Re: [VAL] 50 amp service

[Rick Kunath <k9ao@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> The neutral is a safety wire, 

*Absolutely* an incorrect statement. The ground wire is the "safety wire".

The neutral wire is the center-tap of the incoming electrical feed 
distribution transformer and establishes the proper voltages across 
electrical devices (125 V) connected from either side of the line to 
neutral.

> if there's a short, electricity takes the path
> of least resistance.. hence the 3rd wire... the electrical current will run
> down the neutral wire instead of a person operating an appliance.
> 

Incorrect, again referring to the ground, and not the neutral wire.

And the comment about the "short" would be valid for a ground wire only 
in the case where the short was to the appliance frame. Other shorts 
would still have the fault current flowing in the hot and neutral wires 
exclusively.

> I thought it was code to have the wire... but many electrical plugs are
> polarized.. (one prong wider than the other) so it may not be code to have
> it.

Completely incorrect regarding the neutral wire. All 125 Volt 
receptacles have a neutral, whether two wire (polarized or not) or 
grounded.

Refer to the NEC manual for code questions.

> 
> As for can it damage it?... probably not... but.. i am not 100% sure.

Yes, absolutely a missing neutral can damage electrical devices. 50 amp 
RV service is a 250 volt electrical drop with 125 volts from neutral to 
either hot wire, and 250 volts from hot-to-hot.

If you were really missing the neutral wire to the receptacle, you could 
certainly have damaged your electrical devices. Depending on their 
internal impedances, since devices on each side if the line would have 
appeared in series with the missing neutral, the voltages across any one 
device could have been low or soared to damaging levels.

Were you really referring to a missing neutral, or were you referring to 
a missing ground? I suspect this post may be in reference to a missing 
ground on the park's service receptacle.

> theory says no, but I am not an electrican by trade.

The laws of physics are *always* correct, it's usually the engineer who 
doesn't understand it completely and comes to the wrong conclusion.

Can you give us some additional info?

Rick Kunath
WBCCI #3060