General Contractor here ... worth tuning in all the way. Spot on. Take notes. Wishing this type of content was instilled in elementary and high school. Immeasurable value. Thank you for this production.
@@urmom69610 lmao geometry, algebra, calculus. All that actually comes in handy when working in construction. So.... don’t be mad at your school be mad at yourself for not knowing when and where you can use what you’ve been thought on an every day basis.
@@cesarcortes1168 Really? You can master geometry, algebra and calculus and not be able to change a light switch, outlet, much less a breaker, tandem breaker or panel... you aint making no sense. The math is valuable part but the know how of execution and knowledge of tooling completes the circuit (pun intended). I hire engineers and experienced contractors for constructions. If you want, you can hire a math professor to construct or work on your house. lol
Really? I don't want you working on my house. You should NEVER connect the ground wire to the neutral bus bar. They are separate for a reason and are not always connected. And the two bus bars should never be connected in a sub-unit. If you habitually connect ground to neutral then one day you might do it when the bars are not connected.
I share the vision of Chris Hartley. Ok installations where ground and neutral bars are connected still exist. But was banned in Europe in the 1950s. It's just not safe! And then when near the end of the video you connect the ground-wire to the neutral busbar?? That where I lost all faith in your (in depht) knowledge. People who try to figure out their electric installation based on this video (and I assure you there are that try) are bound to get themselfs killed. You should have had someone skilled look over this before you post these (anyway very nicely annimated. For that I congratulate you) kind of videos. Make America safe again!!
@@benverdel3073 you should read the code. Main panels can have shared, sub panels can't. That's why you can buy them with shared even in Home Depot. I would agree it's good practice to separate them, but regardless you will find them installed exactly like this all over the country.
@@chrishartley1210 A Qualified electrician should check the circuit breaker box first to see what he/she is working with before "Habitually" or Blindly connecting ground to neutral anyway. Knowledge of what your working with is key so no surprises occur or assuming someone else did it for you....
I went to school for Electrical Engineering, and while I know a lot about how electricity works mathematically, I don't always understand how specific components in the home work and what they are for. Videos like this are extremely helpful to bridge that knowledge gap. Thanks for it!
Same here. Went to college for BSEE for 3 years then dropped out because it was all theory and math and no practical hands-on. I sort of understood how to do the math but I didn't understand what the math was referring to in the real physical world (generation, wires, distribution, motors, appliances). That was 40 years ago but it still bothers me when I think about it. I don't regret dropping out, it was the right decision because I realized I was not cut out for a career in EE. But I wish they'd given a course in basics like what is electricity, how it's produced, distributed, used. If I'd had these videos to watch back then things may have turned out differently for me. Back in 1980 we didn't have computers or internet, just dense dull engineering textbooks with lots of equations and theory. Ugh.
I'm a student trying to become an electrician, this video connected so many lose ends. I learn more watching your videos than I do in class. Thank you.
@@Christopher-mn6re the field doesn’t teach you any of this. Most journeyman are so concerned with production and other things they rarely take the time to teach you this stuff. Apprentices basically have to learn on their own. That’s why the schools sucks so bad because it’s taught by an overwhelming amount of guys who taught themselves and don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
As a professional engineer engaged in multidisciplinary project engineering, these videos are invaluable that were never taught directly in school. Thanks so much!
Cop Loo - and the lesson is that teachers are often wrong. We need to corroborate knowledge from many sources, especially when a teacher is adamant about it. Thanks for the little life story. I found it invaluable. th-cam.com/video/Q8mD2hsxrhQ/w-d-xo.html
This like this would be taught to the electrician not to the engineer, these kinds of things should be able to be applied from the more advanced theory an engineer would have learned. Yes they don’t directly tell you this how the electricity in a house works but you learn about Ac single phase, three phase, how all that works and how centre tap transformers work
As a 4th year electrical apprentice, this video should be shown to all first year apprentice's. It would answer questions before they were even asked. Great job, subscribed.
Except he said, “qualified AND competent.”, not, qualified OR competent. We diy-ers know which category we juuust might fit in though - usually somewhere a little south of competent, but learning all the time. Videos like this help us a lot.
Professional electrical engineer here specialized in power generation, transmission and grid management. These videos are impeccable. Straight to the fact with easy to understand visual support. To me the most important point is that they always seem to know exactly who the viewer targeted by the content is. For me, a video like this is baby level, but I can easily see so much value for someone new to this or in the process of learning it. It could dive into much more complex details, but they are left for other videos which is exactly why it is so perfect.
I am not an electrician but have undertaken alot of electrical projects to code on my own. It is stated that you have to be 100% confident in what you are doing as there is absolutely no room for error with electricity. I wish we had access to videos like this one 45 years ago in school. Straight up and straight forward... Thankyou
I probably need to rewatch, but I still don't understand how the ground wire is different from the neutral wire in this example. Also, what is meant by "used" electricity here?
@@TheAero1221 the ground wire isn't intended to carry current. It's normally completely dead except in cases of a ground fault(when the hot wore touches something metal). The reason we connect the ground wire to anything metal is because that wire is able to carry the current back to the breaker and make it trip so that whatever metal became energized can turn off to prevent shock.
@@TheAero1221in essence thry arnt different Its where they are connected that matters, they are an emergency exit for electricity Take your toaster for example. Inside the toaster the live an neutral connect to the elements and are a closed circut. However if say the element breaks and touches the metal casing of the toaster. The toaster body is now in contact with live. But NOT neutral. So now the ground wire is the "neutral" in this case. And because of how low resistance the ground is. It causes the breaker to trip
Taking an electrician pre apprenticeship program. This channel supliments the program perfectly, and allows me to continue learning and reinforcing what I've already learned. Great job 👍
As a mechanical engineer that designs power distribution equipment for a living, this is freaking gold! It really ties everything together in a basic yet informative way.
They do. Just not to this level of detail. The study of how electricity works falls under the domain of physics, which is a branch of science that deals with the fundamental components of the universe, including matter, energy, motion, and how they interact. Electricity is a form of energy.
This is awesome, ive been working as a helper electrician for over 3 years now, I can pretty much wire a house by myself but untill now I didnt really know what was going on or how it worked, or why it was done a centain way, Thank you so much !!
I am an electrical engineer and even though I know all of this from class and/or from doing it in my own house, I find this video entertaining and the best explanation I have seen yet. I’ll use this to help my buddies understand what I’m talking about! 😂
@@vikingking71 yeah, one of my friends used to stay it wasn't the electricity - it was the stupidity of the person who didn't understand and respect it :)
The visuals help a lot. I’m a recent EE grad and a lot of the time in classes you get lost in the heavy math. Videos like this help you connect all the dots.
As a California State Certified General Journeyman Electrician, must say the this is the best video explanation I’ve seen on the internet. Very good job! Imagine trying to explain all this to an apprentice in the field. Drawing pictures on the backside of drywall, lettering and numbering boxes and panels, etc. I’m happy that you didn’t call residential single phase. There are two phases of power inside the panel. 👍
Wow, been doing commercial HVAC working with 480V almost daily for over 2 years. I can now confidently say that I know how the electrical works. Very informative video and you explained it perfectly, thank you!
great video, i'm the dangerous homeowner that tackles every project with "I can do that" but with your explanation i felt like a pro putting in a new breaker for my generator . 5 stars if u tube did that
Hope you are not trolling. Generator? I only watched half of the video and seriously doubt he explained generators. One of my friends asked me to hook up his house with a generator and I refused even though I do know how. Back feeding a power line can put you on the fast track to pushing a grocery cart or in prison.
