Re: Household NEUTRAL is not really a return path

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Davetracer@xxxxxxx 

In a message dated 9/15/2005 11:49:28 AM Mountain Daylight Time, 
tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

Now-a-days, they might use flexible plastic tubing to hook it up like
they often do with water pipes in new construction here.  The water
itself my not conduct well at all in this case.  Might try to take an
ohm meter between the radiator and a known ground.

Cheers,

        Terry



 Amen to this!

    I had the odd situation of, when I ran the microwave in my 
kitchen, the kitchen lights got... brighter. Weird. I finally figured 
out the neutral return was in trouble, and that the lights were 
"returning" through the microwave. Turns out the neutral had corroded 
at the utility feed in the front yard. I still remember the 
electrician scraping neutral to a ground rod, sparks flying, and him 
saying, "I got FAHYR here, FAHYR!"

"FAHYR!" ... hee hee hee

    -- grins,

    David

p.s. Don't trust your hot and neutral. Putting a good load on and 
then comparing neutral to ground is a *very* interesting exercise and 
well worth doing.

p.p.s. "FAHHYR!"