➡ More Videos For Further Information: How to Wire A/C Condenser Unit: ruclips.net/video/KCanZEsLVEI/видео.html How to Wire Thermostat: ruclips.net/video/VknvJ9POYDo/видео.html How to Wire Air Conditioner Compressor: ruclips.net/video/GhBTVn5CHBE/видео.html 10 Ways to Splice Wires Together: ruclips.net/video/ihpNCVk1lF0/видео.html How to Read Furnace Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/2MSedAkirqw/видео.html How to Read A/C Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/2MSedAkirqw/видео.html How to Read Water Heater Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/TX8SuHK1esY/видео.html Basic Thermostat Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/jDLz3REPTWM/видео.html How to Wire Indoor Blower Motor: ruclips.net/video/4S8TZd-45bY/видео.html How to Wire Outdoor Condenser Fan Motor: ruclips.net/video/VlMhvwrpimE/видео.html Electrical Symbols and Meanings for Switches: ruclips.net/video/ngQCmR_w9QU/видео.html Ohm's Law Explained: ruclips.net/video/sILl7p_J1UU/видео.html
I did not explain this in the video but the range illustrated is a 115v gas range. An electric 240v range would be either a 3-wire or a 4-wire hook up. 3-wire would be 2 hot legs and a neutral. (Neutral lead must be grounded to the cabinet) 4-wire would be 2 hot wires, a neutral, and a ground.
Only on an old dedicated 3-wire circuit can the ground be used as a neutral. This is so modern 240v appliances can be used on old 2-hots and a ground circuits. It is relatively safe because the ground is NOT connected to any other appliances and goes directly back to the bonding point of the neutral and ground. If there are other appliance cases on that ground bonding circuit, those cases could go live with a voltage difference if the ground wire is broken between the appliance and the breaker panel and the appliance using the ground as the neutral is switch so that current could flow through it to the ground.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I have learned and continue to learn from your videos. As the maintenance supervisor for an apartment complex and doing everything from plumbing to electrical to hvac, your channel has been a lifesaver too many times to count. So I just want to say thank you!!
Could I ask ya where are you from? I'll be HVAC certified, along with EPA and CPO, in less than a year!! I want to find me a good, stable community to both live at and work hopefully for the rest of my life!! Watching all of his videos has taught me a lot and helped me through school!! I can't wait to be done with school and start working...
I am 32 years old and I used to weld for my career and was very good at it!! But right at 2 years ago I was in a bad car wreck that broke my neck, TBI, and was in a coma for 3 months!! So I'm having to find me something less physical on my neck!! I know that property maintenance can be physical but I know its nothing like holding my neck in the same position for hours and hours welding!! I would say I am 97% fully recovered and can physically do all the stuff I used to could do!! Everybody is amazed considering I was getting out of a wheelchair year and half ago lol!! I would love to be able to move off to somewhere other than north Alabama and start my life time career...
Cool... I just got back from a rich, rich friends house in Brentwood Tn!! I love Tennessee, its so pretty but when I finish school I'm prolly moving to Florida lol!! Plenty of apartment communities down there and the weather... How long have you been a maintenance supervisor??
@Scott Palmer That's awesome Scott! I'm happy to hear that my channel has been helpful for you! I appreciate you taking time to leave the nice comment. Hope your career and knowledge will only continue to grow until you become a legend there in TN! Aloha from Hawaii 🤙🤙🤙
Jay, I'm a project manager and the thing I like most about your explanations is your ability to simply explain. Sometimes when I'm explaining to the apprentices I noticed that I go to deep into detail. Great job as always. I know you've heard this before but someday when you get old like me you should go into teaching. I think you would find it rewarding and the students need more teachers like you. BTW I've been following you for a while and congrats on the move.
Aloha Paul, thank you! I make an effort to keep it plain and simple so it's nice to hear that it's working. Teaching sounds like a good path to take in the future, I appreciate the motivation! Hawaii has been wonderful! I am now diving deep into the crypto abyss. Trading and investing into cryptocurrencies. I will be focusing on that for the next couple years.
You are one of the reasons i get in this trade Jay.Been watching your video a year and i will finish school this summer, it helped me a lot Jay. You make everything look much more simple. I wish one day i have chance to meet you in person. Hat off
Thank you Pat from Ohio! This topic was "dear to me" since in college I was always baffled by it and never got a clear answer. Is common the same as ground? As for the video about why ground and neutral needs to be separated in a sub-panel, thank you for the suggestion! My friend Ben has a wonderful video on that exact topic already so I don't think there is a need for me to make one too. ruclips.net/video/5iEuaAYs5x4/видео.html
Great vid. Couple comments: Neutral is a current carrying conductor that has 0V potential to Ground and connects back to the center tap of the main transformer feeding the breaker panel. Only found on 120VAC and 277VAC circuits. Ground should never be used as a current carrying conductor. In older circuits, EMT conduit, water pipes, gas pipes, etc. were used as grounding conductors. If these were carrying current all the time very bad things would happen above and beyond removing the safety aspect of the ground. Common usually refers to 24 VAC circuits with all loads connecting back to Common. Also used to describe the "input" of a SPDT switch. (Common, Normally Open, Normally Closed.)
Right on! When I was working as a nuclear submarine mechanic @ Pearl, I took a night course @ Honolulu Community College titled “Residential Electrical Wiring” (8ea 4hrs long on Friday evenings after a 40hr week). The instructor was the vice principal of the electrical department. He noticed we were dosing off (I was wondering who was flicking the lights off & on), so he changed his plan & alternated one hour each between book/black board time & hands-on work shop. He knew how to “instill” knowledge to his students!
Thanks. I am an electronics repair tech and we only deal with two wires. I've always found working on electrical stuff intimidating and confusing because I was never taught about three wires. Now I get it.
Greetings earthling I happened upon your video looking for some information on furnace and furnace sequence of operations. Thank you for that video and it's very helpful very useful very knowledgeable now I have to comment on this video.
New subscriber tonight. Brushing up on my electrical diagrams and circuits. You teach very well. Do you have any suggestions for setting up a gas power generator for a power outage. Thank you look forward to watching your channel.
Thank you Pete! So I worked on a couple walk in coolers recently and that helped me realize that I don't have nearly enough experience with them to be able to put out good quality videos on walk in coolers... I mainly serviced residential units back in Minnesota. Maybe some day in the future 😄 God bless you and yours!