If you’re getting your contractors, or home inspection license, this video is perfect for the understanding of electrical systems. It’s better than the NHIE book I’ve been reading, so much easier to understand from this video, Thank you so much!!!
A brilliant explanation. Coming from Australia I have always been mystified by the US domestic electrical system. I assumed (incorrectly) that all domestic installations were connected to a star secondary transformer winding. Grounding would have introduced all manner of issues if this had been the case. Your explanation has made me "see the light". Thanks again for this clear and very well documented description.
This is a great explanation of the basics of home electrical wiring and how the power flow, well done. I've seen others try to explain the difference between hot, neutral and ground but never do even with 30 minute videos. You explain each concept briefly and clearly. This is now my new favourite channel!
• Hot: Carries current and is at 120 V wrt the earth. • Neutral: Carries current and is at 0 V wrt the earth. • Ground: Doesn’t carry current and is at 0 V wrt the earth.
Having worked part-time in the electrical/lighting dept of a major building supplier, explaining all of this to people was more than a little scary...it never failed to amaze me that some of those people were still walking this earth.
These videos are just brilliant. I’m not sure how many people I have recommended them to watch. I hope this is very profitable for you and worth your time.
Also. If you’re paying for school that’s cool. But I feel like I wasted money. I learned the most being a gopher on the field and installing. Then switched to service after two years. Your first two years you’re gonna be lost as a service tech. Then after the couple year practice you’ll be in the swing of things. All units. Controls. Are different. But eventually you’ll see roughly how they should be working.
Wonderful coverage. I love GFCI's especially around water. AFCI breakers are a solution in search of a problem and were code mandated just after invention, when only one company could make them. The NEC now protects Profits, machines, and people. In that order.
I agree it's hard to wrap your head around some of the concepts when your someone who is more of a hands on visual learner (like me). Like trying to picture something in your head when you've never seen it. The diagrams help but sometimes add to the complexity for comprehension as a student.
Please change the Electrical Panel to an actual 3 phase panel. 2 lines and a N is not 3 Phase. It must be 3 Lines and a N, You are only showing 2 buss bars on the panel when it should be 3 buss bars for the circuit breakers.
Simply OMG! Like most of the comments have said, this is by far the most informative video explaining how a service panel provides electricity to a home! Thanks!👍👍👍👍👍
I've been wondering how the hot, neutral, and ground were connected for years. After wathcing this, my confusion was gone and I even learned how the 240V circuit is hooked up. Thank you for making such a clear and to-the-point video.
240 is just line to line voltage. 120 is found because of the center tapped secondary winding that is grounded, hence 120 volts to ground. If the secondary winding was grounded on one end instead of the center you would instead have 240 volts to ground on one line, 0 volts to ground on the other line, and 240 volts from line to line. You should look up three phase delta and three phase ungrounded systems if you really want to get confused 😂
Thank you for making this video! Im in school right now and I was having trouble following along in class because I couldn't visually see what the instructors are explaining. This video is very easy to understand and so helpful!
I can't thank you enough for explaining the electrical box in such an uncomplicated simple way with pictures. This is the best I have ever found. I don't know a lot about electrical things but want to understand more. I want to be able to do simple things like put in a new outlet. I don't intend to mess with the big stuff but need to understand the dangers.
Who else watches TH-cam explanation videos to catch up on actual information because they wasted their life in school learning nothing. These videos are so great.
As an electrician making the jump to engineering, this video is bad ass and explains things very well. Really this knowledge can be useful to either an apprentice electrician or a fresh engineer.
People are quick to point out that the US should be on 240v rather than 120v. But when you mention Japan's 100v 50/60hz mixed system, they are suddenly quiet. Great video btw.
@Mister Brookes 120 is much safer than 240. Doubling the voltage delivers 4 times the power to a zap which could be the difference between a shock and an electrocution. The safety is worth the added cost in a house. The 240 is great for being able to have large load items like electric stoves or dryers, but 120 is all that's needed for residential lighting and outlets.
I would prefer 240 over 120 here in the USA. It's more efficient and not that much more dangerous as long as it's designed properly. I think the big reason why we still use 120 is because we didn't have our infrastructure bombed out and destroyed during ww1 and ww2.
@@danhardhat2 doubling the voltage is only double the power but neither voltage or power matter it is current alone that kills the voltage only needs to be high enough to overcome your skins resistance so pretty much anything of 50v
@@shaynegadsden It's 4 times. Power=Voltage squared over resistance is one of the laws (kircchov's or ohm's law don't remember which). If you double the voltage, you double the current across the same resistance. Power is voltage times current so doubled voltage times doubled current is 4x power. 4x power is very dangerous for residential. Kids get belted from shoddy products, frayed cords and the like frequently.
@@danhardhat2 yeah I see the math your using still doesn't matter though with current standards all outlets are to be ground fault protected so our 240v system works out much better and for large appliances compressors, AC etc we have 415
Knew about the gfci but did not know about the afci. I will need to check that out and replace our breakers in our cabin. We just had an extension cord do that and the breaker did not pop. Glad i watched this video.
I have started simply putting in dual function afci/gfci breakers in all positions. They are a lot more expensive, but much better life protection. Remember, a regular breaker is only to be protect the wiring, not you!
@@ke6gwf pretty sure AFCI is to protect your electric blanket, not the wires Be careful though. My portable AC did not like the AFCI on my bedroom circuit. I ended up running a heavy extension cord out to the hall.
@@jimstanley_49 some cord ends have afci built into them to protect just the cord, but the breakers are to protect the in wall wiring more than anything. Some of the most common causes of house fires are from nails going through wires and causing an intermittent short that heats the wire up (or being pinched against metal causing a low level short, etc), or from a bad connection, either from a broken wire that is still touching, or a loose connection, which will heat up under load. These can also occur in cords, but the reason they are required as breakers rather than outlets, is to protect against in-wall faults. And yes, AFCIs are susceptible to false trips, but unless the afci breaker is defective, if it is tripping when turning on a heavy load, it probably means that there is a wiring fault, and it is doing its job. If there is a loose connection at the breaker, at the back of the outlet, or a loose wire nut somewhere along the way, or an internal fault in the unit, it will detect this under heavy load where it might not be a problem under light loads. So I would try plugging the unit into another AFCI protected circuit from a different breaker, and see if it still trips. Most of the breakers will show you a code to let you know what it detected, which can help with the troubleshooting. To put it another way, an afci tripping is a sign of a problem with some part of the system, and should be investigated, rather than just treated as a nuisance,because a properly designed system won't do that.
Well, you're teaching the type that thinks money will buy them knowledge. The legit students are out there working and learning on the job. I'm sorry you went into teaching, you're severely underpaid.
Wow... I'm an IT Network Engineer/Manager and I play with low voltage equipment all day. I recognize that I always need power for my network equipment and in turn, I interact with electricians and electricity every day. I often use the terms of the trade, but never fully dealt with the exact training of how electricity is provided. Outstanding representation and basic understanding of how current flows. I think I'll go and get certified as a basic residential electrician. I've looked at fuse panels, seen how the fixture wires are ran, but often times, have been frustrated on how my new light fixture and outlets are ran and crossed shared. Your info has given great insight.
