Earth leakage n high integraty earthing

[Cj24]

Am I right on sayin earth leakage is when someone touches a live conductor or is this totally wrong, and high integ earthing that is wen u pull an extra earth in say on a comp ring but do u pull extra earth in so the csa is bigger then ya phase n neatural conductors

 

[GStueyXR]

Earty leakage is nothing to do with someone touching anything...

If any conductor is raised to a potential above that of earth, some current is bound to flow from that conductor to earth. This is true even of conductors that are well insulated from earth, since there is no such thing as perfect insulation or infinite impedance. The amount of current that flows depends on:

1. the voltage on the conductor.
2. the capacitive reactance between the conductor and earth.
3. the resistance between the conductor and earth.

High tech equipment often leaks current to earth, cant remember why, but it is necessary.

 

[GStueyXR]

BTW, high integrity earthing is just that, High integrity.

2 connections are made to a CPC in order that should 1 become disconnected there is still a path to earth for leakage currents.

 

[JUD]

Earty leakage is nothing to do with someone touching anything...

If any conductor is raised to a potential above that of earth, some current is bound to flow from that conductor to earth. This is true even of conductors that are well insulated from earth, since there is no such thing as perfect insulation or infinite impedance. The amount of current that flows depends on:

1. the voltage on the conductor.
2. the capacitive reactance between the conductor and earth.
3. the resistance between the conductor and earth.

High tech equipment often leaks current to earth, cant remember why, but it is necessary.

@GStueyXR....... Cj's question stems from a question he asked yesterday HERE. He is trying to understand the use of RCDs, RCBOs etc.

I explained the use of RCDs as additional protection against electric shock and used somebody touching a live conductor as an example of current leaking to earth and causing an imbalance between line & neutral, causing the RCD to trip.

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@Cj24........Someone touching a live conductor is not the only example of earth leakage. Sorry, I should have made that more clear.

As GStueyXR has explained, some equipment is designed to leak a small amount of current to earth (IT equipment for example)

 

[GStueyXR]

Oh right, okay then....