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electrical safety devices? peter 08-13-2006
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Posted by peter on August 13, 2006, 2:57 am
After reading some of the posts here, I'm wondering if these protective
devices exist?

(1) open-neutral detector in the main panel -- to detect open neutral before
the main panel for two-phase panel and should cut off the two hots
immediately when this condition is detected.

(2) ground current monitor/alarm -- the ground wires are normally not
supposed to carry any current. So why not put an amp meter on the ground
wire in the main panel and sound an alarm if a current is detected? You
would need to separate the ground bar from the neutral bar and connect them
with an amp meter.



Real Goods Solar, Inc.
Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on August 13, 2006, 8:08 am

> After reading some of the posts here, I'm wondering if these protective
> devices exist?
>
> (1) open-neutral detector in the main panel -- to detect open neutral
> before the main panel for two-phase panel and should cut off the two hots
> immediately when this condition is detected.
>
> (2) ground current monitor/alarm -- the ground wires are normally not
> supposed to carry any current. So why not put an amp meter on the ground
> wire in the main panel and sound an alarm if a current is detected? You
> would need to separate the ground bar from the neutral bar and connect
> them with an amp meter.

They would probably not be cost effective. Yes, these conditions do happen,
but how often? I've never had it happen, nor have any of my friends and
relatives that I'm aware of. Given that history I'd not invest in either of
those if it cost more that $10. Any device that breaks the main lines will
cost far more than $10.



Posted by CJT on August 13, 2006, 2:03 pm
peter wrote:

> After reading some of the posts here, I'm wondering if these protective
> devices exist?
>
> (1) open-neutral detector in the main panel -- to detect open neutral before
> the main panel for two-phase panel and should cut off the two hots
> immediately when this condition is detected.
>
> (2) ground current monitor/alarm -- the ground wires are normally not
> supposed to carry any current. So why not put an amp meter on the ground
> wire in the main panel and sound an alarm if a current is detected? You
> would need to separate the ground bar from the neutral bar and connect them
> with an amp meter.
>
>
(2) is pretty much what a GFCI does.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

Posted by Chris Lewis on August 13, 2006, 4:24 pm
> peter wrote:
>
> > After reading some of the posts here, I'm wondering if these protective
> > devices exist?
> >
> > (1) open-neutral detector in the main panel -- to detect open neutral before
> > the main panel for two-phase panel and should cut off the two hots
> > immediately when this condition is detected.
> >
> > (2) ground current monitor/alarm -- the ground wires are normally not
> > supposed to carry any current. So why not put an amp meter on the ground
> > wire in the main panel and sound an alarm if a current is detected? You
> > would need to separate the ground bar from the neutral bar and connect them
> > with an amp meter.
> >
> >
> (2) is pretty much what a GFCI does.

Yes, indeed. There are whole-house GFCIs if you want them.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on August 13, 2006, 6:49 pm
Theres a slippery slope sometimes adding too many safety devices causes
hazards of its own:(


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