It is called a "Grounded Neutral" distribution system. Thus the electrical system Neutral line is always a true Ground reference point and is at zero volts in comparison to true Ground (the earth). At every home the Neutral line from the transformer is connected to a true Ground (a suitable metal rod buried in the earth) both at the transformer and inside the house at the fuse box or breaker panel. In simple concept, electricity can flow from one Hot source through a load and return on the Neutral line. Two of them are called "Hot" and are of opposite phases from the transformer, and the third is called "Neutral". Through most of North America (where I live) the power entering the house comes on three wires. So let me add a few ideas in case they help.įirst, there could be some confusion in the term "Grounded Outlet". I do not know how electricity distribution systems work in your country. anyway thanks again for your answer and have a good day but what i can confirm is that i dont have a grounded outlet so from what you said i think it's due to that. and here in algeria the electricity system isnt the same. but the problem is that i dont live in the US. your answer was very detailed and helpful. If that Ground connection has failed, then even the Neutral line is no longer at Ground (zero) voltage, and lots of bad things can happen.įirst of all thank you for taking time to answer. In North America and many other locales, the Neutral line from the power source is connected to Ground at the transformer AND at the breaker panel. There may be a flaw in the way the entire house's power system is Grounded. This really would require an electrician to help. If turning the plug over does not solve the problem, then there is another possibility to check. To detect this error and fix it probably requires an electrician. In those mistaken cases, even if you plug in correctly, the actual power being fed can be wrong. But with the older two-slot outlets, sometimes which slot is fed from which power wire is not done correctly. Moreover, with a 3-prong plug you can't plug it in backwards. With modern outlets that have a round Ground hole, the wiring supplying the outlet is connected in a particular way so that the Hot and Neutral supply lines from the breaker panel are on the correct slots of the outlet. (There really should not be, but it does happen.) IF the connection at the wall is reversed, the intended Neutral wire into the computer may actually be the Hot wire, and that can give shocks from the case. On SOME devices (like you computer) there MAY be a connection to a case part from the power wire in the cord that is supposed to be plugged into the Neutral slot. The source of this is that, on any North American outlet, the two slots of the outlet are one Hot and one Neutral. Unplug, turn the plug over, and plug back in. IF, instead, the outlet slots are the same size AND the plug blades are the same size so that you can plug in either way, try doing that same thing. In that case, unplug, turn the plug over, and plug in the other way. HOWEVER, if your plug blades are the same size and the outlet slots are different, you can plug in with the plug turned either way. If that's what you have, there really should be only one way to plug the plug into the outlet. On newer designs one slot is wider (well, taller if they are vertical), and the blades of the plug also are different. If your wall outlets are not grounded then I assume they have only two slots for blades of the plug.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |