Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] FYI: Home Depot Good buy on conns/cables 20' 3Phase

Put it in this context USA at least.

Neutral and ground are two distinct and different terms. Neutrals do work,
Grounds are for safety.

Neutral carries current ie it is the return (for want of a better word)
conductor for the hot wires. Neutrals are generally at ground potiential but
does vary depending on current flowing in the loop.

Grounds do not normally carry current unless there is a fault.

Under current NEC Neutrals are required to be bonded to a ground at the
dist. transformer. Some localities require neutral to ground bonding at the
mains disconnect in the building.

Mix them up or cross connect and you will have problems, intermittant
problems and equipment damage.

In our area the building owner is responsible for grounds and all wiring
from transformer to meter pannel to interior pannels. When we were
installing new power to this building we also had a 150 foot trench open
along the back of the building for new sewer lines and I had about 150 feet
of bare copper 500MCM cable so we have a really big hard ground system.
Three years later the the power company supplied 800 amp meter pannel
developes a dead short inside, takes out the transformer, 13 KV underground
feed etc. Power co arrives and looks over the destruction, all their
equipment, and comments "you put in too good a ground, your wires should
have burnt first"

Hugh
retired biomed engineer, high power 3 phase x-ray systems, 1 millisecond
200KW solid state switching systems

> Jeff:
>
> Why would you need a 4 wire connector for single phase power? And if the
> connector is indeed rated for 240 volts then it will work just fine

whether

> the power is 3 phase or single phase. As long as you don't exceed the
> current rating or voltage rating it is perfectly safe.
>
> Randy A.