# Quick Question on Neutral Load?



## travis13 (Oct 12, 2012)

Ok let's say I have 5 lights in a row. Feed comes in light 1 down to 5. If I break the hot at light 3, will the neutral continue to carry current from light 5,4,3? Basically if I were to work on light 5, would there be a load traveling on the neutral? Or would the load only be carried from light 2 back upstream?


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

travis13 said:


> Ok let's say I have 5 lights in a row. Feed comes in light 1 down to 5. If I break the hot at light 3, will the neutral continue to carry current from light 5,4,3? Basically if I were to work on light 5, would there be a load traveling on the neutral? Or would the load only be carried from light 2 back upstream?



 I'm confused ! :001_huh:

Are the lights in series or parallel ?

Make a drawing ! Please !


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

travis13 said:


> Ok let's say I have 5 lights in a row. Feed comes in light 1 down to 5. If I break the hot at light 3, will the neutral continue to carry current from light 5,4,3? Basically if I were to work on light 5, would there be a load traveling on the neutral? Or would the load only be carried from light 2 back upstream?


Assuming a single branch circuit (as opposed to a multi-wire) you have broken the circuit.

Why do you think you would have current in an incomplete circuit?

Pete


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

There will be no load on the neutral circuit from 5,4&3, but there will be from 1&2. 

Don't think of the neutral as "neutral" in these cases.. consider them "returns" for the load side of the hot conductor. Little confusing perhaps at first, but once you get that, more things might make sense.

A true neutral does not care if you open it.. a return most definitely does!


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## travis13 (Oct 12, 2012)

Yes wired parallel. I guess in my mind a load my travel down to the last light before it made its way back

Also I really appreciate everyone's help. I'm a second year apprentice and so far this site has been very informative


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

As others have said, you won't have any current (load) on the neutral after light 3 but you could have a small voltage potential between the neutral and ground depending on the amount of voltage drop in the neutral wire. No safety concerns that I can see though unless the neutral opens up downstream.


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## gunnut666 (Nov 24, 2011)

Never mind


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## ablyss (Feb 8, 2014)

travis13 said:


> Ok let's say I have 5 lights in a row. Feed comes in light 1 down to 5. If I break the hot at light 3, will the neutral continue to carry current from light 5,4,3? Basically if I were to work on light 5, would there be a load traveling on the neutral? Or would the load only be carried from light 2 back upstream?


By opening the circuit at light 3 you've created a combination circuit. Lights 4 and 5 are now a series circuit but have no return path to the transformer. I would bet you if you gave the open hot on light 4 a return path to ground it would act as a series circuit using the 120 Volts off the incoming neutral. I might have to try this in my garage.

But to answer your question the neutral current is the sum of all currents across all points on a parallel circuit. Even if the circuit has an open hot. But combination circuits are different. Both voltage and current fluctuate. In your scenario it has the potential for both parallel and series circuit to exist but being "open" it exists in the potential realm.

That's my thoughts on it at least
Edit: the neutral current is the sum of all currents on the parallel circuit


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## ablyss (Feb 8, 2014)

Here's my drawing on the matter.
combination circuit by jons_photos, on Flickr


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

sorry, i dont see anything in op question that says tehre is more than one phase. if these lights are allon one circuit, i dare anyone to stick a wet finger(tongue) on the end of that circuit on the neutral and get grounded!


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Dude the neutral is grounded, it won't do anything.

If it was an open neutral, it would bite you.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

my bad! i missed the part the part about breaking the the hot!i did not type those words twice!


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Good, now stick your tongue on that wire! :laughing:


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

i cant! i just bit it off!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Even if my brain tells me it wouldn't do anything, my brain still tells me don't you dare do that dumbass! :laughing:


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## Bobaker (Sep 15, 2013)

By the drawing I'm assuming these lights are the only resistors on the circuit? Look out for shared neutrals!


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