Ground Current

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compton

New member
I am measuring current on the feeder circuit ground conductor in a sub panel that is feeding multiple 100 amp busway. The busway then feeds multiple power strips. I think a neutral and ground are either reversed in a power strip or a neutral conductor is bare. How can find the power strip causing the problem without shutting down each power strip one at a time until the ground current goes away.
 

dereckbc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Plano, TX
Re: Ground Current

It will be difficult, but you might try with a volt meter. Measure between the neutral and ground pins and look for 0 volts.
 

bennie

Esteemed Member
Re: Ground Current

Another method is to use a plug in tester. The reversal will be discovered easily.
 

racraft

Senior Member
Re: Ground Current

Not all plug in testers can tell the difference between a ground and neutral reversed.
 

bennie

Esteemed Member
Re: Ground Current

Edited for model of testers research.

With more thought I am all wet :eek: Karl, dereck and racraft know what they are talking about. Ignore my statement.

[ May 16, 2003, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: bennie ]
 

karl riley

Senior Member
Re: Ground Current

I wrote a book on the techniques to use to find this kind of error, but to be brief, start at the subpanel, check it out visually to see if the neutral bus is bonded to the can or if there are mixed up grounds and neutrals on the wrong bus.
Next clamp an ammeter around each circuit or circuits exiting the box. Should read zero. If not, clamp around the hots and record. Then clamp around the neutral and if it does not equal the hots resultant, that is the circuit with the bad connection. You can use the clamp-on to trace out the circuit, open junction boxes, etc. If you had a sim0ple gaussmeter it would save you time, as the circuit with the big magnetic field would be the one to check first.
Does this help?
Karl
 
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