@Eddy haha nice one 😄 Careful not to overdo it with the self killing though 😇😅 Thanks for watching and always leaving a comment! Have a great new week good sir!
I need help. Replaced flame censor, and the hot surface igniter. I have also cleaned the burners. The burners wont stay lit some come on some dont and it's never the same ones. After messing around for about an hr I can get it to fire up.
A common is a wiring technique in which one side of the circuit is a "common" return for multiple loads via an unbroken conductor, or in low voltage systems such as cars, the metal parts of the body, chassis and engine for power distribution (signal and sensor wiring in newer cars use dedicated return (negative) wires for cleaner signals). A neutral is a "grounded conductor" meaning it is bonded to the system ground so that it has no (or low) potential (voltage) difference between it and the surround Earth rendering relatively safe. The ground or "grounding wire" is a wire that provides a low impedance path from any conductive (metal) element in or near electrical equipment/installations that could potentially become energized by a "hot" conductor fault in order to "clear the fault" by tripping the breaker. Thus removing the potential for shock should someone come into contact with the conductive element.
And last but not least addressing the path of least resistance. Is true technically. Electrons can move just as fast as the speed of light, the problem with electrons not being able to move that fast is the restrictions or resistance we put up on them with the conductors equipment etc. so when you actually have a ground fault the electrons will hit every point of all part of that circuit in milliseconds less than milliseconds but only one valve is open allowing the electrons to get back to their home which is the ground hope that makes sense. Sorry my experience 27 years master electrician. Again I enjoyed the HVAC videos I appreciate you for posting those ⚡😎⚡
What should I do to fix if I don’t have a ground wire in my outlet and this outlet is for kitchen area. I don’t wanna open the wall to run a ground wire or replace the wire( with ground wire)? Thanks
Back in the day there was no ground wires in a Main Panel Box, the neutral was your safety. Now they have a Neutral Bar and a Grounding Bar. The National Electrical Code (NEC) requirement for separated neutrals and grounding wires in a subpanel and separate neutral and grounding conductors back to the main panel, when both panels are in the same building, dates to the 1999 revision.
When there is no ground wire, any electrical short in that outlet can cause a fire... The metal conduit box may act as a ground if the wires going to that outlet have a metal conduit around them that goes all the way back to the panel.
It’s difficult to simplify something that isn’t quite that simple. We throw around terms loosely, but really, when it comes to explaining things, details often matter. You can only simplify things to a point, and after that it can lead to inaccuracies. More accurate names for the conductors of an AC circuit that we utilize here in the USA are; “ungrounded” conductor, which is most often referred to as the “hot” conductor(s), the “grounded” conductor, which is most often referred to as the “neutral” conductor, and lastly the “equipment groundING” conductor, which is often loosely referred to as “ground”. The term “neutral” actually refers to a conductor tapped onto a secondary winding of a transformer at its center. It is termed neutral, because it is tapped precisely mid-way on the full secondary winding, having equal potential from either end. A neutral conductor is often a “grounded” conductor, but a “grounded” conductor is not always a neutral conductor. For example, if the full potential of the secondary winding is 120 volts, or in the case of a multi-tapped secondary. It is termed “grounded”, because it is intentionally bonded to the equipment grounding system, and the grounding electrode system, which is accomplished with a “main bonding jumper”. The term “ground conductor” loosely refers to the possibility of more than one different system conductor that we commonly use here in the US. “Equipment grounding conductor”, and “grounding electrode conductor” are two of them. The equipment grounding conductor’s purpose is to provide a low impedance path for current, from our appliances and wiring system, back to the source “to facilitate the opening of the overcurrent protective device” in the event of a fault. The grounding electrode conductor’s main purpose is to provide a low impedance path from the system wiring, to the “grounding electrode(s)”. The primary function of the “grounding electrode system” from a design standpoint is lightning protection and protection from high current, and high voltages produced during internal transformer faults.
I have a quick question, I replaced an outside outlet this past summer, turned off the breaker to that side of the house, double checked that there was no power to that outlet and proceeded to unscrew the wires...I noticed small sparks from the white wire which is "pigtailed" inline to the adjoining outlets. Concerned that I may get electrocuted I decided to turn the master breaker box power off just to be certain, going back to that outlet I found there was still a small charge and minor sparks at the white wire..but touching the wire gave me no shock at all?..can there be residual current in the white neutral wire and if so how?..everything is wired properly and I did manage to install the new outlet without problems. Sorry for the "quick" long winded question😉
I love the username by the way! Benevolent Backpacker 😄😎 I can't say for sure what caused that but two possibilities are either a defective breaker (could be loose wire connections too) or there was backfeed voltage which could originate from another circuit or appliance. Voltage can "backfeed" through indicating lights, transformers, capacitors, or resistors in equipment for some time even after power is shut off. That is why it's always recommended to verify that power is off with a meter or voltage detector before starting on a repair/replacement job.
If you connect earth connector with neutral connector bars then you used power for lights or electric equipment that time ground wire also showing have electricity. Can you explain why that is happening?
Trying to add 110 outlet from a 220 line,plug in. Says take one the black or red( hot) and neutral to receptacle plus ground, did that and got 8 volts, neutral is not connected in box or at plug. So just add the neutral in box to one of the ground/neutral bars
Electrician connected to my plumbing cold line at water heater connection. Why? The water line from meter to outside is plastic . how many grounds or which one is the best
If there is more than one grounding point, they are required all be bonded together. But was the connection to your cold water line suppose to be the system ground or was he bonding the piping to the system ground since it was near an electrical connection. Using water piping as the system ground is bad practice these days in my opinion since future changes to the plumbing could insert non-conductive elements breaking the Earthing.
In North American residential electrical Neutral and Common are not the same thing. Common is a hot leg that ties into a three-way switch to either feed power to one of two Travelers, or from the Travelers to the load at the other end.
If power is coming back from the appliance on the neutral to the main panel and the neutral bar and ground bar are tied together what keeps the power from traveling back to the ground and to the source at the same time sence they are tied directly together in the box , I cannot fide a video explaining that .
Something I don't understand. If the ground wire is very low resistance in respect to neutral wire, and it shares the same node as the neutral wire, wouldn't the ground wire shorts the circuit out? That part confuses me.
