# high leg



## BryanMD (Dec 31, 2007)

a picture is worth 1000 words:


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_leg_delta


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

high leg is off of a delta and 120/208 is a midpoint grounded wye


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

BryanMD said:


> a picture is worth 1000 words:


I never encountered a corner grounded ,mid tapped delta 3 phase xfmr .240/120 as in diagram.


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

That's not corner grounded. It is a decieving pic


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## BryanMD (Dec 31, 2007)

walkerj said:


> That's not corner grounded. It is a decieving pic


I've only worked one job with a high leg service. It was way way up in the mountains in California. It was used because that is what was there. 

we covered corner grounded last week.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

i would say its 50/50 high leg delta vs midpoint wye around here


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

highlandele said:


> When do you find a high leg in a service. is it typically in a 3 phase 120/240 panel or is it in a 120/208 3 phase panel? the concept is kind of confusing and when do you use the high leg?


The high leg, or wild leg, or snake leg, or bastard leg, is found when a service supplies a building with 240 V 3 phase. Because at least some of the lights and equipment will need 120 V, one of the transformers is sized larger and center tapped. The center tap allows A and C phase to have a neutral and therefore 120 V available.

In my area of the country, there are very few 120/240 delta systems left in service, at least as far as I have seen, which I guess ain't saying much:laughing:.
I was called in after another electrician was fired to fix a remodel where the original sparky wired the receptacles in the window display to the high leg. Lots of tvs burned out. As far as I know, the high leg itself isn't used to power loads normally. I guess that any single phase 208 V equipment would work on a single pole breaker, but that is a novel and non-standard application.

I think that delta services were preferred for places that had large motor loads, because the current divides among the transformers, and each coil sees less current.


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## yucan2 (Jun 9, 2009)

highlandele said:


> When do you find a high leg in a service. is it typically in a 3 phase 120/240 panel or is it in a 120/208 3 phase panel? the concept is kind of confusing and when do you use the high leg?


The high leg is simply part of the 3 phase network and useable in any 3 phase or single phase 240 volt equipment.

The high leg is not used ever for 120v loads.


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## Nephi (Mar 20, 2010)

yes and your also not suppost to make love to 480 v bus duct. Is it just me or is anyone else sick of people posting replies that JUST STATE THE OBVIOUS. of coarse you dont use the wild leg for 120v loads BECAUSE THE WILD DOES NOT PRODUCE 120 V TO NEAUTRAL


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## Nephi (Mar 20, 2010)

dont eat the yellow snow, look both ways before crossing, make sure you tighten your wire nuts,pay your taxes, wait a half hour to swim after eating, dont shoot at police officers, dont put deisel in a gasoline engine, dont kill and steal because its illegal, dont use bare conductors as hots.


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## yucan2 (Jun 9, 2009)

Nephi said:


> yes and your also not suppost to make love to 480 v bus duct. Is it just me or is anyone else sick of people posting replies that JUST STATE THE OBVIOUS. of coarse you dont use the wild leg for 120v loads BECAUSE THE WILD DOES NOT PRODUCE 120 V TO NEAUTRAL


This apparently is or was not obvious to the OP. We weren't all born knowing this stuff as you apparently were.


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## Nephi (Mar 20, 2010)

I believe his question was answered I think you just like seeing hearing yourself type but actually i wasnt born knowing everything thats what my home depot electrical 123 was for, finished it last night so now i believe i do know everything


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## Nephi (Mar 20, 2010)

go ahead...try me...just nothing about 4 ways, still a little confusing to me


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## Wingman (Apr 8, 2010)

*One High leg will make u lean over*

Most high legs are found in older buildings or farming pumps


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Nephi said:


> I believe his question was answered I think you just like seeing hearing yourself type but actually i wasnt born knowing everything thats what my home depot electrical 123 was for, finished it last night so now i believe i do know everything


Go away :thumbsup:


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## yucan2 (Jun 9, 2009)

Nephi said:


> I believe his question was answered I think you just like seeing hearing yourself type but actually i wasnt born knowing everything thats what my home depot electrical 123 was for, finished it last night so now i believe i do know everything


If I enjoy seeing myself post why do I only have 4. 2 wasted on the likes of you.


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## goose134 (Nov 12, 2007)

> i believe i do know everything


Except how to capitalize.


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