Hi Paul, thank you so much for these detailed videos and spreading the knowledge. I have been trying to understand surge protectors for my apartment and spent two days reading almost every marketing video out there about basic MOVs to series surge suppression to power conditioner and filters. It's a very competitive space with so many companies selling snake oil. To make matters worse, many TH-camrs are super opinionated with basic knowledge from Google. I've watched most of your videos and I think I can trust your opinion on all things electrical. Would you please consider doing an informational video on surge protection beyond the basics that most other TH-camrs offer which involves mostly going over types, products and ratings. Thank you so much and keep teaching.
Spot on accurate, excellent video. Glad you didn't show the neutral and ground wires heading to the same screw. Schuko plug into a NEMA 5-15 outlet looks kind of funny tho.
I agree, in Canada, we still land all neutrals on one of the bars, and all grounds on the other one. This is to aid in identification along with easily powering the panel from another temporary power source in an emergency by just removing the connection between the neutral bar and the ground bar.
Wow! I never really knew where the neutral came from. This makes it so clear. The example showing the transformer with two hot leads and a neutral in the middle was great. Thanks.
Loved the video. FYI here in Quebec, Canada main lines are at 750Kv from the dams to the city, within the city they drop it down between 125kv to 25kv for distribution then step it down to 120v/240v for residential use.
Hi I'm a lineman apprentice and was wondering if you could do a video on the distribution networks mentioned around 1:20 .... videos on how they work. On how they're constructed, installed, maintained and how they're repaired. I'd pay a decent penny for them. I have the info in my books but something about how you explain things just make them click
I design Transmission Powerlines for a living and have never seen a clearer, more precise explanation of LV electrical systems like this. Thank you for this awesome content!
6:30 remember kids, breakers are there to protect the wire, not you, a GFI breaker is needed for human protection as obviously a 15 amp breaker will not react fast enough to save your life.
Very cool. My last house had an old Pushmatic breaker system and was improperly grounded. We had the panel and meter box replaced to handle 200A, and also had to ground stakes added to the outside of the house. The electrician we hired to do the work was really cool about answering all of my questions and I learned a lot about the whole setup. This video just added to that knowledge. Thanks!
This one goes out to anyone who has difficulty understanding how one side of an AC circuit can be “hot” and the other isn’t, given the circuit is constantly changing directions. I struggled with understanding this for years. I hope this helps. Think of the hot wire as functioning like a fan on one end of an air hose. The fan can blow, or it can suck. It’s not that you’re going back and forth between “blow” forces being applied to each wire in succession. Just the one wire is “blowing” 120v, and then reversing and “sucking” 120v. Neutral is just ambient air. Obviously the “hose” will not work to move air if there is no access to ambient air. If you duct tape the end of your air hose. The air inside repeatedly changes pressure between suction and inflation, but the air can’t actually do anything. You can’t blow dust away with it, nor can you vacuum the floor with it. So you need a neutral so that the “air” isn’t just “trapped in the hose”. When a 120v circuit is running, the neutral is just providing “air” to rush in when the fan sucks, as well as space for “escaping air” to move into when the fan blows. 240v circuits work by being like two fans on the far ends of two hoses. One fan blows 120v, the other sucks 120v at the same time, so if you connect the two hoses, the air is being moved with twice as much force. In this case, you don’t need a neutral because the other “fan” is providing the “airflow” to keep things moving. Understanding AC voltages in terms of blow and suck, rather than a simple loop that changes direction, makes this so much more understandable and totally clears up the brain pain that normally results from trying to understand how one wire is “live” and the other isn’t even though the circuit changes direction.
Thank you, this helps somewhat as I have wondered the same thing. So does a voltmeter register any voltage on the neutral when power is on/light is on? Can you get shocked touching a "live" neutral? How does that fit into your fan analogy?
@@johnbauman4005 so in theory, if everything in your house has been wired exactly perfectly with no mistakes, that’s the job of the ground rods at your meter box and at the transformer outside. By wiring the neutral wires, the neutral bus bar in your breaker box, the plumbing, gas lines, metal framing/doors, casings for metal devices, etc in your house all to those ground rods, there becomes an effectively infinite space for any stray excess electrons to go or for any deficiency in electrons to be recouped, so in theory the neutral should always have current (assuming a closed circuit, anyway), but never any voltage. In the fan analogy, I suppose it’s a bit like leaving all the windows open. There’s so much air around to come in or go out that a pressure imbalance can never form. All that said, I would certainly not trust that a white wire coming from the wall or ceiling is cold without testing it first, because a mistake as simple as accidentally wiring the hot and neutral backwards somewhere can throw big wrenches in this. You can test with a voltmeter, but the simplest test is just to tap the bare end of the neutral wire against the ground wire. If everything is connected properly, those two things should go to the same place at the other end, so there should be no sparks and no tripping of the breaker. If you get a nice pop n glow and the breaker flips off, you know something somewhere is not quite right, and that wire does have voltage. It should also be said here that voltage is a gauge measurement, not an absolute measurement. Just like pressure, or height. A voltage only has meaning relative to some baseline. We usually use the ground voltage as our 0 point because most things are touching the ground, so usually something that’s at a voltage different than that is what’s going to cause current to flow. Same way we generally measure height relative to the ground, because what we care about is how far something would have to fall to hit it, or we generally measure pressure relative to the ambient air pressure because we care about how badly air wants to get in/out of a container.
An interesting video, but you made one slight error. The green "Bonding Screw" is NOT for grounding the electrical enclosure. It IS for bonding the neutral bar TO ground. The Ground Bar is fastened directly to the enclosure and BONDED; the grounding electrode conductor from the grounding stake is connected to the Ground Bar. In most situations, the green bonding screw on the neutral bar is required; some systems use a strap between the neutral bar and the ground bar, but this is usually only found in Industrial electrical systems. Furthermore, although the NEC does not forbid it, in many regions of the US it is a violation to connect the load neutral wire to the ground bar, or the load ground wire to the neutral bar. Because proper grounding is so important, the NEC devotes and entire section of the code to this one subject, more than a hundred pages.
"but this is usually only found in Industrial electrical systems." WRONG!!!!!!! It's not ONLY industrial systems.........In many houses the neutral and ground strips in the main panel are connected together by a jumper and then a solid piece of copper wire is attached to the ground strip side and then ran out to the metal rod that is driven into the ground. The only time you de-couple the ground and neutral strips is if you run a sub panel to an outside building or garage that requires you to run power to it from the main panel that is attached to your house..
Steven Cooper Please re-think what you are saying in your comment. The neutral and ground bars are one in the same in his example panel(which is correct and per NEC requirements). So neutral and grounding Electrode Conductor are both connected to the bars. The screw to the can in the one bar is to bond(or equipment ground) the can. Respectfully, Kevin Cooper
Steven Cooper I'm not going to change your mind, but there is no ground bar directly connected to the enclosure in his load center. So other than the enclosure, there is nothing else for it to bond. Have a wonderful life.
