sth.com
> 
> 
> ________________________________
>  From: Sheldon Daitch <sdaitch at kuw.ibb.gov>
> To: 
> Cc: "boatanchors at mailman.qth.net" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net> 
> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2012 5:06 AM
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Running European 230 VAC on our AC
>  
> As noted, some 240VAC US appliances do need the neutral
> to pick up the 120VAC for some 120VAC applications in the
> unit.
> 
> We have a US built stove which the manufacturer has to add a
> stepdown transformer for the export model, since the 230VAC
> systems outside the US typically do not have the neutral
> centertap.
> 
> In our stove, that stepdown transformer was an autotransfomer,
> not an isolation transformer and it failed.  I discovered that the
> way the transformer was wired and the stove was wired into
> our 230VAC system that the common of the autotransformer
> was wired to the high leg of the wiring and perhaps that was
> the cause of the eventual failure of the transformer.
> 
> I bring this up, as running  230VAC equipment which is designed
> for a hot and neutral might have some problems if the neutral
> leg is actually 120VAC above ground.  In theory, no, but with
> polarized systems, the powered unit is normally going to see
> near-ground voltage outside the US, but in the US, the neutral
> leg would be 120VAC above ground.
> 
> (One interesting aspect of many 230VAC systems outside the
> US is that many residential systems are three phase, and
> with 230VAC phase to neutral, phase to phase voltages are
> in the 400VAC range.)
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