My only question is why would the oven, if performing sound, send power through neutral back to the power pole? Isn't a load on the circuit supposed to use all the power that it draws? Excellent video, definitely one worth watching twice to sink the knowledge in. Edit: watched it again, correct me if I am wrong, the oven under normal conditions doesn't send any power back through neutral unless there is a short, the neutral and ground wires back to the box act as a double safety route. The short caused power returns to the pole via neutral until the breaker trips. The wire ground to outside ground pole is used if somehow the breaker fails to trip?
The science of electricity is a bit complex but I will attempt to explain 😅 When an electrical current is used, it is not actually consumed. The same current that comes in will be the same current that comes out. So a hot leg/wire carries the current in and the return leg/wire (which is the neutral) carries the current back to where it came from (power station) It's almost like washing your hands with water. Water is coming in and you use it but that does not make the water disappear. It just goes into the "return" drain. This is my understanding of it. Though I am not an electrician or engineer so perhaps some future viewers can correct me if I am wrong. Basically the neutral wire does carry current and is used in AC appliances as a return path or you can say to complete the circuit.
@@WordofAdviceTV I'm not an electric engineer either, I am extrapolating on what I know about troubleshooting dc circuits on cars, and applying it here. Maybe electrical flow on AC circuits is different but ohm's law should still apply. With a dc circuits, you have a load with positive wire and ground back to DC power source/battery. The load is a resistance, and almost all voltage is used by the load, so if you have 12 volts on positive, if you check the ground you will see a voltage drop to a small number, usually 0.2 or 0.3 volts. With this voltage drop, current drops as well (ohm's law). So if we apply this to your example, the oven would be the load/resistance, the power pole the electric source, the neutral wire the "ground", with a tiny part of original voltage (and equally small current) back to power pole, as the oven/ resistance has used almost all voltage/current to generate energy it needs to operate. The difference here is that a dc battery has a limit of 12 volts, and an house AC circuit had 120 with much more to spare if there is excessive draw. This presents safety issues, and that, I am guessing, would be why you would have a ground wire going to a ground outside your house, should the connection neutral fail at outlet or junction box, there is redundancy. Motor Age channel has a pretty good overview of voltage drop caused by load/resistance on their Trainer video #96 if you want to look at this further.
Word of Advice TV Yes, you have it. The current (negative charged electrons) BALANCE back to the step down transformer outside provided by the power company. NO VOLTAGE (the pressure) will be present on the neutral UNLESS you have an OPEN neutral, (a dangerous condition) then all bets are off as this COULD now be hot, if ANY appliances (loads) are turned on. Confused yet?
The one thing you didn't explain, or show is the green wire ground from the main panel to any or all boxes, or outlets or another main panel box for a garage. Question is, if you have the green wire from the main panel: GROUND WIRE FROM GROWN OUTSIDE: Does that green wire, ground get attached to all boxes, outlets, switches, extra main, Example garage, plus a single grounding wire with a Shepards end to all metal with a screw. Example if I add an extra main to my garage, I run a Black hot a red hot a white common/ neutral and a green ground wire all from main house to main garbage do I continue all four wires to everything that needs power. I all wise see only three wires black, red hot and neutral and maybe a pigtail ground to boxes and metal but no fourth green ground wire. WHY, and could you do a video explaining the path and reason for this green wire and why it is not hooked up to everything and back to the main box or panel. Thanks.
Another great presentation 👍👍. I had that happen with my dryer. One of the hot leg wires became loose over time on the power block and shorted against the cover that protects the power block from being touched accidentally. There was a burn mark on the inside of that cover and it blew the circuit breaker. Unfortunately the breaker would not reset so it was replaced. I make it a habit now to check the power block every so often to ensure all the wires are tight. The dryer was only a year old and I have a feeling that when they attached the power cord, it wasn’t tightened sufficiently. BTY, like the joke at the end! lol. Here’s one for you. two men are arguing with each other, one says to the other, the problem with you sir is ignorance and apathy what have you got to say about that? The other man replies I don’t know, and I don’t care.
Thanks Tony! Sorry to hear you had the opportunity to experience the dryer shorting out. I have seen the exact thing a few times before too. You are probably right, if they did not tighten the screws enough, a loose connection will cause the wire to start to melt. Haha and thank you for the joke! I added it to my list. (my ending material reserves are running out so this was timely)
If the ground bus is connected to both the neutral bus and the grounding rod, why does the neutral rather than the ground rod receive the current? Don't both paths have little resistance? Thanks
The ground rod is part of the grounding electrode system (GEC), the ground wires that come from the internal circuitry are known as the equipment grounding conductor (EGC), and they serve different purposes. The GEC is primarily to protect the building from lightning strikes, and the EGC is to protect against internal faults, such as shown in the video. The ground wires from the circuits end at the ground/neutral bus bar and since they are bonded there the fault current goes up the neutral wire back to the transformer and trips the breaker. The current always wants to return to its source, the transformer in this case, so maybe a small amount will go to the ground rod.
Thanks :) I have hcca621 board. The C has an earthing symbol on it There is a continuity between the C and R as well! is this normal? can I use the C and R to power a smart thermostat?
Therefore you cannot have a grounded conductor without first having a grounding system in which to install hence that's your ground system. As you said cold water pipes and ground rods are all part of the grounding system. In which all of the neutrals are GROUNDED.
I would say yes the ground does help with conduct electricity back into the original intended circuit, but a GFCI guarantees you get no potentially dangerous or deadly zap. Well this is only the case of course it the circuit breaker doesn't trip
OK I am no expert but this what I always thought. The term common is used more in a 24 volt ac, and the white 120 volt ac is usually termed neutral. In example an Air Conditioner has both and the term separates the two from each other. Neutral is usually just white and Common can be other than blue depending on the manufacturer .
I agree with that too. In the video I just provided the "proper" definition. I know many techs name them exactly like you say. They refer to the 24v as common and the higher voltage as neutral. I learned early on that there are many things in HVAC that are not clear cut. Different folks will tell you different things.
That's the explanation I go by... common - low voltage return. It's a shame that terminals on 120 loads and switches are frequently also labeled C though. In these cases it refers to a shared terminal or path in the circuit like the common in a two speed motor, or the common on a SPDT (3-way switch or relay).
