[AT] 3Ph, etc.

[DAVIESW739 at aol.com]

The so called neutral wire is nothing more than  a ground wire it doesn't do 
much except ground the system and allow you to get  110 from a 220 system. 

110 +
neutral (ground)   together  you get 220 
110- 

I think this confuses more people than  anything else about house hold 220 
voltage.

Take a wire hook it to one  side of your main breaker and hook it to a 110 
light bulb then hook the other  side of the light bulb to any ground and it will 
work. 

do the same thing  to the other side and you get the same results.

hook the bulb to both  sides of the main breaker and stand back. You will get 
220.

You can also  do this test with a multimeter.

Thre phase is 3 hot wires not two with a  ground so you need 4 wires to 
complete the system although the ground is only  needed for safety or to get 110 
from each of the 3 hot lines.

Look at  your main power pole and see if there are 4 or 3 wires there should 
be 4 if you  have 3 phase. But some states may not require the ground wire as 
it doesn't do  anything up there but sell wire.

In Oregon everything has to be grounded  so have a ground wire running from 
pole to pole and grounded at each pole and  your house what a waste of wire.

If we cut out that ground wire it would  save millions of dollar and not 
change one thing as far as the electrical power  in your system is concerned. 


Walt Davies
Cooper Hollow  Farm
Monmouth, OR 97361
503 623-0460