Sometimes residential garages in NA may be equipped with 240v too. Some of the higher output air compressors or welding equipment may use it. And recently with electric cars needing a dedicated service terminal for their power connection, it may become more common as people want fast-charging.
@@HighestRank Forgot about attached garages, where they kind of throw in the laundry and utilities... But what was coming to mind is the (traditional?) kind that stands as its own structure. Or the nice fancy ones with more than 2 cars that are almost like small industrial workshops.
I live in Michigan and have installed two level 2 chargers in my garage. Each is attached to a large 50 amp 4 pin range connector to a mating outlet. One is for Ford Focus Electric and the other is a Tesla mid-range 3. With proper research and physical ability, a homeowner can do this install.
@@MrKarloz97 Yo sí, tengo 50 años, soy ingeniero en electrónica y hablo inglés, ¿porqué tú pregunta?. Mi comentario solo es un reconocimiento "en Español" al video que está muy bien echo y explicado.
I love your videos they're so informative. Is it possible to make a video that explains the difference/similarities between the neutral and ground? I mean the ground is bounded to the neutral but the ground goes to the earth ground rod and the neutral goes to the tapped transformer. If they're bounded and it's AC, wouldn't current be flowing to the earth ground? How/why does current flow to the neutral and not ground if they're bonded. I've been looking everywhere for this answer and I get completely different answers!
Electricity always tries to return to it's source. It's easier (less resistance) to flow through the ground or neutral wire back to the transformer than it is to go through the physical soil ground. So it won't flow through the ground rod noramlly. Lightening's source is the physical ground so it will pass through the rod.
If you touched the hot while standing in moist soil then it will likely go through you, into the ground soil and try to make it's way back to the transformer. But the circuits in the house would otherwise be off because they do not have a complete circuit. You touching the hot wire and the ground soil will create the path it needs.
@@EngineeringMindset and if you touched the neutral, nothing would happen correct? Because although it's a current carrying conductor, the current flows from the hot, not current is in the neutral when the neutral is not connected and is connected to ground on the other end?
@@gsanchez9457 when there is a neutral fault part of the neutral cable will rise to the full active voltage and the other half would be at ground voltage (0v) as it would be connected to ground at the transformer. The system is called the MEN system and both provides a backup return path under fault conditions as well as keeps the neutral of ground reference.
Well, I've always done my own electrical work(to a certain extent), knowing how to wire outlets,switches,fans, even installed my own panel box, grounding rods, rewiring the whole house, but now I know WHY it gets wired the way it does. Thanks for the insight!
Great video, very complete and detailed. However i am a little confused. Shouldn't the ground wires and neutral wires be connected to seperate bars? The ground bar conected strictly to the ground rod, with the neutral wires connected to the neutral bar? Shouldn't the two bars be independent from eachother? Please clarify. Thanks for the great content.
Great video!!!!! you mentioned in this video you have a video further explaing floating neutrals and bonded nuetrals more in depth, where can i find this. . thanks
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how come the neutral wire has zero potential difference when it is center tapped to the secondary coil of the transformer?
You misspelled the name of my country; it's _"Canada,"_ not _"Canda!"_
I can send it cashapp
Got a,question for you. Say a small, housing complex powerlines are O gauge , how,can they handle all those,amps,for,each house without heating up?
@@bradowen8862 Because it is grounded in the electrical panel.
General Contractor here ... worth tuning in all the way. Spot on. Take notes. Wishing this type of content was instilled in elementary and high school. Immeasurable value. Thank you for this production.
Yeah idk why they don't teach that, but we have to know the Circumference of a soccer ball
@@urmom69610 lmao geometry, algebra, calculus. All that actually comes in handy when working in construction. So.... don’t be mad at your school be mad at yourself for not knowing when and where you can use what you’ve been thought on an every day basis.
Word!
This guy gets it
@@cesarcortes1168 Really? You can master geometry, algebra and calculus and not be able to change a light switch, outlet, much less a breaker, tandem breaker or panel... you aint making no sense. The math is valuable part but the know how of execution and knowledge of tooling completes the circuit (pun intended). I hire engineers and experienced contractors for constructions. If you want, you can hire a math professor to construct or work on your house. lol
I'm an electrician for 35 years. This video is absolutely perfect explanation
Really? I don't want you working on my house. You should NEVER connect the ground wire to the neutral bus bar. They are separate for a reason and are not always connected. And the two bus bars should never be connected in a sub-unit.
If you habitually connect ground to neutral then one day you might do it when the bars are not connected.
I share the vision of Chris Hartley. Ok installations where ground and neutral bars are connected still exist. But was banned in Europe in the 1950s. It's just not safe! And then when near the end of the video you connect the ground-wire to the neutral busbar?? That where I lost all faith in your (in depht) knowledge.
People who try to figure out their electric installation based on this video (and I assure you there are that try) are bound to get themselfs killed. You should have had someone skilled look over this before you post these (anyway very nicely annimated. For that I congratulate you) kind of videos. Make America safe again!!
@@benverdel3073 you should read the code. Main panels can have shared, sub panels can't. That's why you can buy them with shared even in Home Depot. I would agree it's good practice to separate them, but regardless you will find them installed exactly like this all over the country.
@@chrishartley1210 A Qualified electrician should check the circuit breaker box first to see what he/she is working with before "Habitually" or Blindly connecting ground to neutral anyway. Knowledge of what your working with is key so no surprises occur or assuming someone else did it for you....
They do make it understandable it to the layman.
I went to school for Electrical Engineering, and while I know a lot about how electricity works mathematically, I don't always understand how specific components in the home work and what they are for. Videos like this are extremely helpful to bridge that knowledge gap. Thanks for it!
Spotted on.
Good point
Exactly, my case also
Same here. Went to college for BSEE for 3 years then dropped out because it was all theory and math and no practical hands-on. I sort of understood how to do the math but I didn't understand what the math was referring to in the real physical world (generation, wires, distribution, motors, appliances). That was 40 years ago but it still bothers me when I think about it. I don't regret dropping out, it was the right decision because I realized I was not cut out for a career in EE. But I wish they'd given a course in basics like what is electricity, how it's produced, distributed, used. If I'd had these videos to watch back then things may have turned out differently for me. Back in 1980 we didn't have computers or internet, just dense dull engineering textbooks with lots of equations and theory. Ugh.
Me too
This guy leaves no stone unturned. I was so surprised he took extra time to explain things like AFCIs and GFCIs. Fantastic explanation! 👏👏👏
I'm a student trying to become an electrician, this video connected so many lose ends. I learn more watching your videos than I do in class. Thank you.
School? You need to be in the field to learn anything kid
@@Christopher-mn6re Really? So why are you here ""studying"? One needs both classroom/book and hands on.
😂 story of our lives since grade school
@@Christopher-mn6re the field doesn’t teach you any of this. Most journeyman are so concerned with production and other things they rarely take the time to teach you this stuff. Apprentices basically have to learn on their own. That’s why the schools sucks so bad because it’s taught by an overwhelming amount of guys who taught themselves and don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
@@Christopher-mn6re troll much?
As a professional engineer engaged in multidisciplinary project engineering, these videos are invaluable that were never taught directly in school. Thanks so much!
Glad you find them useful
please use this video in school
@Cop Loo your comment is invaluable to this discussion LOL
Cop Loo - and the lesson is that teachers are often wrong. We need to corroborate knowledge from many sources, especially when a teacher is adamant about it. Thanks for the little life story. I found it invaluable.
th-cam.com/video/Q8mD2hsxrhQ/w-d-xo.html
This like this would be taught to the electrician not to the engineer, these kinds of things should be able to be applied from the more advanced theory an engineer would have learned. Yes they don’t directly tell you this how the electricity in a house works but you learn about Ac single phase, three phase, how all that works and how centre tap transformers work
As a 4th year electrical apprentice, this video should be shown to all first year apprentice's. It would answer questions before they were even asked. Great job, subscribed.
1st year watching this right now
Hey dude I see this was years ago I wonder how’s it going brother? Wish well and respects to all my fellow electricians
NOW THIS IS HOW YOU TEACH STUDENTS A TRADE OR SKILL. YOU SIR IS A GREAT TEACHER OF THE SCIENCE'S.
I'm glad you made a distinction between "qualified" and "competent".
Except he said, “qualified AND competent.”, not, qualified OR competent. We diy-ers know which category we juuust might fit in though - usually somewhere a little south of competent, but learning all the time. Videos like this help us a lot.
I’m not qualified or competent. But I’ve already got curly hair (so nothing to lose) 😂
Professional electrical engineer here specialized in power generation, transmission and grid management. These videos are impeccable. Straight to the fact with easy to understand visual support. To me the most important point is that they always seem to know exactly who the viewer targeted by the content is. For me, a video like this is baby level, but I can easily see so much value for someone new to this or in the process of learning it. It could dive into much more complex details, but they are left for other videos which is exactly why it is so perfect.
I am not an electrician but have undertaken alot of electrical projects to code on my own. It is stated that you have to be 100% confident in what you are doing as there is absolutely no room for error with electricity. I wish we had access to videos like this one 45 years ago in school. Straight up and straight forward... Thankyou
I probably need to rewatch, but I still don't understand how the ground wire is different from the neutral wire in this example. Also, what is meant by "used" electricity here?
@@TheAero1221 used electricity = electricity thats been trough an appliance like washing machine
@@TheAero1221 the ground wire isn't intended to carry current. It's normally completely dead except in cases of a ground fault(when the hot wore touches something metal). The reason we connect the ground wire to anything metal is because that wire is able to carry the current back to the breaker and make it trip so that whatever metal became energized can turn off to prevent shock.
@@TheAero1221in essence thry arnt different
Its where they are connected that matters, they are an emergency exit for electricity
Take your toaster for example. Inside the toaster the live an neutral connect to the elements and are a closed circut. However if say the element breaks and touches the metal casing of the toaster. The toaster body is now in contact with live. But NOT neutral. So now the ground wire is the "neutral" in this case. And because of how low resistance the ground is. It causes the breaker to trip
Taking an electrician pre apprenticeship program. This channel supliments the program perfectly, and allows me to continue learning and reinforcing what I've already learned. Great job 👍
I am a student and i can honestly say, One of the best explained library of videos around. I love the animations and examples used by the narrator.
As a mechanical engineer that designs power distribution equipment for a living, this is freaking gold! It really ties everything together in a basic yet informative way.
See our new video on how to build mechanical versions of electronic circuits? Watch here: th-cam.com/video/Zv9Q7ih48Uc/w-d-xo.html
Omg why can't they teach us like this from elementary to high schools. Perfect and clear! Thank you.
@Acg blah what kind?
They do. Just not to this level of detail. The study of how electricity works falls under the domain of physics, which is a branch of science that deals with the fundamental components of the universe, including matter, energy, motion, and how they interact. Electricity is a form of energy.
This is awesome, ive been working as a helper electrician for over 3 years now, I can pretty much wire a house by myself but untill now I didnt really know what was going on or how it worked, or why it was done a centain way, Thank you so much !!
Wow, same. Are you planning on getting licensed?
As an electrical engineer. I find this very nice and simplified in a perfect way. Thank you guys
The absolute best I have ever seen this explained, and I've been working trade since 1978.
I am an electrical engineer and even though I know all of this from class and/or from doing it in my own house, I find this video entertaining and the best explanation I have seen yet. I’ll use this to help my buddies understand what I’m talking about! 😂
Wow, finally a channel devoted to properly educating folks in AC. Thank You ...
Electric
This is one of the best videos I have ever seen that explains AC electrical use
Clear, concise, approachable. Great job on this!
Electricity isn't dangerous
@@vikingking71 Really? I suppose you have never gotten shocked, or short circuited a device or current path? You are delusional.
@@vikingking71 yeah, one of my friends used to stay it wasn't the electricity - it was the stupidity of the person who didn't understand and respect it :)
The visuals help a lot. I’m a recent EE grad and a lot of the time in classes you get lost in the heavy math. Videos like this help you connect all the dots.
The math is pretty hard when it comes to the class but when you’re out in the field you only use the basic math
@@candicehernandez6327 yeah so far that’s been the case.
THE best explanation I’ve heard. And I work for a power company.
As a California State Certified General Journeyman Electrician, must say the this is the best video explanation I’ve seen on the internet. Very good job! Imagine trying to explain all this to an apprentice in the field. Drawing pictures on the backside of drywall, lettering and numbering boxes and panels, etc. I’m happy that you didn’t call residential single phase. There are two phases of power inside the panel. 👍
Wow, been doing commercial HVAC working with 480V almost daily for over 2 years. I can now confidently say that I know how the electrical works. Very informative video and you explained it perfectly, thank you!
How do u make 110 out of 480
Seen our new 3 phase transformer video?➡️: th-cam.com/video/u0SsejDCVkU/w-d-xo.html
great video, i'm the dangerous homeowner that tackles every project with "I can do that" but with your explanation i felt like a pro putting in a new breaker for my generator . 5 stars if u tube did that
Hope you are not trolling. Generator? I only watched half of the video and seriously doubt he explained generators. One of my friends asked me to hook up his house with a generator and I refused even though I do know how. Back feeding a power line can put you on the fast track to pushing a grocery cart or in prison.
This is definitely one of the best electrical explanation videos I have ever watched
It is good for update the knowledge
If you’re getting your contractors, or home inspection license, this video is perfect for the understanding of electrical systems. It’s better than the NHIE book I’ve been reading, so much easier to understand from this video, Thank you so much!!!
As an electrician for 37 years now this is one of the best simple explanations of how an electrical systems works in a standard residence.
@eddinak the utility company doesn't allow it. If it's private own meter then no
A brilliant explanation. Coming from Australia I have always been mystified by the US domestic electrical system. I assumed (incorrectly) that all domestic installations were connected to a star secondary transformer winding. Grounding would have introduced all manner of issues if this had been the case. Your explanation has made me "see the light". Thanks again for this clear and very well documented description.
Can't stress enough how glad I am for having found this chanel. Love it.
This video is proof of why youtube is changing the game for DIY'ers and curious minds. Great, great content.
Proof? This has been common knowledge for years.
Six months into my apprenticeship and this video seriously lit some bulbs in my head.
This is a great explanation of the basics of home electrical wiring and how the power flow, well done. I've seen others try to explain the difference between hot, neutral and ground but never do even with 30 minute videos. You explain each concept briefly and clearly. This is now my new favourite channel!
• Hot: Carries current and is at 120 V wrt the earth.