One thing that always confuses me, and maybe you can answer or have a video on the subject, is if everything in your electrical circuit is grounded properly then why do you need search suppressors or protectors? How do they function in relation to a properly grounded electrical system? I asked her specifically because once I tried to get the electrical company to come out and install a type one search suppressor on my electrical meter, and they stated that one was not needed because everything was properly grounded. And I’m such a n electrical novice, that I didn’t know how to respond.
Surge suppressors provide a bypass for induced voltages on the hot wire to the neutral limiting the voltage seen by the load equipment. This is needed for electronic devices that could be damaged by high voltage spikes. Once on the neutral, the induced current will be attenuated by the system ground. A surge suppressor at the meter would bypass currents induced on the service wires and may be already dealt with in the meter or service distribution design.
Hey man, I am having a issue with my furnace. It will come on and heat my home without issue than shut off when home is at set temp. Then temp will drop and furnace will only blow cold air when it comes back on. The pilot light is lit but it seems like the burners aren't coming on. If I flip the power switch it will come back on. I replaced the high limit and roll back switch. Any idea?
Does your thermostat have a fan setting with. AUTO and ON settings? On AUTO the fan runs only when heating or cooling. When set to ON the fan always runs perhaps continuing to filter the air and will send room temperature air from the return to the supply which will feel cold.
Jay have you ever driven a ground rod before? LOL, I’ve drove a many of then, it depends on the ground your working with. It can be a real nightmare if you hit a rock 4 or 5 feet down.
good explanation of what happens when things go wrong but your diagram shows the neutral as being "hot" coming off the breaker as most all ovens are 220volts....just sayin
Your drawing is wrong, the neutral wire connects to the neutral/ground bus and not to the breaker as shown. That's not how the breaker trips. It trips by the neutral wire returning the ground fault current back to the transformer. There are, however, panels that have snap on neutrals in which the ground wire attaches to the breaker instead of the bus bar directly, but it's a convenient routing method and has nothing to do with the tripping mechanism.
Can you add the ground and neutral at the same place on an oven/dryer? i.e. If I had a 3 wire with ground (so I guess technically a 4 wire) plug. So it has a black, red, white, and green. Can I hook the green and white up to the same spot?
If there are 4 wires, the ground and neutral would not be hooked up to the same spot. I actually have a picture of exactly what you are asking about in the video. Look at 2:41 in the video. That is how it would normally be wired. Cheers!
That's odd, for I was under the impression that you wouldn't want a neutral connected to ground. If it were, then that ground would become a potential hazard.
No, because the neutral is connected to the ground at the main panel and nowhere else, electrically speaking, under normal operation. Since it's an open line under these conditions, there will be no current.
Before i watch this video heres my thought. Ground is a backup safety in case a metal becomes electrical charge. Gives a path in case a metal becomes electrical charge to increase safety if a person touches the metal. Neutral is just a path for 120 v and less to complete the electrical circuit. Common i struggle with. Something with sharing the same of something with a switch???
Yes, the neutral bus does have current going through it when power is on. The amount of current varies depending on what appliances or fixtures are powered on but it is never a good idea to be touching any bare terminals inside a panel.
➡ More Videos For Further Information:
How to Wire A/C Condenser Unit: ruclips.net/video/KCanZEsLVEI/видео.html
How to Wire Thermostat: ruclips.net/video/VknvJ9POYDo/видео.html
How to Wire Air Conditioner Compressor: ruclips.net/video/GhBTVn5CHBE/видео.html
10 Ways to Splice Wires Together: ruclips.net/video/ihpNCVk1lF0/видео.html
How to Read Furnace Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/2MSedAkirqw/видео.html
How to Read A/C Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/2MSedAkirqw/видео.html
How to Read Water Heater Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/TX8SuHK1esY/видео.html
Basic Thermostat Wiring Diagram: ruclips.net/video/jDLz3REPTWM/видео.html
How to Wire Indoor Blower Motor: ruclips.net/video/4S8TZd-45bY/видео.html
How to Wire Outdoor Condenser Fan Motor: ruclips.net/video/VlMhvwrpimE/видео.html
Electrical Symbols and Meanings for Switches: ruclips.net/video/ngQCmR_w9QU/видео.html
Ohm's Law Explained: ruclips.net/video/sILl7p_J1UU/видео.html
I did not explain this in the video but the range illustrated is a 115v gas range.
An electric 240v range would be either a 3-wire or a 4-wire hook up.
3-wire would be 2 hot legs and a neutral. (Neutral lead must be grounded to the cabinet)
4-wire would be 2 hot wires, a neutral, and a ground.
thanks for pointing this out as the ovens I have wired have not been 120v so this was something I noticed while watching
Three (3) wire system electric range. Is this the ONLY place where we use the Neutral as the Equipment Ground also? Thank you.
Only on an old dedicated 3-wire circuit can the ground be used as a neutral. This is so modern 240v appliances can be used on old 2-hots and a ground circuits. It is relatively safe because the ground is NOT connected to any other appliances and goes directly back to the bonding point of the neutral and ground. If there are other appliance cases on that ground bonding circuit, those cases could go live with a voltage difference if the ground wire is broken between the appliance and the breaker panel and the appliance using the ground as the neutral is switch so that current could flow through it to the ground.
This isn't just a "common" video!! It is unique!!
Haha I love it 😄 Glad you liked it!
I can’t begin to tell you how much I have learned and continue to learn from your videos. As the maintenance supervisor for an apartment complex and doing everything from plumbing to electrical to hvac, your channel has been a lifesaver too many times to count. So I just want to say thank you!!
Could I ask ya where are you from? I'll be HVAC certified, along with EPA and CPO, in less than a year!! I want to find me a good, stable community to both live at and work hopefully for the rest of my life!! Watching all of his videos has taught me a lot and helped me through school!! I can't wait to be done with school and start working...
I am 32 years old and I used to weld for my career and was very good at it!! But right at 2 years ago I was in a bad car wreck that broke my neck, TBI, and was in a coma for 3 months!! So I'm having to find me something less physical on my neck!! I know that property maintenance can be physical but I know its nothing like holding my neck in the same position for hours and hours welding!! I would say I am 97% fully recovered and can physically do all the stuff I used to could do!! Everybody is amazed considering I was getting out of a wheelchair year and half ago lol!! I would love to be able to move off to somewhere other than north Alabama and start my life time career...
@@Trust_Jesus Knoxville TN
Cool... I just got back from a rich, rich friends house in Brentwood Tn!! I love Tennessee, its so pretty but when I finish school I'm prolly moving to Florida lol!! Plenty of apartment communities down there and the weather... How long have you been a maintenance supervisor??
@Scott Palmer That's awesome Scott! I'm happy to hear that my channel has been helpful for you! I appreciate you taking time to leave the nice comment. Hope your career and knowledge will only continue to grow until you become a legend there in TN! Aloha from Hawaii 🤙🤙🤙
Jay, I'm a project manager and the thing I like most about your explanations is your ability to simply explain. Sometimes when I'm explaining to the apprentices I noticed that I go to deep into detail. Great job as always. I know you've heard this before but someday when you get old like me you should go into teaching. I think you would find it rewarding and the students need more teachers like you. BTW I've been following you for a while and congrats on the move.
Aloha Paul, thank you! I make an effort to keep it plain and simple so it's nice to hear that it's working. Teaching sounds like a good path to take in the future, I appreciate the motivation! Hawaii has been wonderful! I am now diving deep into the crypto abyss. Trading and investing into cryptocurrencies. I will be focusing on that for the next couple years.
He is already a teacher!! ✌🏼 Great job
I prefer Jay's hand drawing and explanation to the other animated youtube videos for some reasons. Very well explained.
Thank you Andrew! It's nice to know my art was not a turn off point 😅
Such a great lesson. I'm in school for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and found this to be confusing in class. You made it crystal clear!
Same here
You are one of the reasons i get in this trade Jay.Been watching your video a year and i will finish school this summer, it helped me a lot Jay. You make everything look much more simple. I wish one day i have chance to meet you in person. Hat off
Very good vid. Next do one on why the ground and neutral need separated in a sub-panel, thanks
Thank you Pat from Ohio! This topic was "dear to me" since in college I was always baffled by it and never got a clear answer. Is common the same as ground? As for the video about why ground and neutral needs to be separated in a sub-panel, thank you for the suggestion! My friend Ben has a wonderful video on that exact topic already so I don't think there is a need for me to make one too. ruclips.net/video/5iEuaAYs5x4/видео.html
Wow, that was awesome. Been doing some rewiring on my old motorhome and have often been confused by some of what I find. This helps immensely!!
Great vid. Couple comments: Neutral is a current carrying conductor that has 0V potential to Ground and connects back to the center tap of the main transformer feeding the breaker panel. Only found on 120VAC and 277VAC circuits. Ground should never be used as a current carrying conductor. In older circuits, EMT conduit, water pipes, gas pipes, etc. were used as grounding conductors. If these were carrying current all the time very bad things would happen above and beyond removing the safety aspect of the ground.
Common usually refers to 24 VAC circuits with all loads connecting back to Common. Also used to describe the "input" of a SPDT switch. (Common, Normally Open, Normally Closed.)
Right on! When I was working as a nuclear submarine mechanic @ Pearl, I took a night course @ Honolulu Community College titled “Residential Electrical Wiring” (8ea 4hrs long on Friday evenings after a 40hr week). The instructor was the vice principal of the electrical department. He noticed we were dosing off (I was wondering who was flicking the lights off & on), so he changed his plan & alternated one hour each between book/black board time & hands-on work shop. He knew how to “instill” knowledge to his students!
Great video man....You break it down so we'll that a kid would understand it. Love it!
Thanks. I am an electronics repair tech and we only deal with two wires. I've always found working on electrical stuff intimidating and confusing because I was never taught about three wires. Now I get it.
Awesome! Glad I could clear some of that up for you 👍👍👍
Excellent video and we'll explained too, has a bit of everything to keep you engaged. Even a lil funny😅 totally enjoyed learning
As usual, excellent explanation with simple to understand diagrams. Great job !
Thank you for your knowledge. Started basic electricity and this helped me so much.
Such basics, but important to adhere to.
Thansk Jay! You explain things to where I can understand them. Really appreciate the videos man.
You are humble guy , love it
Jay jay made this thing so easy to understand. Great video,👍👍👍👍
Happy to hear that! Thank you!
Greetings earthling
I happened upon your video looking for some information on furnace and furnace sequence of operations. Thank you for that video and it's very helpful very useful very knowledgeable now I have to comment on this video.
Great diagram and explanation here, Jay! This is a simple explanation for the layman. You do great work. I really enjoy your videos.
Thank you Game Wizard! Glad you liked it!
New subscriber tonight. Brushing up on my electrical diagrams and circuits. You teach very well. Do you have any suggestions for setting up a gas power generator for a power outage. Thank you look forward to watching your channel.
Hi Jay, still waiting for video on walk in coolers, I know you make great videos, God bless u and stay safe
Thank you Pete! So I worked on a couple walk in coolers recently and that helped me realize that I don't have nearly enough experience with them to be able to put out good quality videos on walk in coolers... I mainly serviced residential units back in Minnesota. Maybe some day in the future 😄 God bless you and yours!
Jay , may I say ,you're a very well '' grounded '' person ... Lol ... I kill me ... Good vid ...
@@davidmckinney6577 Hello David and family ...
@Eddy haha nice one 😄 Careful not to overdo it with the self killing though 😇😅 Thanks for watching and always leaving a comment! Have a great new week good sir!
Great video I'm slowly working through all your content
Best explanation I’ve heard
Great explanation!!
Thank you! 🙂 Aloha from Hawaii! 🤙
You’re my teacher man love the vids!
Glad to hear you like the vids! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Thanks Jay
Again...Your the best.
Glad you liked it! Thanks John 🙂
You are the man!!!! Keep these videos coming. Thnx
Thanks Miguel! Glad you liked it!
Very clearly explained. Thank you.
wow, jay that is really some good stuff to know! thank you so much for sharing.
I need help. Replaced flame censor, and the hot surface igniter. I have also cleaned the burners. The burners wont stay lit some come on some dont and it's never the same ones. After messing around for about an hr I can get it to fire up.
