120 circuit
- Thread starter kimrichi
- Start date
- Status
Depends on who wired it. It could be used as a neutral, with one end loose, with you standing on a grounded platform, barefoot...
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Not under normal circumstances in a system that is properly wired.
SG-1
Senior Member
- Location
- Ware Shoals, South Carolina
In a properly wired circuit it should not. It should be very near ground potential.
I assume you to mean that one touches the grounded conductor, in this case a neutral & a conductive grounded object, like a washing machine or sink.
If the neutral is open you can receive a deadly shock.
I assume you to mean that one touches the grounded conductor, in this case a neutral & a conductive grounded object, like a washing machine or sink.
If the neutral is open you can receive a deadly shock.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Always treat a neutral as a hot conductor, even a properly wired circuit can have voltage drop, any fault to the neutral from the hot can raise the voltage and you can receive a bad shock if you happen to be making a connection to it at the time, and as said if it opens at the time your touching it, you can be killed, so yes that is why we treat it as dangerous, the worst shock I have ever received was from a neutral on the 277/480 system multi-wire circuit, if the neutrals comes apart you can be hit with 480 volts.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
That depends. Are you grounded? Is the neutral connected as it should be? For instance if a circuit has a few receptacles that are daisy chained with a load at the last receptacle and you disconnect the receptacle neutral in the middle you will complete the circuit through your body if you touch both daisy chained neutrals. Touching one neutral and a ground will also give you a shock. Touching any one wire and being totally insulated will not shock you--- like a bird on a wire.
when touching the neutral that another path for neutral current to ground and should have current regardless how proper system wired right?
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
The neutral carries current. If everything is working all the voltage on any neutral will be at ground potential.
- Status