• Neutral: Carries current and is at 0 V wrt the earth.
• Ground: Doesn’t carry current and is at 0 V wrt the earth.
Having worked part-time in the electrical/lighting dept of a major building supplier, explaining all of this to people was more than a little scary...it never failed to amaze me that some of those people were still walking this earth.
Being electrician and from Europe
It was nice to watch, as it explained a lot for me about how things are done in the US. :)
To be honest I prefer the European system with 3 true phases.
Me too, but I always love to learn how it is done on different systems.
@@Rob_Dingemans How many 3 phase devices do you own?
@@billelkins994car chargers with 400V at home is not uncommon. Have a wood splitter, and power washer. It’s just great when you need it
These videos are just brilliant. I’m not sure how many people I have recommended them to watch. I hope this is very profitable for you and worth your time.
This channel is like finding gold in the TH-cam world!
I am energized from watching these.
I cant thank you enough for all the videos, they are incredibly helpful as a first year HVAC-R Apprentice!
Lol. Good luck. Been 11 in the trade.
Electricians will either help you. Or fucking be a painful sore on your taint haha
You’ll learn quick trust me.
Also. If you’re paying for school that’s cool. But I feel like I wasted money. I learned the most being a gopher on the field and installing.
Then switched to service after two years.
Your first two years you’re gonna be lost as a service tech. Then after the couple year practice you’ll be in the swing of things.
All units. Controls. Are different. But eventually you’ll see roughly how they should be working.
@@Username-ng8jy yeeep
Wonderful coverage. I love GFCI's especially around water. AFCI breakers are a solution in search of a problem and were code mandated just after invention, when only one company could make them. The NEC now protects Profits, machines, and people. In that order.
WraithlingRavenchild Amen Brother! 2008,11, and 2014 code changes were mostly companies selling their products! Disgusting!
By far, the best explanation of how North American household electricity works. Thank you so much!
NOW I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE 240 VOLTS, FOR CLOTHES DRYER'S CONNECTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERFECTLY STATED VIDEO.!
Excellent job clearly describing the home electric system.
Thank you so much! The books are terrible an explaining things and your videos make everything so much easier.
Jessee Wynn the books don’t talk in our country. I don’t see how much better than the video yours could if they do.
@@HighestRank No one probably could point out your country on the map.
I agree it's hard to wrap your head around some of the concepts when your someone who is more of a hands on visual learner (like me). Like trying to picture something in your head when you've never seen it. The diagrams help but sometimes add to the complexity for comprehension as a student.
Great video, it was in my recommended.
I didn't know I wanted to watch this right at this very moment,
but sometimes TH-cam gets it right.
Please change the Electrical Panel to an actual 3 phase panel. 2 lines and a N is not 3 Phase. It must be 3 Lines and a N, You are only showing 2 buss bars on the panel when it should be 3 buss bars for the circuit breakers.
Electrician here. You nailed it, good job! Not a single misconception or bit or incorrect/misleading information.
Simply OMG! Like most of the comments have said, this is by far the most informative video explaining how a service panel provides electricity to a home! Thanks!👍👍👍👍👍
I've been wondering how the hot, neutral, and ground were connected for years. After wathcing this, my confusion was gone and I even learned how the 240V circuit is hooked up. Thank you for making such a clear and to-the-point video.
240 is just line to line voltage. 120 is found because of the center tapped secondary winding that is grounded, hence 120 volts to ground. If the secondary winding was grounded on one end instead of the center you would instead have 240 volts to ground on one line, 0 volts to ground on the other line, and 240 volts from line to line. You should look up three phase delta and three phase ungrounded systems if you really want to get confused 😂
Seen our new 3 phase transformer video?➡️: th-cam.com/video/u0SsejDCVkU/w-d-xo.html
I've gotta say that this was easier to follow than any textbook I've read on the subject. Great job!
Omg thank you! I was studing this in class and I never really understood before this video!!
Glad you enjoyed. Would be great if you could share this with your class.
i hope you are a painter by profession
Thank you for making this video! Im in school right now and I was having trouble following along in class because I couldn't visually see what the instructors are explaining. This video is very easy to understand and so helpful!
I can't thank you enough for explaining the electrical box in such an uncomplicated simple way with pictures. This is the best I have ever found. I don't know a lot about electrical things but want to understand more. I want to be able to do simple things like put in a new outlet. I don't intend to mess with the big stuff but need to understand the dangers.
Who else watches TH-cam explanation videos to catch up on actual information because they wasted their life in school learning nothing. These videos are so great.
The struggle of growing up without TH-cam when we were children.. now is older folk have to play catch up 😣 lol
Man, yo, so well explained. Far better than anything explained st work.
Perfectly explained. Appreciate your efforts, truly.
This is the best video explaining this on youtube. Well done
As an electrician making the jump to engineering, this video is bad ass and explains things very well. Really this knowledge can be useful to either an apprentice electrician or a fresh engineer.
People are quick to point out that the US should be on 240v rather than 120v. But when you mention Japan's 100v 50/60hz mixed system, they are suddenly quiet. Great video btw.
@Mister Brookes 120 is much safer than 240. Doubling the voltage delivers 4 times the power to a zap which could be the difference between a shock and an electrocution. The safety is worth the added cost in a house. The 240 is great for being able to have large load items like electric stoves or dryers, but 120 is all that's needed for residential lighting and outlets.
I would prefer 240 over 120 here in the USA. It's more efficient and not that much more dangerous as long as it's designed properly. I think the big reason why we still use 120 is because we didn't have our infrastructure bombed out and destroyed during ww1 and ww2.
@@danhardhat2 doubling the voltage is only double the power but neither voltage or power matter it is current alone that kills the voltage only needs to be high enough to overcome your skins resistance so pretty much anything of 50v
@@shaynegadsden It's 4 times. Power=Voltage squared over resistance is one of the laws (kircchov's or ohm's law don't remember which). If you double the voltage, you double the current across the same resistance. Power is voltage times current so doubled voltage times doubled current is 4x power.
4x power is very dangerous for residential. Kids get belted from shoddy products, frayed cords and the like frequently.
@@danhardhat2 yeah I see the math your using still doesn't matter though with current standards all outlets are to be ground fault protected so our 240v system works out much better and for large appliances compressors, AC etc we have 415
Knew about the gfci but did not know about the afci. I will need to check that out and replace our breakers in our cabin. We just had an extension cord do that and the breaker did not pop. Glad i watched this video.
AFCIs were required in bedrooms since the 2005 NEC... how did you not know about them till now...
@@adventureoflinkmk2 Maybe his cabin was built before 2005?
I have started simply putting in dual function afci/gfci breakers in all positions.
They are a lot more expensive, but much better life protection.
Remember, a regular breaker is only to be protect the wiring, not you!
@@ke6gwf pretty sure AFCI is to protect your electric blanket, not the wires
Be careful though. My portable AC did not like the AFCI on my bedroom circuit. I ended up running a heavy extension cord out to the hall.
@@jimstanley_49 some cord ends have afci built into them to protect just the cord, but the breakers are to protect the in wall wiring more than anything.
Some of the most common causes of house fires are from nails going through wires and causing an intermittent short that heats the wire up (or being pinched against metal causing a low level short, etc), or from a bad connection, either from a broken wire that is still touching, or a loose connection, which will heat up under load.
