ELCB With A Neutral

[Jsantangelo]

I have a customer requiring an ELCB on the power drop to the system. The power is 208 3 phase with a neutral. Does the ELCB need to switch the neutral also?

 

[Little Bill]

I have a customer requiring an ELCB on the power drop to the system. The power is 208 3 phase with a neutral. Does the ELCB need to switch the neutral also?

What is an "ELCB"?
Also, please update your profile to include your occupation.

 

[Jsantangelo]

An ELCB is Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker.

 

[AC\DC]

Seems like it from several diagrams I see on line

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB): Working Principle | Electrical4U

A SIMPLE explanation of Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCBs). Learn what an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) is, its working principle, and diagrams of ELCBs. We also discuss how ...

www.electrical4u.com

Seems like an old school GFCI? Is that correct.
Same function as a GFCI

 

[drcampbell]

The white wire will almost certainly need to pass through the ELCB, but it almost certainly won't be switched.
And the risk of sounding pedantic, what do the instructions say?

 

[Jraef]

Assuming from the reference to 208V 3 phase that you are in North America. An ELCB would not have any valid installation acceptability here, it is a term for a form of ground fault protection in the IEC world, and an old one at that (they are now called RCDs). Here in NA, if you are wanting to protect people it must be a GFCI, which has a MUCH lower thrip threshold than an ELCB/RCD. The trip levels for an ELCB/RCD would qualify only as “equipment” ground fault protection, what we refer to as “GFPE”. If that’s what you need, get a UL listed circuit breaker with GFPE and a short circuit interrupting capacity commensurate with your installation.

I suspect that you got some piece of equipment in from Europe or Asia and their instructions call for this. That may be indicative of this not really being intended to be installed here, so compatibility with other aspects of our electrical systems should be looked at carefully as well.

 

[winnie]

As I recall, an ELCB as Jraef describes would have electromechanical detection of residual current, meaning no electronics or amplification, just the magnetic fields created by current flow.

Jon