Red leg revisited

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augie47

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I'm in hopes their panel cover marking is incorrect and the center "B" phase which is marked orange is what they desrcibe as the "red leg". On a 240/120 3 phase delta system that phase would normaly read around 208 volts.
Are you questioning their markings or the existance of the high leg ?
 

nakulak

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C phase is the wild leg. whoever marked the panel was trying to tell everyone that, but they should have reidentified it in the panel, cause as augie noted the B phase is orange, but as you can see from the breakers C phase is obviously the wild leg.
 

don_resqcapt19

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What is the purpose of a 199 volt red leg (as the sign is labeled)?

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a352/TonyPE/IMGP2303.jpg
The high or wild or red leg doesn't really have a purpose. It is just the result of 3 phase, 4 wire delta system where one leg has ~208 volts to the neutral and the other two legs have 120 volts to the neutral. The high leg is used with single phase line to line loads or with 3 phase loads, but is not used for line to neutral loads. The code requires it to be identified with the color orange or other effective means and requires it to be in the center or B phase position in panels, but you will often find it in the right or C phase position.
 

tonype

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New Jersey
I'm in hopes their panel cover marking is incorrect and the center "B" phase which is marked orange is what they desrcibe as the "red leg". On a 240/120 3 phase delta system that phase would normaly read around 208 volts.
Are you questioning their markings or the existance of the high leg ?

The markings
 

iwire

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Massachusetts
I bet this sign was hung after some equipment let smoke out.

IMGP2311.jpg
 

220/221

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AZ
.
C phase is the wild leg. whoever marked the panel was trying to tell everyone that, but they should have reidentified it in the panel, cause as augie noted the B phase is orange, but as you can see from the breakers C phase is obviously the wild leg.

I'm not so sure about that. Could this panel go C, A, B ?

IMGP2310.jpg
 

augie47

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The markings

As Don stated. The "high" leg marking on a 240/120 delta system should be orange (see 110.15 & 230.56). The term "red leg" has been around for some time and I have seen them marked red, but don't recall that ever being Code.
Unfortunately your panel seems to be marked and terminated incorrectly.
The center phase, which is marked orange, should be the high leg.
Although, it would not bring the installatoion up to Code, at a minimum I would reidentify the high leg as orange.
(This appears to be a service panel as we have grounded and grounding on same bar... I ask as I don't see a bond screw)
 
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augie47

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highly possible... you didn't seen a firm stand on my part :grin:
the old eyes fool me often
 

infinity

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Should circuits 27/29 and 28/30 (if I counted correctly) be questioned? Is the breaker rated to be connected to a high leg and a non high leg?


I don't know if it would really matter. Those appear to be 2 pole breakers so the voltage out to the loads is 240 volts.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Also, the NESC requires the high-leg to be the 'C' phase, and the NEC requires the high-leg to be 'B' phase.
Pierre,
Are you sure about that? I thought that the only reason that you find the high leg in the C phase position was because of how some older metering equipment works. It is my understanding that even on the utility side the high leg is the center or B phase, but just landed in the C phase position at the metering equipment.
 

don_resqcapt19

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I don't know if it would really matter. Those appear to be 2 pole breakers so the voltage out to the loads is 240 volts.
Rob,
Wouldn't a breaker used like that have to be a straight rated breaker and not a slash rated breaker?
240.85
 
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