These can also occur in cords, but the reason they are required as breakers rather than outlets, is to protect against in-wall faults.
And yes, AFCIs are susceptible to false trips, but unless the afci breaker is defective, if it is tripping when turning on a heavy load, it probably means that there is a wiring fault, and it is doing its job.
If there is a loose connection at the breaker, at the back of the outlet, or a loose wire nut somewhere along the way, or an internal fault in the unit, it will detect this under heavy load where it might not be a problem under light loads.
So I would try plugging the unit into another AFCI protected circuit from a different breaker, and see if it still trips.
Most of the breakers will show you a code to let you know what it detected, which can help with the troubleshooting.
To put it another way, an afci tripping is a sign of a problem with some part of the system, and should be investigated, rather than just treated as a nuisance,because a properly designed system won't do that.
This is literally the AC electricity chapter I teach in general physics. No one pays attention.
I hope you are failing them all.
I wish I could take that class
Well, you're teaching the type that thinks money will buy them knowledge. The legit students are out there working and learning on the job. I'm sorry you went into teaching, you're severely underpaid.
oh that sucks :( these videos help me understand physics though!!
Excellent! From a fire investigator, this video is wonderful. Good work!
Wow... I'm an IT Network Engineer/Manager and I play with low voltage equipment all day. I recognize that I always need power for my network equipment and in turn, I interact with electricians and electricity every day.
I often use the terms of the trade, but never fully dealt with the exact training of how electricity is provided. Outstanding representation and basic understanding of how current flows. I think I'll go and get certified as a basic residential electrician. I've looked at fuse panels, seen how the fixture wires are ran, but often times, have been frustrated on how my new light fixture and outlets are ran and crossed shared.
Your info has given great insight.
I run electricity in houses, this is a pretty good video.
Hi Paul, thank you so much for these detailed videos and spreading the knowledge. I have been trying to understand surge protectors for my apartment and spent two days reading almost every marketing video out there about basic MOVs to series surge suppression to power conditioner and filters. It's a very competitive space with so many companies selling snake oil. To make matters worse, many TH-camrs are super opinionated with basic knowledge from Google.
I've watched most of your videos and I think I can trust your opinion on all things electrical. Would you please consider doing an informational video on surge protection beyond the basics that most other TH-camrs offer which involves mostly going over types, products and ratings. Thank you so much and keep teaching.
Spot on accurate, excellent video. Glad you didn't show the neutral and ground wires heading to the same screw. Schuko plug into a NEMA 5-15 outlet looks kind of funny tho.
I agree, in Canada, we still land all neutrals on one of the bars, and all grounds on the other one. This is to aid in identification along with easily powering the panel from another temporary power source in an emergency by just removing the connection between the neutral bar and the ground bar.
I'm just starting an electrical journeyman course and DAMN this stuff is amazing. Thank you for all the hard work.
Wow! I never really knew where the neutral came from. This makes it so clear. The example showing the transformer with two hot leads and a neutral in the middle was great. Thanks.
Loved the video. FYI here in Quebec, Canada main lines are at 750Kv from the dams to the city, within the city they drop it down between 125kv to 25kv for distribution then step it down to 120v/240v for residential use.
Thank you from Vancouver!!!
This is pretty simple and easy to understand. I just subscribed. Thanks for making it so intuitive :D
I had to take a LOT of physics in college, but never really understood how to apply it to house wiring. Guess I’ll be binging this whole channel now.
Very informative and the animation rocks, especially for a non-electrician. Thank you
Explained it better than my teacher I
Will make sure to share this to class
This video was very useful and thank you for sharing, much appreciated.
Hi I'm a lineman apprentice and was wondering if you could do a video on the distribution networks mentioned around 1:20 .... videos on how they work. On how they're constructed, installed, maintained and how they're repaired. I'd pay a decent penny for them. I have the info in my books but something about how you explain things just make them click
This series is positively electrifying
IM A ELECTRICIAN HERE IN NYC THIS WAS A GREAT VIDEO VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE N THE NARRATOR VERY INFORMATIVE N PATIENT KEEP THESE VIDEOS COMING
I design Transmission Powerlines for a living and have never seen a clearer, more precise explanation of LV electrical systems like this. Thank you for this awesome content!
My dream job! Unfortunately, i have no degree 😂
6:30 remember kids, breakers are there to protect the wire, not you, a GFI breaker is needed for human protection as obviously a 15 amp breaker will not react fast enough to save your life.
GFIs serve their purpose in wet/outdoor areas but arc fault is pure bullshit and shows how lobbyists have taken over the NEC, prove me wrong 🤷♂️
Now that's a channel advertisers should put their ads on, unlike the JUNK CLICKBAIT cluttering youtube.
Very good explanation and animated description. I subscribed! A++
GIVE me A++ as well!
Very cool. My last house had an old Pushmatic breaker system and was improperly grounded. We had the panel and meter box replaced to handle 200A, and also had to ground stakes added to the outside of the house. The electrician we hired to do the work was really cool about answering all of my questions and I learned a lot about the whole setup. This video just added to that knowledge. Thanks!
This one goes out to anyone who has difficulty understanding how one side of an AC circuit can be “hot” and the other isn’t, given the circuit is constantly changing directions. I struggled with understanding this for years. I hope this helps.
Think of the hot wire as functioning like a fan on one end of an air hose. The fan can blow, or it can suck. It’s not that you’re going back and forth between “blow” forces being applied to each wire in succession. Just the one wire is “blowing” 120v, and then reversing and “sucking” 120v.
Neutral is just ambient air. Obviously the “hose” will not work to move air if there is no access to ambient air. If you duct tape the end of your air hose. The air inside repeatedly changes pressure between suction and inflation, but the air can’t actually do anything. You can’t blow dust away with it, nor can you vacuum the floor with it. So you need a neutral so that the “air” isn’t just “trapped in the hose”. When a 120v circuit is running, the neutral is just providing “air” to rush in when the fan sucks, as well as space for “escaping air” to move into when the fan blows.
240v circuits work by being like two fans on the far ends of two hoses. One fan blows 120v, the other sucks 120v at the same time, so if you connect the two hoses, the air is being moved with twice as much force. In this case, you don’t need a neutral because the other “fan” is providing the “airflow” to keep things moving.
Understanding AC voltages in terms of blow and suck, rather than a simple loop that changes direction, makes this so much more understandable and totally clears up the brain pain that normally results from trying to understand how one wire is “live” and the other isn’t even though the circuit changes direction.
Thank you, this helps somewhat as I have wondered the same thing.
So does a voltmeter register any voltage on the neutral when power is on/light is on? Can you get shocked touching a "live" neutral? How does that fit into your fan analogy?
@@johnbauman4005 so in theory, if everything in your house has been wired exactly perfectly with no mistakes, that’s the job of the ground rods at your meter box and at the transformer outside. By wiring the neutral wires, the neutral bus bar in your breaker box, the plumbing, gas lines, metal framing/doors, casings for metal devices, etc in your house all to those ground rods, there becomes an effectively infinite space for any stray excess electrons to go or for any deficiency in electrons to be recouped, so in theory the neutral should always have current (assuming a closed circuit, anyway), but never any voltage.
