Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!pacbell.com!pacbell!osc!jgk From: jgk@osc.COM (Joe Keane) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: What's acceptable voltage ground-neutral? Summary: A volt or two is OK. Keywords: impedance Message-ID: <4740@osc.COM> Date: 17 Apr 91 22:08:05 GMT References: <1991Apr13.131621.225@mandata@uunet.uu.net> Reply-To: jgk@osc.COM (Joe Keane) Organization: Versant Object Technology, Menlo Park, CA Lines: 11 This topic comes up so frequently it should be in a frequently-asked questions list. The answer is that a difference of a volt or two is not abnormal. For example, i figured out the neutral-to-ground impedance of the power at my place, and it comes out to 18 milliohms. So if i draw 20 amperes, which isn't that much, there will be a 360 millivolt difference between ground and neutral, and an equal drop on the hot line. I would guess that this is pretty typical. -- Joe Keane, amateur mathematician jgk@osc.com (...!uunet!stratus!osc!jgk)