A common is a wiring technique in which one side of the circuit is a "common" return for multiple loads via an unbroken conductor, or in low voltage systems such as cars, the metal parts of the body, chassis and engine for power distribution (signal and sensor wiring in newer cars use dedicated return (negative) wires for cleaner signals). A neutral is a "grounded conductor" meaning it is bonded to the system ground so that it has no (or low) potential (voltage) difference between it and the surround Earth rendering relatively safe. The ground or "grounding wire" is a wire that provides a low impedance path from any conductive (metal) element in or near electrical equipment/installations that could potentially become energized by a "hot" conductor fault in order to "clear the fault" by tripping the breaker. Thus removing the potential for shock should someone come into contact with the conductive element.
Very well said i did learn something new GODSPEED
And last but not least addressing the path of least resistance. Is true technically. Electrons can move just as fast as the speed of light, the problem with electrons not being able to move that fast is the restrictions or resistance we put up on them with the conductors equipment etc. so when you actually have a ground fault the electrons will hit every point of all part of that circuit in milliseconds less than milliseconds but only one valve is open allowing the electrons to get back to their home which is the ground hope that makes sense.
Sorry my experience 27 years master electrician. Again I enjoyed the HVAC videos I appreciate you for posting those ⚡😎⚡
Can you start recording your self while repairing appliances? And explain it while doing it? We can learn from you more this way also
Can you please make more electrical videos that have to do with hvac or in general. I really in-joy your videos👍👍👍
Awesome! Glad to hear that 😄 Yes, I plan to try and do more HVAC, electrical, and appliance videos and less other random stuff going forward
In 240v systems the neutral isn't a ture neutral. ANYWAY Most guys on "here" are saying the common is a hot feed. Thanks for the good video.
What should I do to fix if I don’t have a ground wire in my outlet and this outlet is for kitchen area. I don’t wanna open the wall to run a ground wire or replace the wire( with ground wire)? Thanks
Very well explained
Thank you! Glad to hear that!
Thank You,I Learned Alot
Glad to hear it! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
👍😂😂🤣 you be having some lowkey good jokes an punchlines. Great explaining an breakdown your good at giving UNDERSTANDING SHALOM
Haha glad you liked them 😄 Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, Aloha from Hawaii!
Nice demo, but a bit confusing when you are talking about 240v service. No real neutral then?
Back in the day there was no ground wires in a Main Panel Box, the neutral was your safety. Now they have a Neutral Bar and a Grounding Bar.
The National Electrical Code (NEC) requirement for separated neutrals and grounding wires in a subpanel and separate neutral and grounding conductors back to the main panel, when both panels are in the same building, dates to the 1999 revision.
Wow now that is interesting! I did not know that the grounding wires are actually a fairly new addition... Thank you for broadening my horizons! 😄
What if your outlet ONLY have a power and a neutral located in a metal conduit box. Does the metal conduit box acts as a ground?
When there is no ground wire, any electrical short in that outlet can cause a fire... The metal conduit box may act as a ground if the wires going to that outlet have a metal conduit around them that goes all the way back to the panel.
Very good information
Good illustration.
Thank you! 😄
It’s difficult to simplify something that isn’t quite that simple. We throw around terms loosely, but really, when it comes to explaining things, details often matter. You can only simplify things to a point, and after that it can lead to inaccuracies.
More accurate names for the conductors of an AC circuit that we utilize here in the USA are; “ungrounded” conductor, which is most often referred to as the “hot” conductor(s), the “grounded” conductor, which is most often referred to as the “neutral” conductor, and lastly the “equipment groundING” conductor, which is often loosely referred to as “ground”.
The term “neutral” actually refers to a conductor tapped onto a secondary winding of a transformer at its center. It is termed neutral, because it is tapped precisely mid-way on the full secondary winding, having equal potential from either end. A neutral conductor is often a “grounded” conductor, but a “grounded” conductor is not always a neutral conductor. For example, if the full potential of the secondary winding is 120 volts, or in the case of a multi-tapped secondary. It is termed “grounded”, because it is intentionally bonded to the equipment grounding system, and the grounding electrode system, which is accomplished with a “main bonding jumper”.
The term “ground conductor” loosely refers to the possibility of more than one different system conductor that we commonly use here in the US. “Equipment grounding conductor”, and “grounding electrode conductor” are two of them. The equipment grounding conductor’s purpose is to provide a low impedance path for current, from our appliances and wiring system, back to the source “to facilitate the opening of the overcurrent protective device” in the event of a fault.
The grounding electrode conductor’s main purpose is to provide a low impedance path from the system wiring, to the “grounding electrode(s)”. The primary function of the “grounding electrode system” from a design standpoint is lightning protection and protection from high current, and high voltages produced during internal transformer faults.
Thank you. This is Greek, to me. I will have to watch it several more times.
You're welcome! Hopefully most of it will make sense 👍👍👍
I have a quick question, I replaced an outside outlet this past summer, turned off the breaker to that side of the house, double checked that there was no power to that outlet and proceeded to unscrew the wires...I noticed small sparks from the white wire which is "pigtailed" inline to the adjoining outlets. Concerned that I may get electrocuted I decided to turn the master breaker box power off just to be certain, going back to that outlet I found there was still a small charge and minor sparks at the white wire..but touching the wire gave me no shock at all?..can there be residual current in the white neutral wire and if so how?..everything is wired properly and I did manage to install the new outlet without problems.
Sorry for the "quick" long winded question😉
I love the username by the way! Benevolent Backpacker 😄😎 I can't say for sure what caused that but two possibilities are either a defective breaker (could be loose wire connections too) or there was backfeed voltage which could originate from another circuit or appliance. Voltage can "backfeed" through indicating lights, transformers, capacitors, or resistors in equipment for some time even after power is shut off. That is why it's always recommended to verify that power is off with a meter or voltage detector before starting on a repair/replacement job.
@@WordofAdviceTV Thanks!...and thank you for the possible causes, all seems fine although it made me scratch my head.
Cheers again
If you connect earth connector with neutral connector bars then you used power for lights or electric equipment that time ground wire also showing have electricity. Can you explain why that is happening?
Trying to add 110 outlet from a 220 line,plug in. Says take one the black or red( hot) and neutral to receptacle plus ground, did that and got 8 volts, neutral is not connected in box or at plug. So just add the neutral in box to one of the ground/neutral bars
Electrician connected to my plumbing cold line at water heater connection. Why? The water line from meter to outside is plastic . how many grounds or which one is the best
Hi Bob! I would need to check it out to be able to comment on that. I am assuming an electrician would know the best spots to connect grounds.