In the fan analogy, I suppose it’s a bit like leaving all the windows open. There’s so much air around to come in or go out that a pressure imbalance can never form.
All that said, I would certainly not trust that a white wire coming from the wall or ceiling is cold without testing it first, because a mistake as simple as accidentally wiring the hot and neutral backwards somewhere can throw big wrenches in this. You can test with a voltmeter, but the simplest test is just to tap the bare end of the neutral wire against the ground wire. If everything is connected properly, those two things should go to the same place at the other end, so there should be no sparks and no tripping of the breaker. If you get a nice pop n glow and the breaker flips off, you know something somewhere is not quite right, and that wire does have voltage.
It should also be said here that voltage is a gauge measurement, not an absolute measurement. Just like pressure, or height. A voltage only has meaning relative to some baseline. We usually use the ground voltage as our 0 point because most things are touching the ground, so usually something that’s at a voltage different than that is what’s going to cause current to flow. Same way we generally measure height relative to the ground, because what we care about is how far something would have to fall to hit it, or we generally measure pressure relative to the ambient air pressure because we care about how badly air wants to get in/out of a container.
An interesting video, but you made one slight error. The green "Bonding Screw" is NOT for grounding the electrical enclosure. It IS for bonding the neutral bar TO ground. The Ground Bar is fastened directly to the enclosure and BONDED; the grounding electrode conductor from the grounding stake is connected to the Ground Bar. In most situations, the green bonding screw on the neutral bar is required; some systems use a strap between the neutral bar and the ground bar, but this is usually only found in Industrial electrical systems. Furthermore, although the NEC does not forbid it, in many regions of the US it is a violation to connect the load neutral wire to the ground bar, or the load ground wire to the neutral bar.
Because proper grounding is so important, the NEC devotes and entire section of the code to this one subject, more than a hundred pages.
"but this is usually only found in Industrial electrical systems."
WRONG!!!!!!! It's not ONLY industrial systems.........In many houses the neutral and ground strips in the main panel are connected together by a jumper and then a solid piece of copper wire is attached to the ground strip side and then ran out to the metal rod that is driven into the ground. The only time you de-couple the ground and neutral strips is if you run a sub panel to an outside building or garage that requires you to run power to it from the main panel that is attached to your house..
Steven Cooper Please re-think what you are saying in your comment. The neutral and ground bars are one in the same in his example panel(which is correct and per NEC requirements). So neutral and grounding Electrode Conductor are both connected to the bars. The screw to the can in the one bar is to bond(or equipment ground) the can. Respectfully, Kevin Cooper
@@KevinCoop1 I stand by what I said. Electrically, they are the same, but they serve different purposes.
Steven Cooper I'm not going to change your mind, but there is no ground bar directly connected to the enclosure in his load center. So other than the enclosure, there is nothing else for it to bond. Have a wonderful life.
Check the new *SUB PANEL EXPLAINED* ➡️ video th-cam.com/video/NUSNa-7Hecw/w-d-xo.html
Sometimes residential garages in NA may be equipped with 240v too. Some of the higher output air compressors or welding equipment may use it. And recently with electric cars needing a dedicated service terminal for their power connection, it may become more common as people want fast-charging.
I’d rather say that most of the time, having electric water heaters and clothes dryers in a garage when it’s a feature of the main house.
@@HighestRank Forgot about attached garages, where they kind of throw in the laundry and utilities... But what was coming to mind is the (traditional?) kind that stands as its own structure. Or the nice fancy ones with more than 2 cars that are almost like small industrial workshops.
I live in Michigan and have installed two level 2 chargers in my garage. Each is attached to a large 50 amp 4 pin range connector to a mating outlet. One is for Ford Focus Electric and the other is a Tesla mid-range 3. With proper research and physical ability, a homeowner can do this install.
Ok. You got me with the length of the video (12:24) and how it relates to the subject. That's very metric of you. Lol
Just in case you didn't know......in the UK the it's called the LIVE cable
@@kenj8uk ...ok. . .?
...but I'm not sure how that relates to my comment..
-cheers
You explain this so much better than my teacher in electrical class🤦🏻 thanks dude your awesome!
not an electrician ! this guy explains easily ! thanks...
I'm qualified electrician after watching this video!! ::goes to rewire house::
Muy bien explicado y narrado, felicidades.
Guy De Fuentes le entiendes? lol 😂
@@MrKarloz97 Yo sí, tengo 50 años, soy ingeniero en electrónica y hablo inglés, ¿porqué tú pregunta?. Mi comentario solo es un reconocimiento "en Español" al video que está muy bien echo y explicado.
Española aqui: th-cam.com/video/7JDmvDzb5L8/w-d-xo.html
I love your videos they're so informative. Is it possible to make a video that explains the difference/similarities between the neutral and ground? I mean the ground is bounded to the neutral but the ground goes to the earth ground rod and the neutral goes to the tapped transformer. If they're bounded and it's AC, wouldn't current be flowing to the earth ground? How/why does current flow to the neutral and not ground if they're bonded. I've been looking everywhere for this answer and I get completely different answers!
Electricity always tries to return to it's source. It's easier (less resistance) to flow through the ground or neutral wire back to the transformer than it is to go through the physical soil ground. So it won't flow through the ground rod noramlly. Lightening's source is the physical ground so it will pass through the rod.
@savageRt sav i could be wrong so if he answers listen to him over me,but I believe in that situation you would have just an open circuit.
If you touched the hot while standing in moist soil then it will likely go through you, into the ground soil and try to make it's way back to the transformer. But the circuits in the house would otherwise be off because they do not have a complete circuit. You touching the hot wire and the ground soil will create the path it needs.
@@EngineeringMindset and if you touched the neutral, nothing would happen correct? Because although it's a current carrying conductor, the current flows from the hot, not current is in the neutral when the neutral is not connected and is connected to ground on the other end?
@@gsanchez9457 when there is a neutral fault part of the neutral cable will rise to the full active voltage and the other half would be at ground voltage (0v) as it would be connected to ground at the transformer. The system is called the MEN system and both provides a backup return path under fault conditions as well as keeps the neutral of ground reference.
As soon as the frame at 5:05 popped up, it triggered and epiphany and everything came together. Thanks! Great vid
Well, I've always done my own electrical work(to a certain extent), knowing how to wire outlets,switches,fans, even installed my own panel box, grounding rods, rewiring the whole house, but now I know WHY it gets wired the way it does. Thanks for the insight!
Great video, very complete and detailed. However i am a little confused. Shouldn't the ground wires and neutral wires be connected to seperate bars? The ground bar conected strictly to the ground rod, with the neutral wires connected to the neutral bar? Shouldn't the two bars be independent from eachother? Please clarify. Thanks for the great content.
Neutral bar is bonded to your ground bar so in reality it doesn't really matter.
Worked in Australia 3 phase is 415 volts 🔌⚡️⚡️⚡️
683dxwww Ok big deal! We have 208/120v. 416/240v. 240v. 480/277v. All 3 phase. We win!
Great video!!!!! you mentioned in this video you have a video further explaing floating neutrals and bonded nuetrals more in depth, where can i find this. . thanks
This channel by far is the best to learn electricity , dont waste your time watching others
About to start my electrical apprenticeship, thought I'd learn all I could on my own before I get into it, very nice explanation.