![]() This has the effect of “centering” the 240-V service around the ground. ![]() A correctly-installed neutral tap on a split-phase transformer splits the 240-V service in half, keeping each of the hot legs at approximately 120 volts relative to ground. The neutral wire is required to complete a 120-V circuit, and though the neutral doesn’t conduct power in a 240-V circuit, it still serves an important function. The neutral wire gets its name due to the fact that it should be electrically bonded to ground, meaning that though there is power flowing through the wire, it has no voltage, or electrical potential, to the surrounding earth. One-hundred and twenty-volt circuits use one hot wire and this third, “neutral” wire to create a circuit through which power can flow. One-hundred and twenty volts is created by the addition of a third wire at the transformer, halfway between the two hot wire terminals. Some items in a home, like air conditioners and electric vehicle service equipment, utilize both legs to deliver a large amount of power at 240 volts while lighting, outlets, and other devices like TVs and refrigerators are designed to utilize power at only 120 volts, half of the service voltage. The flow of power in this loop alternates its direction of flow 60 times a second, and at any instant, the measure of electrical potential between the two hot legs is approximately 240 volts. Electricity at this voltage, or electrical potential, is sent to the home via two “hot” conductors - or “legs” - that form a loop, or circuit, between the home and the transformer. home, medium-voltage power in the electrical distribution system is stepped down to 240 volts at a utility transformer located near a residence. A floating, open, or loose neutral is a dangerous electrical issue that exists when the neutral wire is not connected or poorly connected, whether through improper installation or a faulty device, posing a fire hazard or shock risk.
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