If I touch the neutral wire, will I get a shock?

[UNG]

If the neutral was floating due to a supply transformer earth fault then it will be live

Care needs to excercised with single pole isolation in this case as it is still possible to get a shock from the neutral

 

[SirKit Breaker]

The neutral is a current carrying conductor, so i wouldnt be touching unless i knew it was isolated.

 

[Bromd123]

when dealing with neutrals I haave always been taught that they are the same as live unless disconnected, something to do with a back EMF. also an unbalanced load on the circuit would cause neutral to carry higher current wouldnt it?

 

[Jason Smith]

ok, this is what I would like to add. A neutral wire is to be considered as a return flow wire. without it no electricity can flow around a circuit. Everything we put in that circuit has a resistance. Lets call the cooker a resistor. By product that we want is heat. A lightbulb is a resistor, from that we get heat and light. The current flows in, and resists that current so that it uses the electricity, and hardly nothing is wasted, what is wasted, flows away down the neutral, as like water, the electricty has to be able to flow. Lets go back to the Live busbar at the board. Tons of juice flowing there. Nuff to send testers jumping with delight. Test on the neutral block, where they all come back to the board, and you will get nothing. (no RCDS onthis board). There always is some voltage at the neutral bar, unless every appliance is perfect. Thats why even with a circuit isolated, touching a live and neutral together will trip al the other circuits on a RCD.
Now, thinking that there is no power in a neutral, lets disconnect one from the board 9 or anywhere else if you like )thinking it has no voltage/ current. It will imediately become full power live.The current fills up the live and neutral. waiting for somewhere to go.
If I am doing major works on a circuit, I will completly disconnect that circuit from the board. I will still test at every point I am working off.(back feed, borrowed from other circuits, the list is endless ) It is also extremly rare for me to work with power on at all. Long time dead mate. Not a clear explanation here but hope it helps a bit.

 

[WayneL]

If I am doing major works on a circuit, I will completly disconnect that circuit from the board. I will still test at every point I am working off.(back feed, borrowed from other circuits, the list is endless ) It is also extremly rare for me to work with power on at all. Long time dead mate. Not a clear explanation here but hope it helps a bit.

Good Man. I totally agree.

 

[Jason Smith]

quick question here, my fluke T3 tester will not trip an RCD no matter where I test between. Other prod testers I have do. The T3 is discontinued now, and one day I will have to replace it. Does anyone know which testers wont trip RCDS? even manufacturers cant answer me.

 

[Jason Smith]

when dealing with neutrals I haave always been taught that they are the same as live unless disconnected, something to do with a back EMF. also an unbalanced load on the circuit would cause neutral to carry higher current wouldnt it?

Brom, I wrote my reply because of your words, "treat a neutral as live unless disconnected"- its when you disconnect one on its own that it becomes live.- when disconnecting,live out first, then neutral, then earth out.
Of course, as every one has said, then in with the tester or two. (you then have to eliminate other sources of a trip to the morgue)

 

[Bromd123]

Brom, I wrote my reply because of your words, "treat a neutral as live unless disconnected"- its when you disconnect one on its own that it becomes live.- when disconnecting,live out first, then neutral, then earth out.
Of course, as every one has said, then in with the tester or two. (you then have to eliminate other sources of a trip to the morgue)

Hi jason thanks for the clarification, in my example i did mean after the live had been connected as was stated in the question, but i dint make this clear so again thank!

 

[leekemp85]

When i first started out (16) I flicked the switch off to change a light fitting.


Never again I nearly went through a wall, with the back feed . The 30 five foot floures in the other room on the same circuit.

 

[Jason Smith]

Hi jason thanks for the clarification, in my example i did mean after the live had been connected as was stated in the question, but i dint make this clear so again thank!

you say live had been connected ! obviously a typo mate you meant disconnected ! getting late init !