If there is more than one grounding point, they are required all be bonded together. But was the connection to your cold water line suppose to be the system ground or was he bonding the piping to the system ground since it was near an electrical connection.
Using water piping as the system ground is bad practice these days in my opinion since future changes to the plumbing could insert non-conductive elements breaking the Earthing.
In North American residential electrical Neutral and Common are not the same thing. Common is a hot leg that ties into a three-way switch to either feed power to one of two Travelers, or from the Travelers to the load at the other end.
thanks for the video
Nice explanation. Thank you!
very educative. regards
If power is coming back from the appliance on the neutral to the main panel and the neutral bar and ground bar are tied together what keeps the power from traveling back to the ground and to the source at the same time sence they are tied directly together in the box , I cannot fide a video explaining that .
Another thumbs up 👍👍👍
You're the man Harry! Always. 🤙
Went to the store today got me a bag of fresh coffee neutrals.
Something I don't understand. If the ground wire is very low resistance in respect to neutral wire, and it shares the same node as the neutral wire, wouldn't the ground wire shorts the circuit out? That part confuses me.
You are correct, ground is higher resistance than neutral.
Nice job.
Hey Jay, I have a GE electric dryer over washer gud27essmww, dryer stopped heating, what would be your guess? Thank you!
My only question is why would the oven, if performing sound, send power through neutral back to the power pole? Isn't a load on the circuit supposed to use all the power that it draws? Excellent video, definitely one worth watching twice to sink the knowledge in. Edit: watched it again, correct me if I am wrong, the oven under normal conditions doesn't send any power back through neutral unless there is a short, the neutral and ground wires back to the box act as a double safety route. The short caused power returns to the pole via neutral until the breaker trips. The wire ground to outside ground pole is used if somehow the breaker fails to trip?
The science of electricity is a bit complex but I will attempt to explain 😅
When an electrical current is used, it is not actually consumed. The same current that comes in will be the same current that comes out. So a hot leg/wire carries the current in and the return leg/wire (which is the neutral) carries the current back to where it came from (power station)
It's almost like washing your hands with water. Water is coming in and you use it but that does not make the water disappear. It just goes into the "return" drain.
This is my understanding of it. Though I am not an electrician or engineer so perhaps some future viewers can correct me if I am wrong. Basically the neutral wire does carry current and is used in AC appliances as a return path or you can say to complete the circuit.
@@WordofAdviceTV I'm not an electric engineer either, I am extrapolating on what I know about troubleshooting dc circuits on cars, and applying it here. Maybe electrical flow on AC circuits is different but ohm's law should still apply. With a dc circuits, you have a load with positive wire and ground back to DC power source/battery. The load is a resistance, and almost all voltage is used by the load, so if you have 12 volts on positive, if you check the ground you will see a voltage drop to a small number, usually 0.2 or 0.3 volts. With this voltage drop, current drops as well (ohm's law). So if we apply this to your example, the oven would be the load/resistance, the power pole the electric source, the neutral wire the "ground", with a tiny part of original voltage (and equally small current) back to power pole, as the oven/ resistance has used almost all voltage/current to generate energy it needs to operate. The difference here is that a dc battery has a limit of 12 volts, and an house AC circuit had 120 with much more to spare if there is excessive draw. This presents safety issues, and that, I am guessing, would be why you would have a ground wire going to a ground outside your house, should the connection neutral fail at outlet or junction box, there is redundancy. Motor Age channel has a pretty good overview of voltage drop caused by load/resistance on their Trainer video #96 if you want to look at this further.
Word of Advice TV Yes, you have it. The current (negative charged electrons)
BALANCE back to the step down transformer outside provided by the power company. NO VOLTAGE (the pressure) will be present on the neutral UNLESS
you have an OPEN neutral, (a dangerous condition) then all bets are off as this COULD now be hot, if ANY appliances (loads) are turned on. Confused yet?
Great video
The one thing you didn't explain, or show is the green wire ground from the main panel to any or all boxes, or outlets or another main panel box for a garage. Question is, if you have the green wire from the main panel: GROUND WIRE FROM GROWN OUTSIDE: Does that green wire, ground get attached to all boxes, outlets, switches, extra main, Example garage, plus a single grounding wire with a Shepards end to all metal with a screw. Example if I add an extra main to my garage, I run a Black hot a red hot a white common/ neutral and a green ground wire all from main house to main garbage do I continue all four wires to everything that needs power. I all wise see only three wires black, red hot and neutral and maybe a pigtail ground to boxes and metal but no fourth green ground wire. WHY, and could you do a video explaining the path and reason for this green wire and why it is not hooked up to everything and back to the main box or panel. Thanks.
Hey jay, great explanation 👍...
Happy new year bro
Thank you John! 🤙
Happy New year to you and yours!
so common is the neutral or grounded conducter in appliances and air conditioners rite?
Another great presentation 👍👍. I had that happen with my dryer. One of the hot leg wires became loose over time on the power block and shorted against the cover that protects the power block from being touched accidentally. There was a burn mark on the inside of that cover and it blew the circuit breaker. Unfortunately the breaker would not reset so it was replaced. I make it a habit now to check the power block every so often to ensure all the wires are tight. The dryer was only a year old and I have a feeling that when they attached the power cord, it wasn’t tightened sufficiently. BTY, like the joke at the end! lol. Here’s one for you. two men are arguing with each other, one says to the other, the problem with you sir is ignorance and apathy what have you got to say about that? The other man replies I don’t know, and I don’t care.
Thanks Tony! Sorry to hear you had the opportunity to experience the dryer shorting out. I have seen the exact thing a few times before too. You are probably right, if they did not tighten the screws enough, a loose connection will cause the wire to start to melt. Haha and thank you for the joke! I added it to my list. (my ending material reserves are running out so this was timely)
If the ground bus is connected to both the neutral bus and the grounding rod, why does the neutral rather than the ground rod receive the current? Don't both paths have little resistance? Thanks
The ground rod is part of the grounding electrode system (GEC), the ground wires that come from the internal circuitry are known as the equipment grounding conductor (EGC), and they serve different purposes. The GEC is primarily to protect the building from lightning strikes, and the EGC is to protect against internal faults, such as shown in the video. The ground wires from the circuits end at the ground/neutral bus bar and since they are bonded there the fault current goes up the neutral wire back to the transformer and trips the breaker. The current always wants to return to its source, the transformer in this case, so maybe a small amount will go to the ground rod.
Thanks :)
I have hcca621 board. The C has an earthing symbol on it
There is a continuity between the C and R as well!
is this normal? can I use the C and R to power a smart thermostat?
Therefore you cannot have a grounded conductor without first having a grounding system in which to install hence that's your ground system. As you said cold water pipes and ground rods are all part of the grounding system. In which all of the neutrals are GROUNDED.
I would say yes the ground does help with conduct electricity back into the original intended circuit, but a GFCI guarantees you get no potentially dangerous or deadly zap. Well this is only the case of course it the circuit breaker doesn't trip
How does d oven braker getting power when only d nutrai is hooked up an d 2 hot wire is hooked up 2 d main braker
Hi how long did you take to learn?
Talk about bonding breaker boxes
Thank you for the idea! Maybe I can do that in a future video.
Is the primary, on a transformer, the same as a common?
The primary side of a transformer will have a hot terminal and a common.
OK I am no expert but this what I always thought. The term common is used more in a 24 volt ac, and the white 120 volt ac is usually termed neutral. In example an Air Conditioner has both and the term separates the two from each other. Neutral is usually just white and Common can be other than blue depending on the manufacturer .
I agree with that too. In the video I just provided the "proper" definition. I know many techs name them exactly like you say. They refer to the 24v as common and the higher voltage as neutral. I learned early on that there are many things in HVAC that are not clear cut. Different folks will tell you different things.
That's the explanation I go by... common - low voltage return. It's a shame that terminals on 120 loads and switches are frequently also labeled C though. In these cases it refers to a shared terminal or path in the circuit like the common in a two speed motor, or the common on a SPDT (3-way switch or relay).
Does a "smart meter" work the same way?
The electrical part of it, yes. But the smart meter is used more for monitoring power usage than to be used as a safety.
Very good
One thing that always confuses me, and maybe you can answer or have a video on the subject, is if everything in your electrical circuit is grounded properly then why do you need search suppressors or protectors? How do they function in relation to a properly grounded electrical system? I asked her specifically because once I tried to get the electrical company to come out and install a type one search suppressor on my electrical meter, and they stated that one was not needed because everything was properly grounded. And I’m such a n electrical novice, that I didn’t know how to respond.
Surge suppressors provide a bypass for induced voltages on the hot wire to the neutral limiting the voltage seen by the load equipment. This is needed for electronic devices that could be damaged by high voltage spikes. Once on the neutral, the induced current will be attenuated by the system ground. A surge suppressor at the meter would bypass currents induced on the service wires and may be already dealt with in the meter or service distribution design.
Hey man, I am having a issue with my furnace. It will come on and heat my home without issue than shut off when home is at set temp. Then temp will drop and furnace will only blow cold air when it comes back on. The pilot light is lit but it seems like the burners aren't coming on. If I flip the power switch it will come back on. I replaced the high limit and roll back switch. Any idea?
Does your thermostat have a fan setting with. AUTO and ON settings? On AUTO the fan runs only when heating or cooling. When set to ON the fan always runs perhaps continuing to filter the air and will send room temperature air from the return to the supply which will feel cold.
Common sense explanation 👏
Hey there I want to reach out to you on a few ideas and a brainstorm session. How can I contact you privately?
Jay have you ever driven a ground rod before? LOL, I’ve drove a many of then, it depends on the ground your working with. It can be a real nightmare if you hit a rock 4 or 5 feet down.
What happens if the mouse chews the ground wire? Is it game over? (Serious question btw).
Thanks for the video, mate.
The mouse will probably survive. The wire would simply need to be spliced back together.
Thanks, mate@@WordofAdviceTV
good explanation of what happens when things go wrong but your diagram shows the neutral as being "hot" coming off the breaker as most all ovens are 220volts....just sayin
brilliant
Sometimes I scratch my head and sometimes my chin. My chin when I have an idea 💡 and my head when it goes wrong 😂
Haha that sounds about right 😄 I think that's the way I do it too.
Great Video. Have a nice weekend .Thank you for sharing ^_^
Thank you ZE KENZY! Appreciate your comment as usual! 😄 Aloha from Hawaii! 🤙🤙
Good presentation. Suggestion, try using the term " Equipment Ground."
thank you.
Your drawing is wrong, the neutral wire connects to the neutral/ground bus and not to the breaker as shown. That's not how the breaker trips. It trips by the neutral wire returning the ground fault current back to the transformer. There are, however, panels that have snap on neutrals in which the ground wire attaches to the breaker instead of the bus bar directly, but it's a convenient routing method and has nothing to do with the tripping mechanism.
Can you add the ground and neutral at the same place on an oven/dryer? i.e. If I had a 3 wire with ground (so I guess technically a 4 wire) plug. So it has a black, red, white, and green. Can I hook the green and white up to the same spot?
If there are 4 wires, the ground and neutral would not be hooked up to the same spot. I actually have a picture of exactly what you are asking about in the video. Look at 2:41 in the video. That is how it would normally be wired. Cheers!
@@WordofAdviceTV okay, so the place I work has been doing it wrong for years. Is there any danger to that?
That's odd, for I was under the impression that you wouldn't want a neutral connected to ground. If it were, then that ground would become a potential hazard.
No, because the neutral is connected to the ground at the main panel and nowhere else, electrically speaking, under normal operation. Since it's an open line under these conditions, there will be no current.
Before i watch this video heres my thought. Ground is a backup safety in case a metal becomes electrical charge. Gives a path in case a metal becomes electrical charge to increase safety if a person touches the metal. Neutral is just a path for 120 v and less to complete the electrical circuit. Common i struggle with. Something with sharing the same of something with a switch???
You had it pretty much spot on!! Bravo 👍👍💪💪
I would think if the wire was chewed by a mouse and it was exposed and touched metal the breaker would trip no? Isn't that what the breakers for?
Is the buss bar always hot
Yes, the neutral bus does have current going through it when power is on. The amount of current varies depending on what appliances or fixtures are powered on but it is never a good idea to be touching any bare terminals inside a panel.